Marvel superheroes are some of the most recognizable characters ever thanks to the blockbuster Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Avengers' success never really translated to video games however, barring a few exceptions, so when Crystal Dynamics showed off its take with Marvel's Avengers, fans were excited. While it wasn't 2020's most disliked game, it released to controversy that some boiled down to many live-service games having shaky launches. There were still hopes that Marvel's Avengers would get better as time went on.
While Crystal Dynamics has addressed a lot of the game's initial issues and added interesting story DLC, Marvel's Avengers hasn't gotten better with the way it presents itself. Earlier this week the game added a pay-to-win system that allows players to purchase XP boosts so they can speed up the process of leveling up. This has vindicated a lot of fans who were apprehensive about the game when it initially launched due to its seeming inability to choose a direction, as well as its intrusive cosmetic microtransactions.
The Initial Apprehension for Marvel's Avengers
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When it was first announced, there was already an air of caution surrounding Marvel's Avengers. Nothing was technically wrong, but its characters looked a little off-brand for many fans, and Crystal Dynamics promised it would be a narrative-driven co-op experience packed with looter-shooter elements and microtransactions for cosmetic items. While many of those elements work fine in other titles, the combination made the game seem like something of a mess that didn't have a strong identity of its own.
Marvel's Avengers was casting too wide a net and, as a result, lost a lot of interest based on how broad it was painting itself. What's more, the microtransactions didn't fit with the rest of the game and felt to many like a cash grab meant to capitalize on the fact that Crystal Dynamics has the rights to use the Avengers cast.
Why the Pay-To-Win System is Another Red Flag for Marvel's Avengers
Now that a literal pay-to-win system has been added to Marvel's Avengers following its release on Xbox Game Pass, it feels like Crystal Dynamics is trying to squeeze every drop of cash out of the title that it can. This isn't to say that money is the only reason the game was made, but there's something a little hollow in adding such an intrusive system.
The pay-to-win elements that have been introduced seem to confirm a lot of the fears surrounding the game when it launched; that its broad appeal in both IP and game systems were only there to sell cosmetics and trap players into paying more. Now that experience points can simply be bought, many are wondering what the point of playing the game is to begin with.
The change has been controversial to say the least, with plenty of fans taking to Twitter to express their distaste, but Crystal Dynamics has been silent on the issue. There's nothing to indicate that the studio will go back and reverse the changes. The argument has been made that Xbox Game Pass will be a good thing for Marvel's Avengers' playerbase, which is potentially true, but it seems to have done more harm than good when looking at the game's monetization plan for the future.
Marvel's Avengers is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
