MARVEL COSMIC INVASION XBOX SERIES X Review 8/10 "A vibrant, retro-inspired beat 'em up that channels old-school arcade energy" 💥 @MARVELCosmicInv @Dotemu

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is here: it hits Xbox Series X as a vibrant, retro-inspired beat 'em up that channels old-school arcade energy - think the classic 1992 X-Men arcade game - with the combos, special moves and overall depth we've come to expect from Dotemu, the publisher behind the excellent Streets of Rage 4.

The game follows the Marvel Annihilation storyline, pitting a huge roster of 15 playable characters against the evil Annihilus and the deadly Annihilation Wave. You punch, claw, fly and swing through locations ranging from New York City, through the Avengers Helicarrier, to the depths of the Negative Zone. The excellent pixel art style and fast-paced brawling capture an energetic comic-book feel that is very much in keeping with other Dotemu releases.

Whichever character you pick arrives with their own attacks, playstyle and special abilities. All the usuals are here - Wolverine, Captain America and Spider-Man, along with some of the more obscure ones ones like Phyla-Vell and Beta Ray Bill. 

The fighting is as slick and fun as you'd expect, and the unique combat feature is the Cosmic Swap tag-team system, which lets you instantly switch between heroes, enabling destructive team combos and screen-clearing specials to get you closer to the final battle. 

The action is fast-paced without being too chaotic, letting you sprint around the screen smacking down various enemies to your heart's content. The game also supports co-op, both couch and online with a drop-in drop-out system, adapting the difficulty on the fly to keep things balanced.

The presentation is excellent - vibrant, colourful pixel art and particle effects, driving music and plenty of voice-overs from both playable and supporting characters. Performance-wise, the game runs really well - smooth with no input lag and quick loading times, both of which are key in a fast-paced game like this.

SUMMARY
Whether you're a hardcore Marvel completist, a beat-'em-up fan like me, or just someone who likes good video games, this is a safe bet for you. 

And if you're a physical game collector, your wishes will be answered in April, with standard and deluxe editions both on the way.

8/10

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