quinten-atwell

[quinten-atwell]

Marvel Heroes 2020

The release of Square Enix’s/Crystal Dynamics’ Marvel’s: Avengers is just around the corner at the time of me writing this blog. Before the culmination of the MCU, I was already a huge Marvel fan (Thanks to Spider-man being a big part of my childhood). And after Disney’s “Marvel-naissance”, I was still a fan. Just not as avid as I used to be.

The announcement of Marvel’s: Avengers in 2019 got me curious. I was not hooked, but I was interested. Back then I thought it was just my love for Marvel poking its head out again. So I took note of Marvel: Avengers put it on my list of things to look out for and moved on with my life.

A few months later in 2020 and after more gameplay reveals and exclusive early impression videos that interest started to grow. I still could not put my finger on exactly what made that interest grow but I just went with the flow. And it flowed right into the open Beta for Marvel: Avengers that ran last weekend. It wasn’t until after playing the game for myself that I realised what got me interested in this game - it was Marvel Heroes 2016: Reborn. Well, to be fair it isn’t exactly. But that’s what the “soul” of Marvel’s: Avengers felt like to me while I was playing (Actually more like a ghost from the past).

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Marvel Heroes 2016 (originally released as just: “Marvel Heroes”), it’s basically Diablo 2 but with... Marvel Heroes. Thus, the title “Marvel Heroes” (jaw-dropping, I know). I first discovered Marvel Heroes way back before it’s launch in 2012. After getting addicted to the (then) newly release Diablo 3 and then quickly realising that I was in an abusive relationship with it. I needed a better, healthier alternative.

That’s when I found out about Marvel Heroes. A game that was similar to Diablo 2 (not 3), helmed by David Brevik (one of the original co-creators of Diablo) and gave me the chance to play as my favourite Marvel superhero. I fell in head-over-heels for it. In fact, I was so sold by the hype that I purchased the highest tier possible to back-up the developers. A whopping USD200 (If I remember correctly), for a plethora of characters, exclusive costumes and my name in the game’s credits when it released. To my memory, I still have not gotten that excited again for another game release.

Release day finally came and I still remember staying up all night downloading and jumping on to the live servers for the first time. It was 4 a.m. where I lived but I didn’t care. I remember the bugs. There were so many bugs. The servers were a mess and the developers were overwhelmed and had to stay up all night where they were just to keep the servers up and running. I remember them posting in the forums, apologising for the issues and at the same time thanking their fans for support.  It was chaos, it was frustrating and it was hell. But for me, it was chaos, frustration and hell of the good kind. I was just happy to finally play the game. It was a joy.

The years went by and I only fell deeper in love with the game. Sure, the critical reviews were not great but I had so much fun with Marvel Heroes. And I bet a lot of other players did too. (Who remembers this legendary Deadpool cracker: “Scarlet Witch? More like Scarlet Bi- Hey! Didn’t see you there!”) The hours I spent in the game became a blur. Marvel Heroes, Marvel Heroes: 2015 and then Marvel Heroes: 2016, with each new update of the game it only got better and better. Something else that got better as the game went on was the community it had. Sure there were naysayers and haters, but after having survived the hellhole that was the Diablo 3 forums, I was in paradise.

Explaining the good times I had with Marvel Heroes would be bereft if I did not mention the community. First of all, it was the first live service game that I played where the developers actually listened to the players. Updates always took into account the community’s feedback and after a point, the developers even reworked some of their more lacking characters according to the community’s feedback. The boss man (David Brevik) would check-in at the forums sometimes, members of the development team also became regular celebrities (if you were part of the community I’m sure you remember our beloved DoomSaw, theDink and a few others) and the players, for the most part, were amazing people (If not a lovably sarcastic bunch.). There was even a player who spoke/typed like Thor. Like, for real, every post they put up or replied to was to the tune of “I feel utmost jubilation upon thy latest update! Another!”. All in all, it was a fairly wholesome community to be with compared to most other games. After spending 2 and a half good years with Marvel Heroes and it’s the community, life caught up with me in 2016. That year was probably one of the most depressing and deeply challenging chapters in my life and I lost contact with a lot of things. It was the last time I was in touch with the game and its people.

In early 2017 I saw adverts for Marvel Heroes: Omega (a console port of the game). For some reason, I felt the urge to check with the forums quickly. In the forums, there were signs that the game and community that I left in 2016 had changed a bit. There were naysayers about the console port and complaints that the developers had apparently gone silent for a while. But at that point in time, I was struggling too much with my new job to take in more stress. I guess I just needed to see that something I really cared about was still around. “At least the game is still running”, I remember reassuring myself. Then fast forward to 2018 and I discovered that the game had met its untimely end in November 2017. My relationship with Marvel Heroes had ended just as suddenly as I had put in that last sentence. I was stunned. Now I’m in 2020, typing this blog after I spent a weekend with Marvel’s: Avengers Beta. Playing as the Hulk, Ironman, Thor and Captain America for the first time in 4 years, I couldn’t help but see stark (Not intended. I swear.) similarities between the two games. The loot system where loot is all statistical. You need “costumes” to change their appearance. The skills, especially the skill trees like Ironman’s Laser/Missile routes (To the person that thought of the Ironman rework back in the day to give him these two trees, you are still my hero.). The unique mechanics like Ironman’s unique resource that drains as you use his special moves in comparison Hulk’s unique resource that fills up the more you hit stuff and drains if you do nothing. There’s also the moves like Cap’s shield throw and Thor’s lightning a.o.e. I’m sure to most of you the last one sounded like I just spelled out these heroes’ special abilities like an idiot (Cap throws his shield? Thanks, Captain obvious!). Well, granted it’s hard to see that one unless you actually played Marvel Heroes (For those of you that did - Ironman’s Power Dive = Death from Above. Right? Remember that move? People freaked out over that move when Marvel Heroes was in pre-release.).

