Marvel’s Avengers is a very complex game with a lot of things going on, so we’re here to make your experience a little more straightforward. Jumping into Marvel’s Avengers blind can lead to a lot of confusion. The game throws all sorts of items, currencies, and resources at you and pretty much just leaves you to figure things out on your own. That being said, everything’s really not as complicated as it seems. These are the things we wish we had known before starting Marvel’s Avengers as well as a few tips and tricks to help you get started.
Change Your Settings
It can be hard to keep track of everything that’s going on during a fight, but that’s not your fault. Marvel’s Avengers cranks the screen shake and other effects up to 11 by default. If you find the game disorienting, jump into your settings menu and turn down screen shake and adjust other camera options to your liking. You can also tweak the sensitivity and targeting assist for aiming to help you land shots a little easier.
Focus on Ranged Enemies First
The Avengers’ greatest threat is not Thanos or MODOK or even Galactus. No, ranged enemies are the real danger. Drones, turrets, and flying enemies can quickly take you down in just one or two shots, so they should be your priority when entering combat. Heroes like Iron Man and Black Widow can make quick work of turrets and drones thanks to their powerful ranged attacks, but heroes like Hulk might struggle to get close enough. Thankfully, every hero has a ranged attack to even the playing field.
Use Performance Mode for Higher Framerates
If you’re playing on Xbox One X or PS4 Pro, then you can sacrifice some of your extra resolution for a smoother experience. Marvel’s Avengers runs at 4k/30fps by default on these consoles, but there is a performance mode in the settings that lowers the resolution to 1080p and unlocks the framerate. It’s not a locked 60fps, but it can be a bit smoother. Keeping it at 4k might still be a more stable experience, however, because unlocked framerates can be a bit wonky. Check out Digital Foundry’s analysis for more info.
Try Out Different Heroes
Most people have a favorite Avenger, but you should probably try out all six playable heroes at least once. Even if you end up sticking with just one character as your main, there are several benefits to using and leveling multiple heroes. You can’t have duplicate heroes in multiplayer, so you’ll be out of luck if you stick to one character and someone else takes them. There are also post-launch activities coming that rotate through your entire team, so you’ll need to keep everyone leveled up to get the most out of Marvel’s Avengers. Every hero is fun to play, and you can customize each character to a surprising extent once you unlock more of their skills.
Pay Attention to Damage Types
Some pieces of gear will add additional damage types to your melee and ranged attacks. You’ll see a bar filling up above enemy health bars as you land attacks, and once this bar fills, the enemies will become afflicted by a status effect like Gamma poisoning, for example. These effects range from Gamma to Cryo, and there are even a few surprising ones like Pym Particles, which shrink enemies after building up enough damage. Pay attention to gear descriptions to see if any of your attacks gain elemental bonuses.
Use Intrinsic Abilities
Every hero has an Intrinsic ability, and these are integral to playing those characters effectively. Ms. Marvel’s Intrinsic ability, for example, is Polymorph, which allows her to dodge incoming attacks and deal increased damage. Using these abilities will drain your Intrinsic meter, which is the colored bar underneath your health at the top of the screen. Some heroes like Black Widow work a bit differently, but the Intrinsic meter is still important for them too. Mastering Intrinsic abilities like Hulk’s Rage, Iron Man’s energy, and Thor’s Odinforce is key to success in Avengers.
Explore for Loot
Some of the missions in Marvel’s Avengers take place in wide-open areas, and you should explore your surroundings to find gear and other hidden surprises. Pressing up on the d-pad will toggle Tactical Awareness which shows you nearby points of interest. These are marked by question mark icons, and they usually lead to chests, high-value targets, or allies in need of aid. More often than not, you’ll walk away from these locations with new gear.
Some Heroes Can’t Open Certain Doors
When you’re exploring War Zones and other open areas, you’ll come across various AIM doors that have loot behind them. You’ll have to solve puzzles or smash things to get inside, but not every hero can open every door. Smashable doors can only be opened by strong attacks from heroes like Hulk or Kamala, while terminals can only be hacked by Iron Man or Black Widow. AI companions won’t do any of these things for you, so it may be worth it to play with randoms online just to have human players capable of performing these tasks for you when you’re unable.
Stun Enemies for Takedowns
When an enemy receives enough stun damage, they’ll become staggered and vulnerable to takedowns. To perform a takedown, press Triangle+Circle on PlayStation or Y+B on Xbox. Vulnerable enemies will glow yellow. Takedowns deal large amounts of damage and are perfect for finishing off tough enemies. Use heavy attacks and other moves with high stun damage to open up heavily armored foes for a takedown.
Get Started on Iconic Missions Early
Iconic missions are optional mission chains that revolve around each of the six playable characters in Marvel’s Avengers. They will become available whenever you unlock a new hero, and you should get started on them as soon as you get them. Iconic missions have multiple steps, and a few steps require you to do menial tasks like killing enemies or using abilities. Get a headstart on these Iconic mission chains so you can work on the busywork steps during other missions.
Check Your Challenge Cards
Marvel’s Avengers has a battle pass system, but it works a bit differently than other games. Each character has their own individual battle pass called a Challenge Card. Each Challenge Card has 40 tiers and can only be leveled up by completing daily and weekly challenges. When you unlock a character, check out their Challenge Card (it’s the furthest right tab of the menu) and look at the daily and weekly challenges so you know what to focus on. You can only level up Challenge Cards via these challenges and you only get two per day, so it’s best to get started as soon as you can.
Don’t Invest Too Heavily in Gear Early On
Gear isn’t important at the beginning of Marvel’s Avengers. You’ll want to make sure you’re at the appropriate power level for missions, but gear should be seen as replaceable and throwaway until you are near the Avengers level cap. When you get a piece of gear with higher power, immediately replace whatever you have equipped. That way, you’ll be able to quickly climb the ranks and level your character higher and higher. Don’t worry about the perks or anything until much later, either. Just enjoy the campaign and worry about that stuff later in the Avengers Initiative.
Iron Man Can Share the Hulkbuster
Iron Man’s ultimate ability is the Hulkbuster, but it’s not exclusively for Stark. If you hold L1+R1 on PlayStation or LB/RB on Xbox instead of just tapping it, then you’ll be able to call the Hulkbuster down in a nearby area without getting into it. Any team member will be able to walk to the Hulkbuster and climb inside, letting them use your ultimate in your stead. This can be great for saving allies in a tough spot or even just sharing your ultimate while you fly around and focus on other targets.
