Marvel's Avengers gets broken down in a new trailer

Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics have popped up a new Avengers trailer that helpfully gathers up all the details they've revealed about the superhero action romp, giving anyone who hasn't been keeping an eye on it a handy primer. Give it a watch above.

Crib notes time: It's an action game that lets you play as the disbanded Avengers, who were sacked after a disaster and replaced by the villainous boffins at A.I.M. and their nasty robots. Six playable characters have been revealed so far, with the recently announced Ms. Marvel acting as a catalyst for the team getting back together. Heroes will have different costumes, gear options and skills, letting you put your own spin on them and create new builds.

From the helicarrier, players will be able to launch singleplayer campaign missions, as well as solo or co-op Warzones that scale with the team size. On the PlayStation Blog, creative director Noah Hughes says that you'll be able to jump into multiplayer right after you finish the the tutorial. While these co-op missions take place outside the campaign, however, you might still be exposed to some spoilers if you've not played much of the story.

Despite the reveal leaving me lukewarm, I was a bit more impressed when I actually played it. Crystal Dynamics snatched up God of War's combat designer, which is especially noticeable when you're Thor, and smashing goons does feel really satisfying. I'm less sold on the rather drab aesthetic, however, and it all comes across a bit po-faced. With wise-cracking characters like Ms. Marvel being the focus, however, I'm hopeful it won't be like that for the whole game.

There wasn't any opportunity to play around with gear and stats in the build I mucked around with, but that's one of the bits I'm most interested in. You'll be able to pick skills as you level up and find unique gear that confers more stat bonuses and special unlockable perks. Hughes gives the example of a perk that lets you use AOE burst attack when you take damage, while another might recharge your fanciest power faster. It sounds like there will be a fair amount to tinker with.

Fashion is separate from stats, thankfully, so while you can unlock or buy new costumes, they'll only have a cosmetic impact. You won't need to compromise between looking stylish and combat skills. The costume is like 50 percent of being a superhero, so you've got to take this stuff seriously.

I'm increasingly interested, then, but I still wish it didn't look so much like an MCU knock-off.

Marvel's Avengers is due out on May 15.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.