So why am I typing this blog anyway? Well, after that realisation I started to miss my Marvel Heroes days. I miss both the game and the crazy community. More so the community. I went online to check and see whether my sentiments were mirrored by anyone else. Maybe to see if I can find a tiny flame of that old community somewhere.

Sadly, there wasn’t any. It’s like everything related to Marvel Heroes disappeared from everyone’s memories the day Thanos snapped his fingers in April 2018. Realistically thinking, it might be due to how Marvel Heroes ended with a terrible taste in everyone’s mouths (developers and community alike. If you are curious, feel free to read up on it online. I don’t want to cover it).

I just wanted state for posterity, that Marvel Heroes existed.

It brought people fun and enjoyment. Despite the way it ended, it existed at a point in time (and always will in my memories) as a family where developers and players had good times and enjoyed good company (Oh shush it, you naysayer. Just let me have this. It’s 2020 for Pete’s sake.). It was and always will be the first game that showed me that some developers can listen to players if they choose to.

If any ex-players of Marvel Heroes somehow manage to find this, I hope the game brought you happiness. Did you manage to find a crazier community? Let me know cause I’m still looking. If any ex-developers find this. I can never sympathise with what you must have gone through in the end. I regret not being there as part of the community when it ended. I hope things have gotten better since then. And honestly, thank you so much. You did a lot of good in this world to a lot of players like me.

[quinten-atwell]

I Didn’t Come Here for the Story (NFS: Payback)

So after a few months of waiting for Need for Speed: Payback, I finally got to step back into my gas-pedal-happy shoes again last night. To summarise my experience in a few short words; I really enjoyed my first few hours driving around Fortune Valley.

Sure the characters are bland, the upgrade system is bizarre and unless my memories of Need for Speed 2015 are overly rose tinted, I could’ve sworn things looked much, much better two years ago...

Yup, definitely rose-tinted. Anyway, for most part – I had fun in Payback.

Coming to this conclusion after putting my controller down for the night made me think – what are people so angry about with Payback? What made my experience in Payback so different to theirs?

If you’re unaware (Or maybe you are and this is why you’re here) the majority of people are unhappy with Payback. And as always, according to the “experts” on the forums, if you think otherwise, you’re either extremely naïve or so far up EA’s arse that your friends can smell you from across continents.

Before you try to guess which category I fall into I’d like the opportunity to explain myself.

The reason why I had so much fun in Payback can be explained in one name: The R32 - Otherwise known as the Nissan Skyline R32, the Godzilla or even the BNRR32 if you came here crying from Gran Turismo: Sport after realising your true love wasn’t included in-game (hush now, you’re not alone).

As soon as I got free rein of the 3 dull plugs (Caucasian guy from every racing game ever, Caucasian lady from every racing game ever and M-M-MAC ATTACK, YA’LL!) I made unlocking my beloved R32 my divine mission. (God have mercy on the lamp posts and delivery trucks that got in my way because I did not)

Caution flew out the rear view as I turned from a “precision racer who had honed his skills from past Need for Speed games to peak perfection” (In short – a man even more bad ass than Ryan fricking Cooper himself) into a “MUST HAVE R32 WAIFU NOW” man.

Disregarding the level requirements for race events, I braced myself for hair pulling frustration as I flew in balls first into the first race league. Through the next five races I had never seen more flying cars in my entire life playing Need for Speed games. (Well, except for that last race in NFS: 2015 – that shit was ridiculous.) I finished one race flying off a cliff, crossed the finish line in another on my side and ploughed into a LG delivery truck in a third race as the camera went Matrix slo-mo.  On the fifth and final race; despite warming up to the league boss after our dialogues across four races, I felt no remorse as I pushed, La Catarina, off a cliff – All in the name of my beloved R32.

Once the dust had settled and I was finally gazing upon my beautiful Gawdzilla (Yes - that is her name) not a thing in the World could ruin my time in Payback.

God awful storyline? – Who cares? I’m looking at my R32.

Grind 5 jump events to get that side mirror? - I’d gladly do 100 in my R32

Bizarre upgrade system that reminds me more of gambling then the fictional casinos do? - Hey, at least it’s for my R32.

No online free roam? - All good. I won’t have kids crashing into me at 100mph in their Hondas while I’m admiring my R32.

No Free Roam police chases? - I can spend more time looking at my undamaged R32.

And the good things about Payback just got even better. At the end of my day, I put down my controller feeling very happy – I had so much fun.

So what was the point of dragging you through all this? Just to point out that I have issues with being overly attached to a car I can never hope to own? Hmmm. Possibly.

My point in all this is that I enjoyed Need for Speed: Payback, despite of what the internet says. Yes, it is a cliché at this day and age. But more importantly, I decided how much I enjoyed a game that I played. Not the internet.

People nowadays tend to be so caught up about being in agreement with the “consensus” in the forums that they forget to take their own opinions into consideration.

Sometimes – I don’t know – Maybe try once in a while to make up your own mind instead of letting the toxic internet do it for you?

If you found Need for Speed: Payback to be disappointing, then my commiserations for you. Hopefully you’ll find something else more fulfilling. Don’t go to the forums to pour salt over everyone else.

But if found it fun, then go and have fun some more! Let the forums trolls and griefers have at it with each other. You have more fun things to do.

Find your own R32 waifu.