Avengers Game Characters Ranking

Here’s a list you didn’t ask for. After playing the Beta for a few hours, I’m going to let you know my Avengers Game characters ranking!

Square Enix’s Avengers game has a lot to live up to. With Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe continually churning out $1B movies and Marvel Comics continually exploring new and existing characters… There’s a lot of anticipation for a great Avengers-based game. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 was good, don’t get me wrong, but this could be… Well, A lot better.

So far, the Avengers Beta is pretty fun! Obviously, there are a few issues, but you have to give Square Enix the benefit of the doubt because it’s a Beta. None of them are game-breaking, in any case, but enough about that… Let’s get stuck into it.

# 6 – The Incredible Hulk

I’ll start off by making it very clear… I love Bruce Banner’s portrayal in Avengers. He’s kind-hearted, cautious, done with Kamala’s shit… It really is a testament to his character. Troy Baker balances his heroic nature with the natural caution and introvertive nature of the scientist. The Hulk, however, is a different story. He’s angry, of course, but that’s about it.

All the heroes’ abilities do a good chunk of damage, but Hulk just feels weaker than he should. His basic and heavy attacks have a good AoE, or splash damage. I’m not sure exactly what they would constitute as. Either way, they look like they pack one hell of a Gamma-fueled punch, but they don’t really feel like it. I know they have to balance the heroes, and having Hulk landing killing blows with every light attack would be a bit overpowered, but he feels just as strong as everyone else.

Hulk’s Intrinsic Ability, Rage, is useful. With it, you get a defensive buff, and it heals Hulk while you attack using it. It recharges enough that Hulk is essentially invincible if you play it smart. However, I found myself taking a lot more damage as Hulk over other heroes. So… Again, sort of balanced out. Either way, it wasn’t as exciting as the other heroes’ Intrinsic Abilities.

In cutscenes and the boss-fights, though… You do get to see the Green Menace in all his glory, but some of these feel a little scripted during Story Missions. Still… If you’re looking for a hero who just unloads continually large-impact attacks, Hulk is for you!

# 5 – The Mighty Thor

I haven’t been too keen on Thor’s design since his announcement at E3, but that isn’t going to impact this ranking. Travis Willingham does a hell of a job as the Asgardian God of Thunder, that’s for sure. But in terms of gameplay? Thor just felt janky.

I don’t know whether I’m used to the smooth gameplay of God of War, but Mjolnir didn’t feel all that worth throwing. It didn’t feel like it made as much of an impact as, say, Iron Man’s pulse cannons.

Not only that, but the rest of the combat during the A-Day opening mission just didn’t feel that fluid. I don’t know if it was just down to duration of play-time, having played as the other heroes more… But I just did not have a lot of fun with it. On top of that, there was nowhere near enough lighting. Thor’s Intrinsic Ability seemed to act as some sort of AoE stun, which was fine, but didn’t really translate the awesome power of Thor’s thunderous might… It was just a little shockwave.

# 4 – The Deadly Black Widow

Black Widow was a tough one to place on this list. While she was fairly basic to play as, she was a lot of fun. I found her gameplay was much more fluid than Thor, and it was more satisfying to take down a big foe as Black Widow compared to Hulk.

Black Widow’s attacking combos mix punches, kicks, and her stun batons, largely. This makes her series of attacks exciting to look at. Her ranged attack is a little less exciting, but I found it more effective than Hulk’s. Hulk basically throws bits of the ground at people. It’s satisfying to do, but again suffers from being well-balanced. An A.I.M. Keeper just takes a bit of concrete the size of him to the face without much else but a small stumble. It seems unrealistic, if that’s something I can even say here, and downplays the canonical power of the character. Black Widow has her iconic akimbo pistols as her ranged attack. While they aren’t as exciting, I found I enjoyed playing with them more because they felt more real. A rapid flurry of shots against an A.I.M. Bot to finish it off? Sure, I can see that happening.

Black Widow’s Grappling Hook is also great. She can use it to traverse the landscape in lieu of any super-powered jumping or flying and to counter opponents. It’s an effective gap-closer, and is a satisfying way to jump back into the fight!

# 3 – The Invincible Iron Man

Okay, I’ll start this one simply: Iron Man kicks fucking ass!

Iron Man’s gameplay is exactly what you expect, and want… And this is in no way a bad thing. His combos feel fluid, and it is fantastically easy to jump in and out of close-range combat thanks to his Hover and Flight abilities. What makes him interesting, though, is that his Intrinsic Ability is actually related to his Armour’s power, so every attack that uses his palm-mounted cannons deplete it. This forces you into combining a mix of ranged, heavier attacks and lighter melee combos.

This is where personal preference comes in. I found Iron Man’s flight quite difficult to control. It was satisfying, but against stationary targets… I feel like it could do with a bit more aided targeting. He does have an A.I. in there, after all! On top of this, Iron Man ranks third, because Uni-Beam is just brilliant. It’s a personal favourite all the way back from Marvel vs Capcom 2, and I am not complaining that I get to use it again. And again. It just shreds anyone in its path. It may not last a long time, but it is awesome!

#2 – The New Kid On The Block, Ms Marvel

Oh, Kamala. How I love thee. Finally, alongside the announcement of the Ms Marvel Disney + show, and her appearance in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, are we getting more Kamala content. Sandra Saad does a fantastic job of bringing the youthful excitement and enthusiastic naivete of Kamala to the forefront of Square Enix’s Avengers game. However, there’s so much more to enjoy…

Kamala’s Intrinsic Ability is entitled Polymorph. It essentially allows you to mildy embiggen yourself whenever you want. It, of course, doesn’t last forever and has a cooldown. However, this offers a fantastic depth to the basic combat. Need a little bit more oomph? Embiggen just a lil’ bit. It does look a little unusual, but I suppose seeing someone nearly double in size would.

Kamala also hits as hard as Hulk, or at least feels like it. Her embiggened fists offer a lot of impact attacks with bigger AoE than the other heroes. On top of this, her purposely un-refined combat style makes her as relatable as she is fun to play as. She flails her arms across in a sweep, recklessly kicks out an embiggened foot… Also, Throggy Cosplay. Enough said.

# 1 – Brooklyn’s Finest, Captain America

Sadly, though, as biased as I am, she doesn’t take the top spot. That goes to the First Avenger. You only get to play as him for a little bit, but it is so good! He’s light on his feet, his hits pack a punch and the shield-throwing is by far the most satisfying mechanic in the game.

I also, personally, love the design of Avengers Cap. It makes sense that he’d wear some sort of protective gear, right? He isn’t bullet-proof. But, that aside, the way Square Enix has developed a move-set for Captain America that balances his use of his fists and his Shield is great. Particularly, he can pull-off a Shield-first dive into the ground that I thought was just great.

Unfortunately, you don’t get to play as him a lot, so there isn’t much else to say. However, I hope that the fact that I still feel he is top of my Avengers game character ranking should reflect just how fun he is to play.

Avengers Game Characters Ranking – Who’s Best To Play?