A while back, I wrote about how the Hawkeye DLC for Marvel’s Avengers was a step in the right direction for the game. The newest free expansion, the Black Panther-centered War for Wakanda is another strong step for the game overall, despite some issues. My main concern is that, at this point, it may very well be too late.
In War for Wakanda, the titular nation of Wakanda is under attack by AIM and Black Panther villain Ulysses Klaue. These dastardly foes want to take Wakanda’s valuable vibranium all for themselves, so King T’Challa and the Avengers team up in order to defeat these villainous cretins. The story itself is a fine introduction for T’Challa and his corner of the Marvel Universe, with appearances from characters like Shuri and Crossbones to spice things up on both the hero and villain sides.
There are even some interesting references to the larger universe of Marvel’s Avengers, such as Cap’s friendship with T’Challa’s grandfather, and Thor’s implication that another Black Panther has lifted Mjolnir before. These small additions make the game’s world feel much more developed, which I appreciate as a longtime fan of the comics that inspired so much of this game. I’d like to see more of this in future expansions, as there’s a lot of respect for the lore of the comics present.
“I hope Crystal Dynamics can keep bringing more iconic heroes to Marvel’s Avengers, but it seems that only time will tell.“
Black Panther himself is a lot of fun to play as. His movement lets you take advantage of acrobatic jumping and free-running to navigate the various environments of the expansion. You can throw vibranium knives, throw a spear to pin down enemies, and apply various boosts to yourself, which combined manage to make T’Challa feel quite different from previous Avengers characters. He has some seriously cool costumes as well, and though you have to pay for many of them with in game currency, there’s currently a free caped costume that looks pretty slick.
I quite like the environments in War for Wakanda, as they provide a pleasant break from the forests and bunkers that make up so much of Marvel’s Avengers. The jungle surrounding Wakanda and the various buildings within the city are colorful and lively, and I’ll never get tired of the gorgeous designs that are all over in Wakanda. Christopher Judge does a different but excellent take on T’Challa’s character, as his voice work really cements the calm and humble nobility that exudes from the character.
There are still a fair few issues in War for Wakanda, unfortunately. I ran into many visual bugs and, one time, a progress-halting bug that froze every character in place. Even outside of technical issues, a few “protect the command points” missions are already very tired from the base game and DLC. Plus, loot and a seemingly never-ending amount of currencies have been carried over from the base game. I know they’re central to the game at this point, but I really don’t come to an Avengers game for loot.
Overall, I had fun with War for Wakanda, but I’m concerned that Marvel’s Avengers may already be too far gone. The player numbers and slightly bloated nature of the main game may have already spoken for the game, which is a shame, as the DLC has gotten better and better. I hope Crystal Dynamics can keep bringing more iconic heroes to Marvel’s Avengers, but it seems that only time will tell.
