Aug 23

Aug 23 I can't decide which version of Marvel Heroes Omega to Play

I put a bunch of time into Marvel Heroes when it first launched on PC.

I bought the cheapest founders pack that would let me into the game, and played it through their launcher. Then I played it some when it came out on Steam.

And then I kind of fell away from it.

I'd check in on every update for a little while, but it never quite hooked me the same way it did in those first months.

Now, the game is out on PS4 and Xbox One. The PC version continues to receive updates. All three versions have their strengths and weaknesses. I want to dive into one, but I don't know which one to play.

This is the dumbest problem to have.

LOOT BOXES

Ah, everyone's favorite thing. The console versions of the game have loot boxes. You can sometimes earn them and you can also buy them with real money. The loot boxes are an easy way to unlock content in the game, and win some costumes while you're at it.

Marvel Heroes is monetized in a smart way. It's pretty easy to unlock heroes just playing for free, and you can play through the game without spending any money.

The PC version doesn't have loot boxes. It has other weird mystery boxes, but the animation for them isn't as fun. So already, the console versions are on top.

INTERFACE

The interface on consoles is newer and sleeker, and I think it's much easier to use and see at a glance which gear is better in your inventory. And the other menus look better on consoles too. The mouse controls on PC are nice and snappy, and the overall experience of play and screen navigation is faster overall.

But I'm hoping that the console interface improvements come to PC. This and the loot box mechanic are the two biggest things keeping me from playing on PC.

CHARACTERS

Marvel Heroes has more characters available on PC. The PC has been the lead platform for update development, and so it tends to get the newer content first.

Hmm.

PERFORMANCE

This is where the PC version crushes it. Of course. It looks the best and it runs the best.

The PS4 version is no slouch, however, at least on my PS4 Pro. It loads almost as fast as my PC, and looks and runs almost as good.

On Xbox One...the game is pretty darn rough. It feels like it's barely holding on to a playable framerate, and it takes a while to load. I'm sure this will improve with time, and it's still okay, but it's the weakest of the three performance-wise.

So why would I consider it then?

Because I like the Atmos support on Xbox One. And I like the controller. And I like the list of friends I've built up there.