Though the strong War for Wakanda expansion restored some hope thatMarvel’s Avengerscould turn things around, the game has once again faded into obscurity in recent months. Poorwebswinging mechanics for Spider-Mansaw the hero’s addition to the game shrugged off by many, and Jane Foster being an almost exact copy of the original Thor was a letdown. With neither character bringing an Operation, either, it feels like the ongoing story has stalled completely, and it is hard to imagine Winter Soldier saving the game.
While Bucky Barnes could be a ton of fun to play as thanks to his cybernetic arm and an arsenal of guns, it seems unlikely that he will be able to bring life back to theMarvel’s Avengerscommunity. There are a few reasons for this, and all of them come together to make a new hero addition a bit less exciting than it should be. Unfortunately, most fans have moved on from the game after two years, losing hope that it will ever reach the heights that they wanted it to. Unless Crystal Dynamics can deliver some attractive content alongside him, the amount of people making use of Winter Soldier will likely be very small.
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Why Marvel’s Avengers’ Winter Soldier is Not Enough
Though it is unclear whether Bucky Barnes will be bringing new story content along with him, it was not announced to be accompanying him, so it seems like he will be following in the footsteps of Spider-Man andJane Foster’s Thor. This is a major problem, as it continues the issue that has followedMarvel’s Avengersacross its entire life cycle. While new heroes are fun, they become pointless when gamers have no new content to use them in. If players are stuck fighting the same enemies and bosses they have battled as every other character, the motivation to level up Winter Soldier could fade away fast.
On top of this, Bucky Barnes is simply not a popular enough character to get eyes back on the game. Though there is no denying thatWinter Soldierhas become a far bigger name than he used to be thanks to the MCU, he is still not as exciting as someone like Doctor Strange or Scarlet Witch. Captain Marvel and Ant-Man are two more characters that would be exciting to play, as their movesets would be different from all the other heroes. Though Bucky would be nice to have if the game had some more heavy hitters, his debut is going to lack the hype that would accompany Carol Danvers or Wanda Maximoff.
Content That Could Bring Marvel’s Avengers’ Lapsed Fans Back
First and foremost, Crystal Dynamics has to sweeten the deal with Bucky’s debut, and the fastest way to do this is by adding missions alongside him. Like Kate Bishop and Clint Barton, a proper Operation with cutscenes and new areas could get fans who enjoyed the story to return to the game. Further,Bucky’s storycould bring some much-needed enemy variety toMarvel’s Avengers, with Hydra coming as a new faction for players to fight. Battling something other than AIM or Klaw’s mercenaries would be refreshing, and it is something fans have always been calling for.
With a small team working onMarvel’s Avengersand the game’s budget probably cut down drastically, anotherexpansion like War for Wakandais likely off the table. However, Crystal Dynamics should still aim to move the story forward in a big way, ending the overly long AIM arc after Bucky is released on November 29. Even if a new story is slowly told across a mission every other month, players need a fresh threat to fight. With Ultron teased, the corrupt AI and his many copies could make for a welcome change, and having another named villain to battle instead of an endless supply of Monica Rappaccini clones is a must. Everything could culminate in a raid against Ultron, motivating players to gear up their heroes again.
A story Operation for Bucky Barnes that features Hydra is one option to build up hype, and another route would be Ultron’s arrival. One final possibility would be a double hero drop, withthe heavily leaked She-Hulk DLCcoming at the same time as or shortly after the debut of Winter Soldier. If Crystal Dynamic does not have the time and resources for an Ultron story or a Hydra-focused Operation,Marvel’s Avengersputting all its eggs in one basket and dropping a double-hero update could be the best possible scenario. Though it is hard to imagine gamers sticking around with no new enemies to fight, Bucky alone is simply not enough at this point, so this would be better than just adding him.
Marvel’s Avengersis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
