The Square Enix E3 press conference brought with it some much-awaited details for the upcoming Avengers video game. As well as a title and release date we also found out more about the characters, storyline, and setting.
A number of different people from Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics brought news which included a trailer, gameplay footage and details of the title. There was even a surprise clip of someone unexpected at the end. Here’s everything we now know about the upcoming Avengers game.
10 It’s called Marvel’s Avengers: A-Day
A-Day is short for Avengers Day, a day celebrating the opening of the Avengers west coast headquarters in San Francisco. However, A-Day takes a deadly turn when an attempt to steal the unique power source from the team’s custom Helicarrier results in mass destruction.
When the Avengers are blamed for the tragedy the team is disbanded. The game picks up the story five years later when a new evil threatens the world and our only hope is to reassemble the Avengers.
9 It has An Original Story Unrelated To The MCU
The game features an all-new original story and is completely separate to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s said to focus on losing what matters to you the most and then fighting to get it back. There’s also a lesson on self-acceptance in the face of adversity and embracing individuality while knowing that together you are stronger.
All these themes are prevalent in the Marvel universe. This emphasises the aim of the game which is to create a narrative which feels cinematic but isn’t restricted by the existing MCU events.
8 The Characters Don’t Look Like Their MCU Counterparts
Since the game takes place outside the cinematic universe it makes sense that the Avengers will also look different. The new designs are Crystal Dynamic’s interpretations of the comic book characters.
However, Marvel fans have spent years seeing their favorite characters appear on the big screen and those images can be difficult to shift. This has resulted in the character designs being criticized on social media.
The main problem is that many of them are close to their movie counterparts, leaving some feeling like they are too similar to consider separate and too far off to consider accurate.
7 It Has A Stellar Voice Cast
The voices, while not what we are used to hearing on screen, are likely to be familiar. Iron Man is voiced by Nolan North, also known as Uncharted’s Nathan Drake. Meanwhile, The Hulk is voiced by Troy Baker who has worked on games including Bordlerlands (Rhys) and The Last Of Us (Joel).
Thor is voiced by Travis Willingham, who currently plays the character in various Marvel animated series. Similarly, Black Widow is voiced by Laura Bailey, who has also voiced the character several times in the past. Finally, Captain America is voiced by Jeff Schine, who played Javier in The Walking Dead: A New Frontier.
6 You Can Play As Captain America, Thor, The Hulk, Iron Man or Black Widow
While the story may be outside the cinematic universe you can still play as your favorite Marvel characters. Assuming of course that your favorite is Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Iron Man or Black Widow.
Sadly for Hawkeye fans, he is noticeably absent from the line-up at launch, although this will hopefully be rectified in future. Since Captain America is playable despite appearing to be terminated in the trailer presumably anything is possible.
5 It Has A Single-player And co-op Mode
Like many other third-person action adventure games Avengers: A-Day will feature both a single-player and co-op mode. After a clip, showing an interaction between Bruce Banner and Tony Stark, we are told it was a glimpse of the “cinematic and character-driven campaign”
The co-operative mode will allow you to form teams of up to 4 players online. Your team will then be able to defend the earth from ever-escalating threats.
4 New Characters And Regions Will Come Post-Launch For Free
The roster is said to be a work in progress with further characters coming over time. Scot Amos, Studio Head of Square Enix, also announced that all new superheroes and all new regions will be available at no additional cost.
This is great news for fans who will no doubt want to see more of the Avengers we know and love in the game. It also gives us hope for being able to play as Hank Pym, who made a surprise appearance at the end of the presentation.
3 There Won't Be Any Loot Boxes
Further to the announcement of extra characters being available for free, Meagan Marie, Community and Social Media Manager for Crystal Dynamics, also stated that there will be no loot boxes or pay to win scenarios.
However, the game was also said to take place over multiple years with new content being released on a regular basis. While characters and regions will be free, there was no mention of if any content outside of this would be paid DLC.
2 It’s Part Of A Much Bigger Project
Marvel’s Avengers: A-Day is likely to be just the beginning of a new era of Marvel titles. Back in 2017 Square Enix signed a multi-year developmental deal with Marvel. This game is just the first announcement from that deal.
Crystal Dynamics and Eidos-Montreal are also involved with the project, making it a large scale collaborative title. The game is likely to act as a springboard for future Marvel titles and is no doubt hoping to replicate the success of Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man.
1 It Will Be Released In 2020
For anyone looking to get their hands on the game, there’s a while to wait yet, although a gameplay demo is currently available at E3. The release date is set at May 15, 2020, almost a year away, and the game will be available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It’s also coming to Google’s Stadia streaming service.
While the game is multi-platform there is a PlayStation partnership in place, which will bring early beta access and some unique benefits to PlayStation players.