Forget the loot and it’s a hoot! REVIEWS CORNER

Marvel’s Avengers was easily one of the most hotly-anticipated games of the year and so much about it is excellent that it fills me with great hope for future releases.

But – yes, I’m afraid there is a few buts – it is far from perfect and suffers from several frustrations and let downs throughout.

The game follows Inhuman teenager Kamala Khan, who gained superpowers after exposure to Terrigen Mist during A-Day – a celebratory day for the Avengers wherein a tragedy resulted in death and destruction. Blamed for the tragedy, the Avengers disbanded, allowing the science corporation A.I.M. to take their place. Five years later, when A.I.M. threatens to end the world of superpowered individuals, Kamala embarks on a quest to reassemble Earth’s Mightiest Heroes so that they can save the world from peril once more.

And that’s where you come in. You take control of your favourite Avenger in a third-person perspective to do just that.

Marvel’s Avengers looks absolutely fantastic and has both single-player and multiplayer modes. There is also an online coop mode, allowing you to assemble your own team of heroes. The initial roster of Avengers included Captain America, Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, Black Widow and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. But even more characters are being added in free post-launch updates, which also feature new areas. It’s not just a case of picking your favourite character, though. Each hero has a variety of differing abilities, skills, powers and weapons, which can be upgraded using the easy-to-follow skill tree. You can also customise your character’s costume, which is pretty neat, too.

The game’s crowning achievement is undoubtedly the combat. There is so much depth to the fighting and mechanics, and this only expands as you unlock more moves and specialisms. To be frank, this is some of the best combat around and it is the one thing that has given me great hope for future releases.

I loved the story campaign mode and found it a thoroughly entertaining ride. To be honest, I personally would have been happy with that as a standalone game in many respects. It does a great job of keeping you fully tuned in while it explores the various relationships and conflicts between the Avengers.

But that’s not to say multiplayer doesn’t shine in it’s own right. In fact, teaming up online with friends was thrilling. Unfortunately, though, as I touched on at the top of this review, there are several frustrations, too.

The Live game aspect feels like it has been shoehorned in and

I’m not altogether sure it actually adds anything to the experience. My biggest bug bear, though, is the loot and the grind that comes with it. Don’t get me wrong, the grind is piecemeal compared to the likes of the king of grind World of Warcraft. But rarely is it enjoyable, even as you progress through the levels.

As good as the teamwork element of multiplayer mode is while controlling your favourite superhero, the mode suffers from a lack of variation in terms of both locations and the enemies you encounter. And, at times, it can be a touch chaotic, rendering skill and planning futile.

Overall, I enjoyed taking control of the Avengers but there are too many annoyances holding it back for now.