There are games that you know, right from the getgo, the moment they get announced, that they will be hits. All you need to see is a few seconds of footage, learn the premise, and take a look at the team developing said title. Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a perfect example of that. Just the thought of a brand new Marvel beat ’em up, something clearly inspired by 90s classics such as Konami’s X-Men game, was already enough to make me look forward towards it, but finding out it was being made by Tribute Games, the geniuses behind Panzer Paladin and the bonafide masterpiece that is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge? Instant classic in the making. And I’m so glad to inform you that they have, indeed, delivered another banger.

These might be the easiest Sentinels to defeat in gaming history. Don’t care, still fun.

So in theory, what we have here is more of the same. Marvel Cosmic Invasion is another arcade-friendly beat ’em up that might be somewhat easy to beat and doesn’t last for very long (which might actually be its main and only issue), but endlessly replayable due to basically everything it has to offer, be it presentation or gameplay. Shredder’s Revenge was the same kind of game, but it was being largely pushed by its charm, nostalgic appeal, and a combat system that was very similar to Turtles in Time for the Super Nintendo. You can’t do the same for a Marvel game, and thankfully, Tribute Games went back to the drawing board for its combat. The main draw this time around: tag team combat.

When you hear “tag team”, you usually think of competitive fighting games. That’s a feature that’s big in franchises such as Tekken and, ironically enough, Marvel vs. Capcom. In Marvel Cosmic Invasion, the gimmick is that you play as a team of two characters, each with their own skills, advantages and disadvantages; you can then swap between them with the press of a button. Better yet, you can tag swap in between a combo, or when you’re stuck being attacked by a foe. That gives you a lot of room for creativity, especially when you consider the roster size, and how characters can cover the limitations of their partners. I would always swap team members in between levels, because I wanted the best line deliveries depending on the setting, so I was able to experiment a lot.

I know I said that most characters are fun to use and are well-balanced, but Spider-Man’s air attacks are surprisingly awful.

The gimmick is great, but what really makes Marvel Cosmic Invasion stand out is its game feel. I am not exaggerating: I can’t think of another beat ’em up with a better game feel than this game. It just feels amazing to play. The combination of responsive controls, fast-paced combat, creative character combinations, fun boss fights, and sure, amazing visuals, all culminate in a fantastic romp, one that can be either enjoyed in small portions (a great fit for a portable, in this case), or with friends. Better yet, this game supports four player co-op, and each player has access to two characters at once. In essence, eight Marvel heroes per run.

As per the comic book nerd side of things, I can’t particularly say if Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a loyal adaptation of the series it’s based on (it’s called Annihilation, and that’s all I know about it), but what I can say is that the character roster is varied, all Marvel subseries are present, and each level is basically its own self-contained homage to a particular Marvel character. There’s the X-Men level where you fight Sentinels, the Spider-Man level in New York, a level in Wakanda, and so on. If you bring in a specific character for his/her own themed level, you gain access to more dialogue exchanges and whatnot. To top it off, a ton of easter eggs and references in each level. Fanservice done right.

Some characters can dodge attacks; others can defend/parry.

As previously mentioned, my only “gripe” with Marvel Cosmic Invasion is that it’s brief. Then again, that is completely offset by the fact it’s endlessly replayable, with a ton of characters to play as, new modes to unlock, and more extra content to acquire in a neat in-game content tree. This is one of those games that does everything right, to a point there’s not a lot else to say or complain about. The premise works, the gameplay is phenomenal, the presentation is sublime, and it’s fun to play over and over and over again. Just go for it. It’s amazing and you won’t regret it, whether you’re a comic book fan or not.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series S/X, PC, Switch and Switch 2.

Reviewed on Intel i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, RTX 3060 6GB and Asus ROG Ally.

A copy of Marvel Cosmic Invasion was provided by the publisher.