Games You Should Play If You Were Disappointed By Marvel's Avengers
Square Enix's Marvel's Avengers seemed set up for success. As part of a potential streak of great superhero games, Marvel's Avengers included all of Marvel's best superheroes and blended them into one epic action game. However, the game was released to mixed reception, earning an aggregate score of 67 on Metacritic due to a so-so multiplayer component and an inconsistently great single-player mode.
This was all made manifest in the game's sales, which have been disappointing, to say the least. As such, it seems Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics' hard work didn't quite pay off in the way that Marvel's Avengers was expected to succeed. Whether this is due to the elements mentioned above or Spider-Man's exclusivity on the PS4 version of Marvel's Avengers causing an uproar, gamers still await a truly great game starring Earth's mightiest heroes, including the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, and Thor.
Swing into Marvel's Spider-Man
In the meantime, if you're looking for a truly great superhero game, there are some fantastic modern classics to turn to. For instance, Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man swung onto PS4 in 2018 to rave reviews, earning an 87 on Metacritic. Truly making the player feel like Web Head himself, Marvel's Spider-Man hits all the right notes of a great Spider-Man game. With great combat and stealth mechanics, impressive presentation, and a narrative that remains unrivaled in the superhero video game genre, Marvel's Spider-Man need not be missed by any owner of a PS4.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales was recently released as a great supplement to the 2018 original. Released on the PS5 alongside Marvel's Spider-Man: Remastered, the game received an aggregate score of 85 on Metacritic, with many applauding it as a worthy follow-up to Peter Parker's turn as Spider-Man in 2018. However, the expansion lacked the "wow" factor that came with Marvel's Spider-Man. Even so, gamers who didn't quite enjoy Marvel's Avengers would be doing themselves an enormous favor by playing through two of Insomniac's finest works.
Be the World's Greatest Detective
While not part of the Marvel superhero pantheon, Batman has starred in his own share of great titles. Although Batman: Arkham City is widely considered the best of Rocksteady's Arkham series, Batman: Arkham Asylum remains a modern classic for its amazingly accurate depiction of Batman: a detective first, a melee combat professional second.
At the time of the game's release, Batman: Arkham Asylum was very well-received, earning a 91 on Metacritic. Further, the game nullified the conventional wisdom that licensed games had to be bad. Up until Arkham Asylum, the Caped Crusader had starred in numerous games, including mostly mediocre titles such as 2001's Batman: Vengeance and Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu. However, Arkham Asylum turned the notion on its head by implementing silky-smooth combat, stealth mechanics that fit within the Batman franchise, and voice acting performances still unparalleled in the industry.
Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Knight are well worth playing after Arkham Asylum's completion, as both expand on Arkham Asylum in all the right ways. Arkham City expanded the series into an open-world format, while Arkham Knight increased the scope with vastly improved presentation.
A better Marvel mash-up
As perhaps the most direct comparison, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance remains the best modern comprehensive depiction of the Marvel comic book universe. While its presentation is somewhat outdated, the game rounds up the characters in Marvel's Avengers in addition to the likes of Wolverine, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and Ghost Rider. With an aggregate score of 82 on Metacritic, the game remains unmatched in its inclusion of so many superheroes while implementing fun, arcade-y combat.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance has since had two follow-up releases. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 was released in 2009 to mixed reviews, with many criticizing its lack of new or groundbreaking mechanics. In 2019, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 — The Black Order was released, just months after Avengers: Endgame, to mixed reviews as well. Released as a Nintendo Switch exclusive, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 features vastly improved presentation over its two predecessors and retains the entertaining beat 'em up combat mechanics that made the original a blast to play, both in single-player and multiplayer modes.