Marvel has a long and colourful history with the beat ’em up genre. It makes sense—superheroes in vibrant outfits beating up a bunch of thugs is generally regarded as a good time, no matter the medium. But it’s been a while since we’ve had a truly great super-powered beat ’em up, and I’m thrilled to say that might be changing with Marvel Cosmic Invasion—a game that feels destined to become an instant genre classic.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion comes from Tribute Games, the same studio behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge – one of the key games in the recent revival of beat ‘em ups. It’s a team that already has expertise in the genre, but Marvel Cosmic Invasion genuinely feels like a step forward from Shredder’s Revenge, with its own unique ideas and identity. If you’ve seen a trailer for Marvel Cosmic Invasion and said, “That looks good,” I promise you it feels even better to play.
To get the obvious out of the way, this game looks jaw-droppingly gorgeous at every turn. Every sprite is animated with lavish detail, and there’s an absurd amount of detail packed into the background of every single screen, and that’s intentional, according to the Dotemu rep that guided us through the demo. Battling through the streets of New York, you could see toppled hot dog carts, abandoned Daily Bugle trucks sending wispy trails of smoke.
“Marvel Cosmic Invasion—a game that feels destined to become an instant genre classic.”
Then you make your way onto a helicarrier, where S.H.I.E.L.D. agents crouch behind barriers and fire off random shots at enemies—all while you beat the snot out of grunts. Of course, it’s all set to a rocking soundtrack that amps up the adrenaline.
Many of the core mechanics in Marvel: Cosmic Invasion are similar to those in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, and if you’ve played the latter, you’ll feel right at home. Up to four players each control a different character in side-scrolling action, with every hero featuring a distinct move set. You fight through a number of screens and waves of enemy grunts before reaching the stage’s boss—classic beat ’em up stuff. But the brilliance of Cosmic Invasion lies in its phenomenal presentation and the fluidity of its combat.
There are a whopping 15 playable characters in Marvel: Cosmic Invasion, and each one feels markedly different. While that might seem like the headline feature, the real star of the show is Cosmic Invasion’s phenomenal tag-team system. Every player selects two heroes and can swap between them at will. But the timing of when you use the tag system allows for elaborate combos and special moves with each character—making every pairing feel entirely unique.
“But the brilliance of Cosmic Invasion lies in its phenomenal presentation and the fluidity of its combat.”
For my demo, I picked Captain America and Spider-Man, and I’m happy to report that Marvel: Cosmic Invasion nails Cap’s shield throw. As Cap, I could ricochet my shield between enemies, stun them, then seamlessly swap to Spidey and swing in for a lengthy combo. Spider-Man’s special, of course, lets him use web balls to hit enemies at range and briefly wrap them up.
Each character has a unique focus in battle—Wolverine unleashes a flurry of blows that can hit multiple enemies, Nova can fly and mop up airborne foes with ease, and Venom can literally pick up and throw enemies. Finding synergy between characters is a blast, and that was only with the small selection I had a chance to try. I’m already imagining how all 15 characters might fit together.
Marvel: Cosmic Invasion has all the makings of a great beat ’em up, and while there have been tag-team games before, I’m hard-pressed to think of one that feels better than this. It’s the kind of game I don’t need to see or play another second of—I’ll be there day one.
Marvel Cosmic Invasion launches in 2025 on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
