Marvel Cosmic Invasion [REVIEW] – Earth’s Mightiest Beat ’Em Up

The side-scrolling beat ’em genre has been thriving over the last few years, and between nostalgic throwbacks and more experimental spins (we recently gave Absolum a 10/10), there has been no shortage of fists flying across screens. Tribute Games have already proven themselves specialists of the genre with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, and now they’re back with another beloved IP – Marvel superheroes. And, to absolutely no-one’s surprises, it’s an absolute blast to play.

Check out some screenshots down below:

The first thing that stands out in Marvel Cosmic Invasion is just how strong the character roster is, with fifteen heroes on offer that each feel unique to play as. Best of all, the roster itself is built up of both familiar faces and those who only die-hard Marvel fans will know – you’ve got your fan-favourite headliners like Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine, and Venom, but the game also digs into deeper corners of Marvel’s line-up with Nova, Phyla-Vell, Beta Ray Bill, and even Cosmic Ghost Rider. Best of all, the roster isn’t just big, but also diverse in how each character plays, with varied move sets and playstyles on offer that make each feel unique. It’s really impressive and helps bring a lot more variety to a genre that can at times feel button-mashy.

Instead of picking one fighter to take into battle, Marvel Cosmic Invasion has you choose two heroes per stage, letting you swap between them whenever you want. This immediately changes the rhythm of battle, especially with their diverse set of skills that can be utilised mid-combo for flashy team ups… or you can just pull your second character in when the going gets tough, it’s up to you. And when you play in co-op? It gets even wilder, with four players meaning you’ve got eight heroes tagging in and out, resulting in screens full of projectiles, explosions, and enemies flying in every direction. Yeah, it’s chaotic (and sometimes it can make it tough to track everything that’s going on) but it really does help make Marvel Cosmic Invasion feel special – co-op with friends is DEFINITELY the best way to play the game.

Combat itself is easy enough to pick up, with quick button-mashing combos, a charged attack, a special attack, and a powerful super move – they’re things that are typical of the genre, but there’s enough nuance found within it all to ensure combat feels good. You can juggle enemies in the air, bounce between heroes to extend pressure, and take advantage of stage hazards for bonus damage too, so there’s a sense of stylish flair to encounters to make you constantly feel like you’re experiencing the same kind of manic encounters seen in Marvel’s comics or movies.

“Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a joyful and energetic celebration of what makes beat ’em ups so great, with the thrilling gameplay boosted by the presence of Marvel’s heroes, villains, and worlds.”

The campaign travels to a wide spread of Marvel locations that span further than Earth alone – one minute you’re smashing robots in New York, whilst the next you’re battling dinosaurs in Savage Land or dealing with cosmic hazards on alien worlds. Stages don’t just look different either, but often incorporate unique gimmicks or environmental hazards that change up how fights play out. The attention to detail, combined with the sheer range of visual styles, ensures things never get repetitive, whilst tucked throughout are little visual nods and deep-cut references that will bring a big smile onto the faces of Marvel fans. It’s clear that Tribute Games have put a lot of love and care into their design and it helps ensure that Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a real love-letter to fans of the superheroes.

Boss fights are another highlight of the experience, with each feeling like a major battle that is distinct in design, offering various gimmicks, hazards, and defensive mechanics that force players to adjust their approach instead of just bulldozing through with wild combos. Best of all? They use villains from all over Marvel’s library, with some real fan-favourites showing up to make their presence known. It kept me excited to see who would show up next, but even when the foe wasn’t quite so familiar, the battles were wonderfully crafted to ensure the challenge felt rewarding.

It is worth noting that there can be some unusual difficulty spikes though, and whilst some missions are breezy, others can be punishing, especially in solo play where overwhelming projectile patterns and regenerating boss shields can turn fights into a slog. It’s not punishing enough to ruin the game at all and it’s not such a problem when playing in multiplayer, but it’ll definitely keep your skills tested across the adventure.

Check out some screenshots down below:

But hey, at least you can level up your characters to gain more health and passive bonuses, which can help balance things out as you play. Having the passive bonuses ensures that even low-level characters can be viable to use too, so you’ll never feel too underpowered if you decide to experiment with one of the heroes that you haven’t used that much. Admittedly, the character progression doesn’t go too deep, but it’s a nice little inclusion that adds to the overall replayability (and helps balance out some tougher moments).

Outside of the main story, Marvel Cosmic Invasion also offers an Arcade mode that strips things down to a more traditional gauntlet (along with modifiers for those who want challenge or extra variety), whilst players can also unlock palette swaps, music, and lore entries across gameplay, giving a decent incentive to replay stages to unlock everything. It’s a real meaty experience, so you’re getting plenty of bang for your buck, and of course, it’s also a blast to play in multiplayer, so don’t be surprised to find yourself coming back for more and more whenever you have friends over.

I’ve got to give some love to the visuals of Marvel Cosmic Invasion too, with the presentation undoubtedly one of the game’s strongest points. The pixel art is vivid, full of personality, and perfectly animated to make each fight and explosion stand out with real flair, whilst the character and environmental design is perfect. The soundtrack is top-notch and fits the old-school feel of the action perfectly too, with some banging tunes on offer that sound like those you’d have heard blasting from the arcades back in the 90s… it’s really, really good.

Developer: Tribute Games
Publisher: DotEmu
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch
Wesite: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2753970/MARVEL_Cosmic_Invasion/