Developer: Gazillion
Publisher: Gazillion
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: June 30th, 2017
Those Pesky bad guys are at it again and its up to the heroes of the infinite Marvel universes to band together and save the universe.
Silly bad guys!
One of the first things you’re going to notice about Marvel Heroes Omega is that it doesn’t really run all that well. Even with a strong internet connection, the game struggles when there’s too much going on or players transition into their traversal powers. I’ve noticed that the PS4 version however, does run significantly better. On the Xbox One, simply switching costumes causes my game to lock up for a second as it swaps out my character’s costume.
Another thing you’ll probably notice if you’ve played the PC version is that it’s missing a lot of content. Things like raids, AI team ups, a huge chunk of characters and various game modes including PvP were also left behind as Marvel Heroes made the great migration to consoles. Marvel Heroes Omega on consoles also supports a slightly different pay model. The game is Free to Play but some unlocks require micro-transactions. Newer heroes seem to be gated behind pay walls for a limited time, and costumes are locked behind Loot Crates. They can be slowly earned in game, so you don’t have to spend any money if you don’t want to.
As far as the PvE modes are concerned, the consoles sport 10 story chapters and their respective “Terminals” which are snippets of story content featuring different modifiers. Some also feature new stories like Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s Daily Bugle terminal. There’s also the Midtown patrol area where players are free to run around and participate in events and boss battles to earn more loot and experience points. The consoles version however, does not have access to the Industry City and Hightown patrol.
Electro and Venom are just a sampling of the Marvel Rogues Gallery in the game.
While the PC version also has an 11th story chapter that features the Skrulls, the story in the console versions features the Heroes on a quest to stop Doctor Doom and the other villains from acting out all their evil shenanigans. It isn’t a very exciting story, with only certain Marvel heroes taking the spot light in the comic book-like cutscenes. Each zone has its own set of quests and events with bosses to battle. The game does a good job of including the universe’s smaller characters. If you’re a fan of Marvel comics then it is enjoyable to play through. That being said, story progress isn’t shared across all heroes and it can get a little old doing the story with all the heroes repeatedly as not much changes.
The combat has remained unchanged, outside of the obvious tweaks of bringing the game to consoles. If you like Diablo styled loot em ups, then you’re going to have a blast with Marvel Heroes Omega as you punch, kick and laser blast your way through your enemies. Targeting enemies is the biggest pain that comes along with the combat as the game doesn’t always recognize the correct enemies you’re targeting. Thankfully however, there’s a targeting system that locks onto to an enemy and snaps on to the nearest enemy once you’ve defeated it. The Heroes skill trees and synergy’s have also been changed and modified as well. Skills are automatically unlocked as your heroes level and unlike the PC version, heroes only have 2 trees.
Higher tiered enemies glow with a certain aura and offer better loot to boot!
Itemization has been improved and gear means a lot more than it did in the PC version. In my PC playthroughs, I’d get a hero into their 30’s without equipping much more than a few uncommon items and maybe a Legendary item. A lot of useless items managed to survive the transition to the consoles though like the flourishes which are basically just aesthetic junk given to you in loot boxes.
Another welcome change to Marvel Heroes on consoles is how costumes work. Unlike in the PC version, costumes are unlocked and under the Roster menu where you select which hero you want to play. On the PC version, costumes take up S.T.A.S.H. and inventory space. That being said, the PC version has a much better inventory system with the downside being it’s all locked behind the game’s paywall. The console versions include a very small amount of inventory space which can be increased by purchasing it with real cash.
Costumes are selected in the Roster when you change heroes.
I’d also suggest that the game is a little more welcoming on consoles. It’s much easier to level up but as it stands right now, the console version of Omega doesn’t offer much of an end game. Your best bet is to hit 60, unlock the cosmic trial, grind out Legendary Marks and Infinity Points so you can keep boosting your stats, save up Marks for Legendary equipment and eventually prestige so that you can level up all over again. Things will be looking up a little once raids are introduced.
Even though the console versions have their fair share of issues, the PC version also launched with a long list of issues too. I truly believe it has the potential to be just as great as its PC counterpart. Eventually console players will be treated to One Shot stories, Raids, the Holo-Sim, various Team Up characters and a few handful of characters like Carnage and Doctor Doom. If you like games like Diablo where loot is your goal, the Marvel Heroes is a healthy alternative for those looking for the same sort of game. It just might require a bit of patience until all of the kinks get worked out.
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