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Field Report: Marvel Heroes

Marvel Heroes is a free-to-play MMO, faithful to its source material and filled with fan service, with some flaws that prevent it from feeling completely superheroic.
Ozzie Mejia
Ozzie Mejia
22
Marvel Heroes has landed with a slew of expectations. Beyond carrying the Hulk-sized weight of being the first major MMO based on the Marvel license, it's also being followed closely by many Diablo fans, because of David Brevik's close involvement in the project. Marvel Heroes doesn't quite come off as a completely superheroic experience, but its engaging story and satisfying combat system does make it worth assembling for. The story starts off grimly and theatrically. A-list supervillain and all-around badass, Doctor Doom, has commandeered a Cosmic Cube, one of the universe's most powerful weapons. The Cube has made him so powerful that it drew Uatu the Watcher to break his longtime oath of noninterference into action, where he was promptly stomped down by the all-powerful Latverian monarch. To stop Doom from taking over all of reality as we know it, the world needs a hero. Fortunately, as I noticed, there are quite a few of them floating around. After suiting up as master archer Hawkeye, it didn't take long for me to notice one of Marvel Heroes' first flaws. I landed in the Hell's Kitchen overworld and it was already filled with corpses of defeated thugs and punks. After getting passed by about a dozen Wolverines, I immediately lost the sense of immersion that I normally look for in an MMO. Part of that is because there are only five free characters to choose from at the start of the game. It's one thing to be in a world filled with unique user-created characters, but the free-to-play nature of Marvel Heroes meant that many characters looked exactly the same. At one point, I was surrounded by four other Hawkeyes wearing the exact same costume. It was like something out of the Clone Saga. That's not to say this doesn't feel like a Marvel game, because it certainly feels like a comic book story, in the same way Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and X-Men Legends did. The story, penned by former Avengers and current All-New X-Men writer Brian Michael Bendis, takes players to nearly every corner of the Marvel universe--from the ninja-filled streets of Madripoor, to the mafioso-themed headquarters of The Kingpin, to the prehistoric Savage Land.

A diverse roster leads to some interesting team-ups

Combat in Marvel Heroes will appeal to classic Diablo fans. The left mouse button is primarily used for movement, attacks, and other environmental interactions. It's easy to pick up, even for those without much experience. Given the game's free-to-play nature, the user-friendliness benefits it greatly. Unfortunately, there is currently no controller support. Given that there are only six designated attacks (eight, if you count the two mouse buttons), it feels like Marvel Heroes could have worked well with a gamepad option. Level design is structured like most dungeon-crawlers, with aforementioned overworlds that feature servers filled with heroes and more closed-off mission areas that only include the player and four other random users. With the combat so easy to understand, there was little communication needed. Everyone seemed to know to simply fire away at anything that moves and that if anyone had a purple cloud over their head, they probably needed to be resurrected. Everyone received their own loot, though anyone was free to picked up anything dropped by a player. Because of that and because of the lack of communication, Marvel Heroes felt like much more of a solo experience. In fact, I barely communicated with anyone during all my time with the game. In some ways, I actually enjoyed the solo MMO experience more. Where Marvel Heroes' level design falls short is in its lack of clear directions. Many of the levels in the game are fairly large and finding the next story point can get aggravating. A question mark will appear if you get close enough, but other than that, you're flying blind and it becomes very easy to get lost. At one point, I was asked to infiltrate a Purifier training camp within Fort Stryker. Unfortunately, I was never told where the training camp was and I wound up completely running in the wrong direction. At this point in the game (with my Hawkeye at level 16), enemies began spawning by the dozen and hitting a dead end meant assured death. A half-decent waypoint system would have been a godsend. Finally, if you don't like Hawkeye or one of the other four free heroes available at the start of the game, Marvel Heroes also offers up new heroes (nearly 20 others) for purchase. Unfortunately, the heroes and their costumes demand hefty prices. Favorites like Iron Man and Deadpool were demanding nearly $20, while other recognizable characters like Hulk and Punisher were going for around $12. More mind-boggling was the number of costumes available for around the same price. Iron Man, alone, has 11 different suits of armor. While the base game is free and can be enjoyed without spending any money, the sheer number of microtransactions (many of them comprised of some really cool pieces of Marvel fan service) means this game is not for the impulsive buyer, unless you're Tony Stark. There are several costumes that will appear as drops, but they're very rare and far-between. In fact, I have personally yet to find one. Despite its flaws, Marvel Heroes is one of the most user-friendly MMO's I've come across, with combat, crafting, inventory management, and characters all easy to pick up and learn. Newcomers will appreciate the simplicity, but may leave veterans aching for a little more complexity. As for Marvel fans, they'll appreciate all the pieces of fan service, the original story, and the settings that are faithful to the source material. It's a fun ride, just as long as you don't mind forgoing a little bit of character individuality.
Field Reports provide our first-hand experience with the latest games, but should not be considered a review.
Senior Editor
Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?

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  • Shacknews legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
    reply
    June 15, 2013 9:30 AM

    Ozzie Mejia posted a new article, Field Report: Marvel Heroes.

    Marvel Heroes is a free-to-play MMO, faithful to its source material and filled with fan service, with some flaws that prevent it from feeling completely superheroic.

    • daggot legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      June 15, 2013 11:29 AM

      Yup. Pretty much the save view I came away with. I'll tinker around with it, but I don't see myself playing for any serious length of time.

      it's also curious that there are more things to spend money on. So far it's mostly characters and costumes. There are a few xp boots, etc, but that's about it. I'm not sure what I expected, but this seem thin. I'm sure they'll add more as time goes. Probably DLC packs like DCU does.

