Marvel Heroes recently underwent yet another rebrand and the corresponding game update was suitably massive. Now Marvel Heroes 2016, Gazillion has kicked off the New Year with a bang by introducing some long awaited additions, with even more to come. How does it all stack up? Read on for our take.
Chapter 10: Secret Invasion
I’ve long been critical of Gazillion dedicating developer time and resources to new story chapter content and Chapter 10 hasn’t really done anything to change my feelings there. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it immensely, but it took me only about half an hour or so to complete. I imagine these chapters are a massive undertaking, and I feel the resources would be better spent elsewhere given how quickly we plow through the content. That aside, the new locations are pretty awesome and it’s always great to see something new in the game. Fighting Skrull versions of heroes was enjoyable and you can even acquire the Skrull version costumes for your own characters.
The chapter also adds a new patrol zone in Hightown Patrol, though a cosmic version of the area isn’t yet available, and it’s unclear if one is even on deck. There are some really great new items that drop in Hightown Patrol, so you’ll want to finish Chapter 10 so that you can get to farming up the new loot!
Leaderboards
There’s not a whole lot to discuss about leaderboards right now, but the update did introduce the framework of the feature to the game. Currently, you can compare yourself against other players along Achievement and Progression tracks, but as far as I can tell there aren’t currently any rewards or events surrounding either of these tracks. I’m looking forward to seeing how Gazillion capitalizes on this feature in the future.
Black Cat & Deadpool 52 Rework
Black Cat, the final hero of Advance Pack 2, recently made her debut alongside the also late (and final) 52 review for Deadpool. Better late than never, both reworks delivered on Gazillion’s focus on quality. Black Cat is an enjoyable, but straightforward character, though I admit I’m a bit underwhelmed with her trap build. It’s strong, but not as interesting as I’d hoped. Deadpool is an absolute blast, though. The reworked Deadpool accurately reflects the craziness we expect from the character. Deadpool looks like he’s having fun as he goes nuts with all of his new moves. Deadpool’s handstand while using Bang Bang, riding around on a little pink moped, and even shooting Hulk Hand arrows at goons all capture the zaniness of the character. If you’ve been itching for something less serious, you should definitely give the Merc With a Mouth another look.
Agent Venom Team-Up
He may not be the strongest Team-Up out there, but I really enjoy rolling with Agent Venom. I usually prefer to run Team-Ups in passive mode, but I actually like Agent Venom so much that I run him actively. His voice is a little odd, but I love the way he combines the symbiote’s abilities with conventional weaponry. One of his moves has him fire all his weapons at once, each held by a set of symbiote tendrils, and I get a huge kick out of it every time it goes off.
Controller Support
I can’t believe it, but Gazillion actually pulled it off. When I first heard that Gaz was working on adding controller support to the game I had a hard time wrapping my mind around how it would work. Surprisingly, it’s pretty intuitive! It does take a bit getting used to and I still prefer playing with mouse and keyboard, but if you want that on the couch experience out of Marvel Heroes and the PC controls put you off in the past, I would encourage you to boot the game up and give it a go with your controller. Menus are still a bit of a hassle to navigate, but powers and other interactions work great.
Visual Updates
Gazillion is committed to at least bringing the game’s launch characters into the modern era with some spruced up new looks for older costumes. It’s going to be an ongoing process, but we got a taste of it with the first slate of visual updates in the rebrand, introducing updated costumes for Jean Grey, Captain America, and a surprise update for Black Widow. Gazillion’s got a world class art team (special shout out to TheDink!) and it really shows in these visual updates.
I’m looking forward to seeing which costumes Gazillion updates next, but I’m crossing my fingers for 90’s Storm and Cyclops, Symbiote Spider-Man for us Ultimate Pack folk, and Black Widow’s Avengers Movie costume. I can already hear all the Emma Frost people going, “Oh, hell no!”
What’s your take on the Marvel Heroes 2016 update? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
