Marvel Cosmic Invasion: The Siege of Castle Doom arrives November 10

Design and combat

The second DLC’s new mode was designed to deliver the replayability players wanted by mixing classic Beat Em Up combat with an evolving format that adds a new angle and challenge to the genre. It also accompanies the addition of The Invisible Woman and Doctor Doom as playable characters. Doom’s Castle Doomstadt was chosen as the setting, with the mode organized around the contrast between Reed Richards and Doctor Doom: voice-overs have the Fantastic Four leader guide the heroes while Doom mocks their attempt to invade Doomstadt. The aim was to enhance the main campaign with new equipment, power-ups, strategies and decisions capable of changing a run within seconds.

Doom’s Siege Gauge

As Doctor Doom’s new Cosmic Inductor charges with the energy needed to give him massive power, the Siege Gauge rises whenever enemies defeat the heroes in Castle Doom. Each victory instead yields batteries that charge a Stabilizer, slowing Doom’s progress. Players must be careful not to increase the Siege Gauge before gathering enough batteries to create Stabilizers and give Reed Richards the chance to increase the hero’s efficiency with the help of Perks.

An ever-changing castle

The level design aims to create navigation and surprise within Castle Doomstadt’s corridors. Encounters, dangers and patterns can change between runs, becoming familiar after multiple attempts without removing the sense of adventure. The Siege of Castle Doom has more than five times more encounters than the main game, before adding events, traps and hazards as environmental challenges. Reaching Doctor Doom is difficult: the Halls of Doom contain medieval-era tools, harsh blizzards freeze the Castle Battlements, and treacherous elevator platforms stand in the Tower of Solitude, where Doom is developing experiments. Progress therefore requires choosing a direction through themed doors.

What lies behind the doors

Equipment arms the player with special powers such as force fields or devastating energy blasts. Events lead heroes into an arena where the rules are temporarily changed, potentially producing bonuses or penalties depending on the outcome. Heal restores a hero’s health, while Infinite can gift the player infinite ammo or infinite focus. Progression provides a random amount of batteries that fill Reed’s Stabilizer Gauge.

Building the team

The Perks system supports leveling along Offense, Defense and Tactical branches, with each branch following its own theme. Perks apply individually to each hero, allowing the squad to combine different strengths. Coordinating build decisions creates strategy and more opportunities for victory. In multiplayer, an MVP system rewards the most effective players in each run by displaying their statistics.

Back at the lab

Collecting Stabilizers allows heroes to reach Reed Richard’s Lab, expand their experience and unlock additional content. New equipment, events and modifiers reshape the Castle Doom experience, while completing a run unlocks a new palette for the hero. The developers invite players to Castle Doomstadt for a new adventure within Marvel Cosmic Invasion on November 10.