Marvel Heroes Omega, the console version of Marvel Heroes, recently went into closed beta on the PlayStation 4. If you’re a new player who’s never experienced Marvel Heroes before or even a veteran of the PC version, there are couple of things going for the console version that you won’t find on PC.
The pace is slower
Gazillion slowed things down on PC with changes made to movement powers with the launch of the Biggest Update Ever, but Marvel Heroes Omega is a bit more deliberate all around. It reminds me a bit of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. You’ve got the same movement limitations you’ll find on PC, but enemies, such as elites and bosses, take a bit longer to kill, too. It all sort of just feels like you’re taking more of your time moving and progressing through the game. For me, that’s a plus. I never really enjoyed the breakneck speed of the pre-BUE Marvel Heroes, so your mileage may vary here, but if you prefer a bit of a slower pace, you’ll probably dig the changes made in MHO.
The game is optimized for controller
It’s true that you can play Marvel Heroes on PC using a controller, but Marvel Heroes Omega is obviously designed explicitly for controller use. The UI is controller friendly and there are even arrows to help you keep track of your character’s direction. It’s just a lot more natural of a controller experience than you’ll find on the PC version.
Couch co-op is a thing
You can group up with others and play just like you can on PC, but if you want to just sit on the couch and play with your friend, kid, or significant other, you can do that, too. It’s important to note that you’ll be playing on and thus, only progressing player one’s account when you do this. I’ve seen some confusion over the feature around the forums and on Reddit.
Itemization is different
I’m not entirely sure if this is a positive just yet, as I don’t have a full grasp of all the changes, but itemization is very different in Marvel Heroes Omega. You’ll notice a ton of new hyper-specific typed damage, for one. Items will grant bonuses to things like Hand-to-Hand or Claws. Legendary items such as the melee centric Excalibur are now only good for players who use “Sword” powers. Artifacts work the same way.
Gazillion says this opens up build diversity and that very well may be true. I can see how one could focus on specific elemental typed damage items for a character like Storm, for example. But most of all, this is probably being done to address some of the issues we deal with on PC, where players are often using the same items across characters and can easily just swap things out. In MHO, you’ll have to spend the extra time to gear out each hero with different sorts of items, which should prolong the item hunt, but will it make it more interesting overall? It’s hard to say, but I’m intrigued.
Symbiote Spider-Man
This is admittedly a bit more directed at PC veterans of Marvel Heroes, but it could still be a big draw for some. As an Ultimate Pack owner on PC and player of the PC version since beta, I’ve seen many players lament the fact they didn’t pick up the Ultimate Pack for the exclusive Symbiote Spider-Man costume (or the fact they learned about the game well after the packs were discontinued), so to those players, now’s your chance!
If you pick up five of the Founder’s Packs on PS4, you will unlock the Symbiote Spider-Man costume as a timed exclusive. Yep, Gazillion appears to have learned its lesson here and opted to make Symbiote Spider-Man a timed exclusive instead of a permanent one on the console version. So, even if you do miss out on the Founder’s Pack offer, you’ll be able to pick up the costume somewhere down the line, though how it will be unlocked is anyone’s guess.
