Marvel's Avengers, the upcoming game from publisher Square Enix and developer Crystal Dynamics, was finally revealed at E3 2019 and has received a mixed response among fans than perhaps the developers were hoping for. This is in spite of what was considered a pretty good response among the crowd at E3, though that is often inflated due to a general sense of excitement surrounding the event itself.
A reveal trailer for Marvel's Avengers help conclude Square Enix's E3 2019 presentation, followed by a reveal of the star-studded voice talent - including Nolan North and Troy Baker - behind the game's five lead heroes (Hawkeye was weirdly missing). Devs then took to the stage to share Marvel's Avengers' release date and news that the game would be free of the much-maligned loot boxes and would get free post-launch story content and characters. There was virtually no talk or showcase of actual gameplay though, while they were talking about cast and DLC details.
The biggest concern after the reveal of Marvel's Avengers was the lack of actual gameplay footage. A part of the title will however, be playable on the E3 show floor so it was a strange omission given how much time Square Enix spent showcasing certain other titles that weren't generating hype. If Avengers was (and is) the biggest game premiere the publisher had, why did they hold back? Given Crystal Dynamics' success with the Tomb Raider reboot it's easy to give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to quality, but E3 2019 has had way too many non-gameplay reveals and gamers know how misleading these can be.
It's also frustrating to hear Square Enix discussing platform exclusive content for a multi-platform release for Marvel's Avengers over gameplay features.
The other big point of contention sweeping social media amongst gamers and the media was the look and feel of the actual Avengers designs and costumes, especially the goofy Captain America costume. Crystal Dynamics is bringing an original story together for their game, but since this reveal was timed to follow the record-setting release of Avengers: Endgame in theaters worldwide it was strange to see some characters looks similar to their MCU counterparts while some are so different (and nowhere near as well-designed). There are reactions and complaints that this crop of superheroes appears like nothing more than "budget Avengers," since they don't have the likeness of stars like Robert Downey Jr. or Chris Evans. This could have been avoided had the development team opted for an entirely different look for the Marvel heroes.
There is plenty of time for Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics to change public perception before Marvel's Avengers releases next May and it's ultimately going to come down to the game's story and gameplay. Nothing else matters for the single-player and co-op action game, and on the costumes, we expect there to be lots of costume designs to choose from. The confirmation of four player online co-op and a free, growing roster of playable heroes, are exciting pillars of the game's release and we're starting to get excited for the long-term potential of a Marvel video game shared universe. Bring on the connections to Marvel's PS4 exclusive Spider-Man!