MARVEL Cosmic Invasion — Cosmic Fun, Comic Heartache
MARVEL Cosmic Invasion is a side-scrolling beat ’em up released on 1 December 2025 by Tribute Games (developers of TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge) and published by Dotemu / Gamirror.
You pick a pair of Marvel heroes (from a roster of 15 at launch) and fight through a cosmos-spanning invasion from New York City to the Negative Zone. The game’s big hook is the tag-team system, you can swap between two characters on the fly to chain combos, juggle enemies, and create dynamic fight strategies.
As a longtime fan of beat-’em-ups and Marvel comics, this hit many of my buttons from nostalgic visuals (pixel-art but modern), chaotic co-op potential, and the idea of smashing alien goons with Spider-Man, Wolverine, Rocket, and company made me pre-load the game faster than you can say “Maximum Carnage.”
When Cosmic Invasion Feels Like a Superhero Dream
• Visuals & Comic-Book Style Are Stunning
The pixel art is gorgeous, bright colors, fluid animation, and enough detail to make each hero feel unique. The art style and soundtrack recapture that 90s-era comic/cartoon vibe that makes every punch and swap feel cinematic.
• Tag-Team Combat & Co-op Are Slick and Fun
Triggering combo-chains, switching heroes mid-fight, juggling enemies, and synergising powers with a friend, at their best, fights feel alive, chaotic in a good way, and satisfying. The combat system is one of this generation’s strongest returns to classic arcade-style brawlers.
• Accessibility & Drop-in/Drop-out Co-op Is a Plus
The game supports single-player, online and local co-op, and the control scheme and art style make it easy for friends to jump in, even if they’re new to beat-’em-ups. That flexibility gives it replay value, especially with friends.
• Short Sessions That Still Bring That Arcade Rush
Even a quick play-session, a couple of levels can deliver satisfying chaos. Perfect for when you don’t want to commit hours but still want action. Especially good if you treat it as a “pop in, punch some goons, pop out” game rather than a full RPG grind.
Glitches, Grind & Growing Pains
Bugs, Boss-Glitches & Occasional Crashes
One of the most common complaints I have had online is the boss fights glitching out. In some cases, bosses bug, missions don’t complete, or the game crashes, even during dramatic moments like fights against big villains like Dark Phoenix or Sentinel-style bosses.
That’s not rare. It’s often and it kills momentum. Winning feels hollow when the game stutters or refuses to register a kill properly. I’ve had to reload stages mid-fight more than once. It turns adrenaline into annoyance real quick.
Repetitive Enemy Waves & Level Design Feels Thin
While combat is flashy, the journey between bosses sometimes feels like a conveyor belt of identical enemies and predictable patterns. I found that levels, despite different settings, start to feel dull as sessions stretch.
For a beat-’em-up, variety matters. When it’s missing, the magic fades fast.
Weak Progression & Lack of Long-Term Depth
The leveling and upgrade system is shallow: you might get minor stat buffs or cosmetic unlocks, but there’s no deep progression, loot-rich RPG systems, or evolving mechanics that reward long-term play. For some players, that’s fine, but for others, especially those expecting lasting replayability, it’s a letdown.
Overcrowded Co-op: Chaos That Breaks the Screen
When you hit 4-player co-op with all the flashy effects, supers, and particle explosions, things get visually messy. I found it hard to track my character or enemies sometimes. It’s thrilling… until you lose track of what’s happening and die because you can’t see.
Bosses Sometimes Feel More Like Pop-Up Cinematics Than Challenges
Some boss fights deliver tension and spectacle, but others swing the opposite direction. I found some too easy, too scripted, or too forgiving. The fluctuation makes it hard to judge skill vs. luck.
How Long to Beat MARVEL Cosmic Invasion
- The main campaign, going through all stages once on a normal run, takes roughly 3 to 4 hours.
- If you aim to complete challenges, find collectibles, and play at a steady pace, expect it to stretch to around 8–9 hours.
- For those going for 100% completion, all heroes leveled up, and exploring Arcade Mode too, the total can reach 10–12 hours (or a bit more depending on difficulty and retries).
- With co-op and casual play style, some players report finishing the story in under 3 hours, while others, especially completionists, spend significantly more time.
In short: a straightforward run is quick, but fully exploring the game and its modes will take a decent chunk of time great for either quick sessions or deeper binging.
How Many Levels Does Marvel Cosmic Invasion Have?
- The main campaign comprises 16 missions/stages.
- On a normal run, each level typically takes about 5–10 minutes depending on your pace and how much exploring or unlocking you do.
- After the main run, because all levels are replayable and there’s an Arcade Mode (with modifiers, branching paths, and extra challenges), the total number of “plays” can multiply depending on how you engage with the game.
If you got this far you might as well check out our breakdown of Split Fiction – A Torn Co-Op Multiverse Adventure another game where you can share the ride with a friend.
For official updates, community news, patches and more info visit the MARVEL Cosmic Invasion official Steam page
So, how melty is it?
You load up, pick a hero tag-team, squeeze a few goons, and the game nails that nostalgic arcade rush. For a while, you feel unstoppable.
First Glitch or Crash — 8.5/10
Boss freezes. Cut-scene hitches. Game stutters. Suddenly, the immersion cracks and the hype starts wobbling.
Mid-Game Grind & Enemy Monotony — 9/10
Enemies repeat. Visuals get busy. Combo exhaustion sets in. That high from the opening fades into friction.
Co-op Chaos Breaks Order — 9.5/10
4-player fights with full effects, supers, and explosions? Fun. Until hit-detection lags or a group wipe resets everything. Then it’s frustrating city.
Total Melt Score: 8.7/10
MARVEL Cosmic Invasion is electric fun in bursts, but that electricity fades under wobbling frames, repetition, and design half-measures. It’s a blast… but also a gamble.
Do I still recommend MARVEL Cosmic Invasion? Yes, but with a caveat. If you go in expecting a polished, long-haul RPG or a flawless beat-’em-up trilogy, you might leave disappointed. But if you see it as what it is, a lightning-fast, nostalgic arcade-style brawler built for co-op and comic-page energy then it can deliver some of the most fun I’ve had in a 2025 release.
If I were you, I would
- play with a friend (or two)
- treat the campaign as a short but sweet ride, not a years-long grind
- lean into the chaos: tag-team combos, supers, local/online co-op
- expect rough edges but don’t let them ruin the ride
Because despite everything, when it works, when the hits land, the art pulses, and the multiverse explodes in comics-style colour, Cosmic Invasion still feels like a love letter to what beat-’em-ups can be.
