Marvel Cosmic Invasion Review – Against the Tide

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When people talk about big Marvel crossovers, a lot of folks immediately think of things like Civil War, House of M, or Infinity Wars. But for me, it always goes back to the Annihilation Saga. What I loved about it was seeing all these lesser-known heroes – the Guardians of the Galaxy, Silver Surfer, Beta Ray Bill, Nova, and a bunch of others – really step up and work together to fight this massive threat, the Annihilation Wave. Honestly, I think it’s one of the best superhero stories Marvel’s ever put out, with a really strong story and characters.

Marvel has always explored alternate realities – what if their greatest heroes teamed up and fought together? We got a taste of this in the “What If?” series, and now Tribute Games has perfectly captured that epic battle in a classic 2D beat ’em up game.

This isn’t a simple retelling of the original story. While it includes flashbacks and brief diversions, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is more than just a fast-paced action game. It’s a genuine tribute to these characters, featuring satisfying combat and a polished presentation.

Before each mission, you’ll pick two heroes who work well together. For instance, Wolverine and Storm might travel to Genosha to rescue captured mutants, fighting Sentinels and ultimately confronting Master Mould. At the same time, Captain America and Iron Man will team up on a SHIELD helicarrier to defend against an attack by AIM – this is just the first of many such missions.

As you may recall, Annihilus, who was once trapped in the Negative Zone, has escaped and is now causing destruction throughout the universe. The story will eventually reveal how he gathered such a large army, and even managed to control enemies like the Sentinels and AIM. Your mission begins immediately, confronting the Annihilation Wave starting in New York City. You’ll select two heroes to begin with, and you’ll be able to unlock additional heroes as you progress.

You’ll have a great selection of heroes to choose from, including Captain America, Iron Man, Storm, Wolverine, Black Panther, Beta Ray Bill, Rocket Raccoon, She-Hulk, Cosmic Ghost Rider (featuring Frank Castle!), Nova, and Spider-Man. The story follows a main path, but offers choices that lead to different outcomes. You’ll need to complete each section to progress, and the action will take you to various locations and side stories.

Okay, so before each mission, the game asks you to pick two heroes who work well together. It’s cool because it lets you team up characters in interesting ways! Like, I can send Wolverine and Storm to Genosha to rescue mutants from the Sentinels and take on Master Mould. Or, I can have Captain America and Iron Man team up on a SHIELD helicarrier to fight off an AIM attack and eventually face the Taskmaster. The neat thing is, even if you pick different heroes – say, Rocket and Cosmic Ghost Rider – you won’t miss out on the story! They don’t really fit those specific missions, but if you want to send them, go for it! It’s all about having fun and building your dream team.

Just keep in mind that certain challenges require specific heroes. For example, Captain America needs to knock enemies into pits on the helicarrier, and Wolverine has to use his Feral throw to rip apart ten enemies. There are also general challenges anyone can complete, like defeating 15 enemies with turrets, and collectible Cosmic Cubes. I think this system works well because all the challenges are optional, so you can always come back and finish them later if you want.

The combat is surprisingly easy to learn, though mastering the more complex combos takes some practice. You have a lot of freedom in how you fight – Wolverine can quickly attack with lunges and quick stabs, or throw enemies around, while Spider-Man can pull opponents in close for a fight.

Let’s talk about combat – it’s a real highlight of Cosmic Invasion. The game’s unique feature is the Cosmic Swap, letting you instantly switch between your two chosen heroes. This opens up amazing possibilities – you can create powerful combos or even attack from multiple angles at once. For example, you could launch an enemy into the air with Wolverine, then have She-Hulk come crashing down with a devastating attack.

You can also increase your damage output by getting assists, but remember the Focus meter is also used for powerful Ultimate attacks, so don’t rely too much on constantly calling in assists. Calling in another hero can be a smart way to escape an enemy’s grab, especially when facing flying characters, and might encourage you to switch heroes. However, there’s a glitch where characters take excessive damage while grabbed until you switch to a different hero.

As a huge fan, I have to say the combat is just fun. It took a little getting used to pulling off the bigger combos, but it’s super easy to jump in and start playing. And the best part? There are so many different ways to fight! You can play as Wolverine and just relentlessly attack, or use Spider-Man to yank enemies around. Beta Ray Bill’s Stormbreaker is amazing – you can keep it spinning and really dish out the damage. Even Phyla-Vell has unique combos that wear down enemies over time. It all feels really snappy and, honestly, it totally nails that classic arcade vibe I love.

Every character seems fun to play, although some feel more powerful than others. Phyla-Vell is already strong with her damage-over-time attacks, and her ability to fly and teleport to her projectiles for extra damage is a great addition. Captain America is also well-designed, able to block both close-range and ranged attacks while having an endless supply of shield throws. Wolverine, Silver Surfer, Iron Man, and Cosmic Ghost Rider also have strong abilities, and they appear to be the most popular choices among players.

Most of the boss fights are reasonably well-designed, offering a good challenge without being overly difficult. They encourage you to learn enemy attack patterns and react accordingly, and when you make mistakes, it feels fair rather than cheap.

One of the most exciting things about Cosmic Invasion is the potential for discovering even more powerful team combinations. However, some character abilities feel a bit clunky. For example, Spider-Man and Venom both have swinging and aerial attacks, and it would make more sense if those were combined into a single, smoother ability. Also, Phoenix’s psychic grab feels a little difficult to use effectively.

The levels are generally well-designed, with a good balance of length and interesting challenges. Each one introduces something new, like obstacles to avoid or different enemies to fight, and they all look amazing. Most levels move at a good pace, although one is a bit longer than the others. I thought both that longer level and the final level deserved their extra length, particularly the final boss fight.

Most of the boss fights are reasonably well-balanced, though a few can be a little tricky. Some bosses offer a good challenge, forcing you to learn their attack patterns and react accordingly. Others, however, require you to disable shields or destroy specific objects before you can even hurt them.

While these battles aren’t the most exciting, they’re generally enjoyable. The game does a good job of balancing stages and evoking a sense of nostalgia, making it worth playing through multiple times. The enemy variety does become a little repetitive towards the end – fighting slightly stronger versions of the initial enemies – but overall, Cosmic Invasion is well-paced and fun.

It’s not perfect, with a few minor flaws, but if you want a game that works well with Absolum and offers a classic retro arcade feel, this is a great choice.

If you prefer a simpler, more action-focused game without story segments or difficult challenges, try Arcade Mode. It lets you play through levels one after another, like a classic beat ’em up. You can also use the Cosmic Cubes you earn to unlock information about the game’s characters – both good and bad – plus new costumes and music for each level.

The game isn’t just visually stunning – the environments and character animations are beautiful. But the music truly steals the show. Every track, from the opening menu to the sweeping score during the New York sections and the climactic final battle, is fantastic and deserves to be recognized for its quality.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a truly excellent beat ’em up – and that’s high praise considering the talented team behind it. While not perfect, it’s exactly what players looking for a classic, retro arcade experience similar to Absolum have been waiting for.

This game was reviewed on PC.

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2025-12-01 19:13