Marvel’s Avengers is seemingly making progress on the long path toward rebuilding, as a recent War Table teaser promised news on the Hawkeye DLC and the game’s next-gen versions. While this upcoming stream will be exciting for fans of the game and could encourage those who have not yet played Marvel’s Avengers to pick it up on the new consoles, it looks like there could be one major problem with the Hawkeye expansion.
While Hawkeye himself looks like he will be a great addition to Marvel’s Avengers, as the addition of Ronin’s sword to the character’s kit could make for some thrilling gameplay, the threat he will be facing is a bit more worrying. While the setting of a post-apocalyptic future where the Kree wiped out mankind is exciting, the main villain that Hawkeye will be clashing with could be a bad sign for future additions to the game — even if he makes for an interesting opponent in terms of storytelling.
For those unfamiliar with the main antagonist of the upcoming Hawkeye DLC, Maestro is a twisted version of The Incredible Hulk from Marvel comics. Coming from a future where the world is destroyed via nuclear war, Hulk’s immunity to Gamma Radiation makes him one of the only survivors. Traveling a ruined America and seeing all the comrades and loved ones he has lost, The Hulk begins to unravel mentally — with the beast’s overexposure to radiation hastening this transformation. Hulk soon becomes Maestro, and while he is technically Bruce Banner, much of his personality has changed for the worst.
An intriguing villain that boasts a strong backstory and an immense level of power, Maestro also can talk normally, making him a less mindless and more calculated version of The Hulk. With one of Maestro’s comic book appearances also seeing AIM and MODOK experimenting on him, this aspect of the villain’s story will likely be touched upon during Maestro’s cutscenes and boss battle dialogue. With the Kate Bishop DLC highlighting a similar apocalyptic future to the one from Maestro’s origin story, and Hawkeye’s DLC teasing a clash between Clint Barton and Maestro in this ruined world, the DLC has an interesting premise for a strong narrative.
After all, a clash between Hawkeye and a twisted Bruce Banner should be a blast to see. Not only will the fight allow Hawkeye to show off a unique skillset and his experience, but the battle can play on the archer knowing The Hulk’s fighting style and using that to his advantage. Beyond that, conversations between the two adversaries can be wildly interesting due to their previous relationship as partners on The Avengers team. However, while Maestro is a perfect fit for the setting and offers strong storytelling possibilities, his gameplay opportunities are far less appealing.
A fundamental problem with Marvel’s Avengers’ DLC sees far too many similar characters set up for the game’s expansions. Whether it be a Kate Bishop and Hawkeye scenario or Ant-Man and The Wasp, the likely DLC run for Marvel’s Avengers will supposedly contain quite a few characters that use the same abilities. While Hawkeye’s use of a sword in Marvel’s Avengers is proof that two similar heroes can play differently, the fact that this problem may be applying to DLC villains as well is more concerning.
While it is expected that War Machine will play like Iron Man whenever he comes to the game, it should be just as likely for new DLC heroes to have unique villains to face off with. However, Maestro’s addition suggests that this will not be the case, as his boss fight is likely to not feel much different from what has already been seen in the game. In the comics, Maestro is simply a stronger version of The Hulk, and he boasts the same abilities as the beloved hero. As such, players can expect him to use the playable character’s move-set against him, making for an uninspired boss fight that feels like more of the same.
What makes this a bigger issue is the fact that a Hulk copycat already exists in the game as a boss fight. Players clash with Abomination in several Marvel’s Avengers missions, with the fights depicting a villain boasting powers that mirror The Hulk. Seeing Crystal Dynamics do this for a second time with Maestro is a worrying sign, as one of the new villain additions that is meant to bring some much-needed variety to the game will likely feel like an Abomination re-skin. While heroes fighting evil versions of themselves is common in the comics, seeing those fights play out in games is never all that fun — especially when done in two different boss fights.
While Marvel’s Avengers has plenty of potential to bring in memorable villains for some standout boss battles, that potential has not yet been realized. Taskmaster’s fight is average, and the giant AIM bot battles are far too easy despite having a unique premise. With Red Hulk previously leaked as a DLC villain for the game, suggesting another clone of The Hulk that will join the ranks of Maestro and Abomination, players may be stuck fighting the same exact boss enemy yet again.
With so many unique villains available to choose from, including Spider-Man antagonists like Mysterio and Carnage as well as massive threats like Loki and Ultron, seeing the same type of fights reused is a poor decision — and one that hinders Marvel’s Avengers’ road to recovery greatly. With the She-Hulk DLC offering potential for a boss duo as well, there are several great options on the table for some meaningful fights to come to Marvel’s Avengers. Right now, however, it seems like the fights will continue to be predictable and repetitive.
2021 is a make-or-break year for Marvel’s Avengers, and Crystal Dynamics seems to be getting off on the right foot with the next-gen versions and another free hero DLC. However, future expansions need to drop the repetitive boss fights if the game is going to ever regain its footing and thrive like it should. While it may be cheaper and easier to reskin bosses, risks need to be taken and change has to happen if Marvel’s Avengers ever wants to establish itself as a must-play game. While Maestro is intriguing from a storytelling perspective, he will likely leave much to be desired in terms of his gameplay. With the Marvel’s Avengers plot never being a problem, and the game’s issues being tied to mission and enemy variety, Hawkeye’s DLC is likely going to feel like it is just more of the same.
Marvel’s Avengers is out now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions currently in development.
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