Avengers Army: Crisis | |
Developer(s) | Sonny Daye |
Publisher(s) | |
Platform(s) | |
Genre(s) | Fighting |
Series | Avengers Army |
Predecessor | None (first game in series) |
Release Date(s) | WW May 2017 |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer, campaign, online |
Age Rating(s) | |
Cost | USD $59.99 |
Avengers Army: Crisis is a 2.5D platformer fighting game, similar to the Super Smash Bros. series. Some critics panned the game for being so similar to Smash, while others praised it. This game stars a multitude of characters from the various franchises of the Marvel Universe, including (but definitely not limited to) The Amazing Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Uncanny X-Men, Captain America, Daredevil, Fantastic Four, Deadpool, The Invincible Iron Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy. The game was released in Summer 2017 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The game was created to fulfill Marvel's wishes to return to console gaming. A couple genres Marvel had considered were open-world sandbox and RPG. With the existence of the Spider-Man games and the Ultimate Alliance games, Marvel made the decision to go the fighting game route, with plans to release an open-world sandbox and RPG at a later date. Crisis is the first game in the Avengers Army series, with both a sequel and a spinoff planned for 2018. The developer confirmed in November 2016 that the spinoff would be an open-world sandbox game, similar to the Spider-Man 2 and Ultimate Spider-Man games.
Development[]
Marvel had been desiring to return to consoles, and wanted the release of a fighting game, a role-playing game, or an open-world sandbox game. While deciding the genre, a group of writers was hired to pen a draft of the plot. After reviewing it, Marvel decided the plot would be best-suited for a fighting game. They studied the Super Smash Bros. series and and opted to go for something similar to that series' style. It was chosen mostly for its noticeable differences from Marvel: Contest of Champions's format. The "Nintendo NX" was in development at this time, and the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One offered huge markets. The Nintendo 3DS was considered, but the game that was planned was eventually decided to be too big for handhelds.
The game was originally planned for a February 2018 release, but, in December 2016, it was pulled to an earlier date of May 2017. This news worried video game websites and publications, as Avengers Army: Crisis had only been announced in October 2015 (with zero gameplay footage to go along with the announcement). A few months later, the game's very first official image was shown, featuring Captain Marvel, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and fan-favorite Venom.
The first trailer was received with generally positive feedback. Praise was aimed towards the selection of characters shown, the graphics that were displayed, the editing, and focus on gameplay. However, reviewers noted its striking similarity to PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. This criticism was brought further with the second trailer, with those same people saying the game bore a an overwhelming resemblance to the Smash Bros. games. The game's boxart was revealed. It featured the characters Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hulk, Captain Marvel, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Storm, Black Widow, Deadpool, Magneto, Green Goblin, Venom, and Red Skull.
A few characters got their own exclusive trailers:
(in order of release)
- Captain America
- Spider-Man and Venom
- Iron Man, War Machine, and Rescue
- Rocket and Groot
- Thor and Storm
A sixth trailer covered most of the general cast of the game.
People immediately took note of how much coverage Venom was receiving. Many began to wonder if Carnage would be in the game as well. Shortly after the release of the trailer that showcased Spider-Man and Venom, the developer released an official statement saying that Carnage was not slated to appear in the game. Soon, a blurry image of a red figure resembling Carnage made its way to the Internet, and speculation ran wild. The developer released another statement clarifying that the image was only an early version of Deadpool's character model. The next day, the developer revealed on their Twitter account that Carnage was under official consideration for DLC, along with "a few other characters we [the developers] think Marvel fans would love to see".
Avengers Army: Crisis was released in May 2017 as planned, with minimal glitches (although there was an infamous game-breaking bug involving Doctor Strange, which was patched the following month). The game saw incredible sales, thanks to its marketing, as well as the hype surrounding the game. Reviews were mostly positive, with praise towards the use of the Marvel license, story mode, voice acting, design, fanservice, and addictive gameplay, but was criticized heavily for its similarities to Smash Bros.
In September 2017, the first DLC trailer was released on YouTube and the developer's website, showcasing none other than...
...Carnage. The trailer quickly took the #1 spot on YouTube's trending section, and #CarnageCrisis started trending on Twitter. The trailer also showcased two more characters, but were easily overshadowed by Carnage. The DLC was released in October, and another DLC pack was released in February 2018, when the game was originally slated for release.
Playable characters[]
Official tier list[]
S tier | |
A tier | |
B tier | |
C tier | |
D tier | |
E tier | |
F tier | |
G tier |
Summons[]
Boss Room bosses[]
Stages[]
Stages | |
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Daily Bugle | |
Home of New York's finest newspaper (according to J. Jonah Jameson). The paper is famous for its extensive coverage on the masked menace Spider-Man. Matches take place on the roof, underneath an orange evening sky. | |
X-Mansion | |
The base of the X-Men, also serving as a school for young mutants. Matches take place in the front lawn, with the school magnificently overlooking the fighters. | |
Baxter Building | |
Home to the Fantastic Four and the Future Foundation. This skyscraper has been through quite a lot over the years. Matches take place within Reed Richards's laboratory. | |
Asgard | |
One of the most mystical places in the known universe, this land is where the Norse gods reside. Matches take place in front of Odin's golden castle. | |
Stark Tower | |
A living testament to Tony Stark's ego. I also sometime serves as headquarters for the Avengers. Matches take place on the roof, directly in front of Mister Stark's luxurious penthouse. | |
Knowhere | |
A hub for all sorts of beings from across the galaxy, located within the severed head of a Celestial. Players can see hundreds of people in the background, all watching the ongoing battle. | |
Hell's Kitchen | |
Considered to be the absolute worst place in New York. Crime and fear are the rulers here. Matches take place in front of a strip club and a conveniece store (both located directly next to each other). | |
Savage Land | |
A mysterious and deadly place located (unusually) near Antarctica. Matches take place within the dense jungle, where all sorts of primitive creatures reside. Not for the squeamish. | |
Empire State University | |
Some of the Marvel U's most prominent heroes went to school here, such as Peter Parker, Emma Frost, Reed Richards, and Matt Murdock. Matches take place on a platform overlooking the campus. | |
The Vault | |
Located in Colorado, U.S.A., this facility is where many of the world's most dangerous super-villains are imprisoned. Matches take place in one of the chambers, where numerous well-known villains watch the fight. | |
Brooklyn Bridge | |
This impressive bridge connects Manhattan and Brooklyn. It is a pride of New York City. Matches take place near one of the towers, where the NYC skyline can be seen in the distance. | |
Danger Room | |
A gigantic room that utilizes holographic technology to prepare and train the X-Men. The "landscape" constantly changes during the match. A Sentinel or two can always be seen. |