Marvel Fans Get New Mobile Game: ‘Marvel Strike Force’

Marvel Strike Force has come out of beta, and is now available for all to download worldwide. It’s a turn-based role-playing game with an emphasis on building and developing teams consisting of Marvel superheroes and/or villains. The game is free to play on both Android and iOS devices, featuring the usual in-app microtransactions.

The storyline for Marvel Strike Force is a new one that brings back the Kree Eternal Ultimus from the comics. Its basic premise is that Ultimus’ attack on Earth is so brutal and widespread that heroes and villains alike are willing to work together to end the siege.

Fans have no shortage of superhero games featuring Marvel’s characters and worlds. On Android and iOS devices, specifically, fans can currently play a number of games that includes Marvel Conquest of Champions (a fighting game), Marvel Future Fight (an action RPG), Marvel Puzzle Quest (a match 3 game infused with comic-style story bits), and there’s even Marvel Pinball.

Acutely aware of what’s already available on mobile devices, the teams at Marvel and developer FoxNext Games intend to “push the limits of mobile gaming” through their collaboration on Marvel Strike Force by delivering a robust mash-up where players can create the team-ups they’ve dreamed of, and perhaps consider some alliances they hadn’t previously.

Jason Bender, the creative director at FoxNext Games, explains in an interview on the official Marvel website that the game does more than just pull fans in by offering an opportunity to see how Rocket Raccoon might interact on a team with Crossbones, Luke Cage, and Punisher when up against a common foe. The game challenges players to build and develop the best squad for every scenario that comes their way.

“Marvel Strike Force is about building the dream team. Strategy is at the core, so it’s all about creating a squad out of characters that work well together. They have to have the right combination of abilities to overcome the challenge before them, so players will need to field surprising combinations of characters, including heroes and villains that we don’t usually see working together.”

Marvel Games’ Director of Game Production Tim Hernandez reinforces Bender’s statement, saying the ability to mix and match the powers and abilities of such a large cast of characters is what sets Marvel Strike Force apart from other titles.

“As Jason mentioned, constructing the perfect squad is where you really appreciate the depth of the game, and what really sets it apart in terms of gameplay. You can always go in and kick some Kree butt for fun or to advance through the campaign story, but strategically strengthening your roster with the right mix of teams and upgrading their abilities for a given mission, a huge wave of enemies, or to take on other players’ teams, is where this game really shines.”

Not every game branded with popular comic book characters is a guaranteed hit. Marvel shut down the long-running PC game Marvel Heroes last year after the console launch of Marvel Heroes Omega did not meet expectations, according to VentureBeat. The MMORPG attracted a significant audience upon its debut on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but player retention was an issue.

To keep fans engaged and coming back for more, the Marvel Strike Force developers plan to roll out more characters, additional campaigns, and special events in the near future. An exact timeline for all of the new content has not yet been revealed, but Bender says players should expect character updates monthly.

“We’re adding characters as quickly as we can, starting with around 2 per month. There’s a very long list of characters we’re eager to bring to life!”

The roster currently includes 64 characters from series that include Captain America, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy, Jessica Jones, Spider-Man, The Avengers, Thor, and X-Men. Each character has a visual style and appearance that is unique to the game, with influences from both the comics and cinematic universe.

Bill Rosemann, executive creative director at Marvel Games, shares that when working with FoxNext Games, they wanted to make each character recognizable, but also unique to the game experience. The resulting designs feature homages, and perhaps some Easter Eggs, for their dedicated fanbase to discover

“It was so fun working with the FoxNext Games team on the unique looks of every character. Each Hero and Villain is instantly recognizable, but their visual designs are specific to ‘Marvel Strike Force.’ From the uber popular like Spider-Man to the cult faves like Night Nurse (whose outfit was inspired by a short story from the Secret Wars comic book event), you’ll want to study each character to see how their detailing and overall presentation is unique to this game.”

Hailing from the MCU, Dave Bautista reprises his role as Drax in the television commercial now playing for the game. Watch the fun spot in its entirety below.

https://youtu.be/wrehG5LgTLA

To get a more serious introduction to the original storyline of Marvel Strike Force, see the game’s debut trailer.