    • DandySlayer legacy 10 years
      reply
      June 15, 2013 12:20 PM

      So why the crazy prices? I think charging 5 bucks for a character in a fighting game is bad enough but 10 bucks and up for a dungeon crawler????? I'd hope they come up with a good reason for these outrageous prices.

      • [deleted] 1220350752 legacy 10 years
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        June 15, 2013 1:32 PM

        [deleted]

        • OzzieMejia moderator legacy 10 years
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          June 15, 2013 2:49 PM

          Characters can drop, but they are incredibly rare. In fact, has anyone found a character drop? I got Storm not too long ago, but didn't find another one until the endgame reward.

          • Degenerate moderator legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
            reply
            June 15, 2013 3:13 PM

            I never got a drop in beta which was about 20 hours of play. Since release I've gotten Iron Man to 10 and Thor to 15 with no hero or costumes drops either.

          • RobTheZombie legacy 10 years
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            June 15, 2013 4:23 PM

            I got thing last night, havent seen anything else though.

            • Degenerate moderator legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
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              June 15, 2013 4:31 PM

              was that a drop or the quest reward for finishing the intro mission?

              • RobTheZombie legacy 10 years
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                June 15, 2013 8:52 PM

                Ah, you might be right. Didn't read the text as I was clicking sound too much. It may very well have been.

                • megazephyr legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
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                  June 17, 2013 4:06 AM

                  My buddy picked up cyclops from pyro last night as we were playing.

          • [deleted] 1220350752 legacy 10 years
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            June 15, 2013 5:04 PM

            [deleted]

          • graah legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
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            June 15, 2013 5:29 PM

            I got Black Widow as a drop yesterday. Friend of mine has gotten Daredevil...3 times :/

            • sithcow legacy 10 years
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              June 15, 2013 6:27 PM

              But you can use the extra drops to level up their super power. I got a 2nd Hawkeye last night and did that. I also got the $15 Wolverine X-Force costume to drop which is kinda cool.

              If you haven't played in a day it's drop city. I'm still quite enjoying the game.

          • Frozen Pixel legacy 10 years
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            June 15, 2013 6:00 PM

            The last patch increased the drop rate for them. Before they had a 0.000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001% chance, and now it's something like 0.0005%.

          • Clasifyd legacy 10 years
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            June 15, 2013 7:20 PM

            Up to nearly 30 and no characters or costume for me.

          • VictoriouSecret legacy 10 years
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            June 16, 2013 12:20 AM

            Two characters to 30, one costume drop between both of them. That includes stacked gear and potions. Booooo. I want Hulk or Iron Man :(

      • Home Nugget legacy 10 years
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        June 15, 2013 2:54 PM

        The reason is simple: people will pay those prices. The moment they stop, they will lower them.

        • Disarray legacy 10 years
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          June 15, 2013 4:03 PM

          dingdingdingdingdingdingdingdingdingdingdingding

      • Downforce legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
        reply
        June 15, 2013 4:05 PM

        now imagine world of tanks, star trek online, neverwinter............ what people pay in those....

        • Aldebrand legacy 10 years
          reply
          June 15, 2013 5:54 PM

          This exactly! World of Tanks is about $30 per premium tank (iirc, it's been a while since I've got all the ones I want). Star Trek Online is about $25 - $30 for an endgame ship. Lord of the Rings Online is about $30 for each of their expansion packs, I think the warden and runemaster classes go for $5 or $10 each. Planetside 2 weapons go for anywhere from $2.50 to $7 each. Mechwarrior Online is about $30 per premium mech, depending on weight class. I don't see why people get so upset that free-to-play MMOs have a money component to them. How else are companies meant to make a profit off them? They don't have the reliable subscription income like traditional MMOs so what else can they do? At least they haven't adopted the EA (and I guess some of the grindy MMOs?) model of nerfing your game experience until you cough up some cash.

          • cerealSAM2 legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
            reply
            June 15, 2013 6:10 PM

            Remember when "Microtransactions" was the buzzword of the 00 decade?

            • Aldebrand legacy 10 years
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              June 15, 2013 6:53 PM

              Oh yeah, those were terrible. :-( I definitely disagree with games like Dead Space 3 (I think it was) that want you to shell out for the game then to pay more to unlock in-game stuff like crafting, etc. I figure that I'm ok with free-to-play MMOs in general but there are some that have insane payment requirements and those give the genre a really bad name. That being said, I don't think that Marvel Heroes is one of them. :D

              • error_33 legacy 10 years
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                June 15, 2013 8:50 PM

                One thing about F2P SWTOR that comes to mind is the ONE action bar you get unless you spend real money or get a sub.

          • DandySlayer legacy 10 years
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            June 16, 2013 4:03 PM

            Expansion Packs I'm fine with as they usually add a ton of content. You just reminded me why I left Guild Wars 2 and why I find it so hard to get back into it.......

      • [deleted] 110618759 legacy 10 years
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        June 15, 2013 4:20 PM

        [deleted]

    • MisterPhoton legacy 10 years
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      June 15, 2013 8:38 PM

      can anyone invite me to the supergroup?

    • aethyr legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      June 15, 2013 11:46 PM

      So I just beat Dr. Doom as Daredevil (oh god that fight sucked as melee). What do I do now?

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