Marvel Future Revolution Review: Agents Assemble

Since the 1930s, Marvel has been a mainstay in the American cultural zeitgeist. Its influence has crossed borders and sparked conversations between fans of multiple nationalities and languages. Flash forward to 2008: The Marvel Cinematic Universe (or MCU) is born, taking the popularity of Marvel’s characters to new heights and introducing them to new generations. With the upcoming release of the twenty-eighth film in the MCU, Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel shows no sign of slowing down its never-ending parade of popular TV shows, movies, toys, clothes, and mobile games! So does Marvel Future Revolution live up to the hype, or should it have been snapped

away by The Mad Titan himself?

Marvel Future Revolution is an epic game in size and scale. This MMORPG took about 7GB of space on my phone and nearly an hour to download. Developer Netmarble Monster has sought to remedy the long wait by incorporating a minigame designed to distract players as they wait for the latest patch to download. But from the moment Star-Lord appeared on my screen, I was committed to saving the galaxy.

The opening cinematic in Marvel Future Revolution is absolutely astounding. This game really ups the ante on what mobile devices are capable of. I couldn't help drawing a comparison to console games— the experience feels shockingly close to playing on a PlayStation. Not only are the graphics crisp, but the opening cinematics are interactive as well. I enjoyed timing my responses so my characters could pull off slick moves in reaction to my commands.

The opening immediately pulled me in with the introduction of a wide range of characters—villains and heroes alike—from all over the Marvel Universe. In this game, Avengers, X-Men, and Guardians of the Galaxy all fight side-by-side. With that said, it seems a bit odd that only eight characters are playable at the beginning. Even with the recent addition of Magik and the upcoming Scarlet Witch bringing the total number of playable characters up to ten, it still seems a bit low given the vastness of the Marvel catalog.  Each character has its own unique characteristics. For example, Black Widow is great at melee damage against single opponents. Dr. Strange really shines at supporting other characters, while Captain Marvel is a "glass cannon," a character that deals great damage but can't receive lots of punishment.

I went with Iron Man, a balanced character who’s okay at everything but has no standout stats. Aside from choosing a main, the squad building feature allows you to interact and create a team of chosen heroes. Marvel Future Revolution does its best to make characters as customizable as possible. I appreciated small features like choosing character skins so that I could make my version of Iron Man more...me. Still, there are only so many combinations to choose from with a mere nine playable characters.

Marvel Future Revolution occurs during a cataclysmic happening known as the "convergence," an end-of-the-world event that sees multiple alternate reality earths colliding with each other. This dramatic storyline feels like a natural fit with the multiverse-centric leanings of recent MCU offerings. It also provides a bit of reasoning for why dozens of different players are running around as any single character on a server.

The alternate reality conceit also explains why I needed to face multiple variations of the same villains. This was a bit of a double-edged sword. Watching M.O.D.O.Ks from various realities interact with each other was entertaining because the dialogue between them was pretty funny. But when I was in New Stark City and the primary enemy happened to be an army of Ultrons, I started to feel a pattern emerging. No matter if the game renamed the characters Reinforced Ultron, Ultron Cannon, or Ultron Sentry, it's still all Ultron to me. Still, there was enough variety to keep me captivated.

Like most RPGs, Marvel Future Revolution had me grinding

for items, gear, and missions. Even if the structure was familiar, I had fun

deciding whether I should walk or fly around the world as Iron Man. Player vs. Player (PvP) gives an added incentive to grind for gear and customize your character. Different gear settings make it possible to quickly equip the best items for the mission. For those unfamiliar with RPGs or unwilling to deal with the hassle of figuring out how to best modify stats, there's always the auto-equip option. Ultimately, Marvel Future Revolution gives enough swag for those that like to get into the nitty-gritty of customizing but offers enough support so the process isn't overwhelming.

Marvel Future Revolution offers a vast open world. Though I started in New Stark City, a technological metropolis where I was battling renegade Ultron bots and evil A.I.M agents, the game eventually expands to multiple locations such as Xandearth, the Hydra Empire, and Midgardia.  Part of the appeal of any RPG for me is the fact that I can explore new landscapes. Marvel Future Revolution delivers on this promise by offering different areas with

distinct characteristics. Compared with New Stark City, Sakaar offers an

inhospitable desert environment, with new enemies that fit the surrounding

environment like bounty hunters. I was compelled to keep playing just to

explore the other worlds.

Fans of Marvel are going to be happy with this title. For a mobile game, Marvel Future Revolution really raises the bar for MMORPGs. Although the selectable cast of characters isn't varied enough at the start and the missions got repetitive, I was happy seeing some of my favorite heroes and villains make an appearance regardless. Combined with in-game events and an impressive story, this will satisfy true believers of all generations.

SCORE: 4 STARS OUT OF 5

PLAY IF YOU LIKE:

● The MCU. This is right up your alley if you're a fan of Marvel, Marvel comics, Marvel films, or superheroes in general.

● RPGs. As Marvel's first open-world action RPG for mobile, it's worth playing to see what the hype is about. If you like other open-world MMORPGs from popular franchises, like Star Wars: The Old Republic. You might also find this game enjoyable.