SDCC 2012 Video Game Round-Up: Avengers: Battle For Earth

I got a chance to play Avengers: Battle For Earth, the upcoming Marvel Universe fighting game for XBox Kinect, and…

Well, it’s not fully assembled.

The camera had some trouble distinguishing between different gestures, necessitating a precision of movement that doesn’t feel intuitive. And sometimes movements would be lost completely, which is especially frustrating considering the calories you burn jumping and gesticulating like a madman.

But keep in mind that the game won’t release until November, so they have plenty of time to work out these bugs. And once they do, the gameplay should really excite fans.

Designers clearly put a lot of thought into how different characters move. Far from the button mashing of MvC, you really feel the variation in what powers you’re unleashing.

Whether extending the arms and fingers like jazz hands to expand Venom’s tendrils, rapidly pushing forward to activate Iron Man’s repulsor blasts, or making a hugging motion with the Hulk to rip up a chunk of earth, you can really feel that you’re affecting the game’s colorful world.

And when you swing your imaginary hammer and see the thunder really called down on your opponent, it can be Mighty fun.