Marvel's Avengers is out now, and if you've jumped in you might be wondering if the combat gets more exciting than simple button bashing.
As it happens, it does, and there's a surprising amount of nuance in amongst all the flashy moves and ground-shaking Hulk smashing.
Here's how to get the most out of the game's combat.
Marvel's Avengers Combat Guide
The Basics
While every playable character in Marvel's Avengers has a wealth of offensive capabilities, most of their attacks fit into the same archetypes.
The most straightforward is the light attack (Square/X) which will let you punch, repulsor blast, swing Mjolnir, or stretch out Kamala's arms with a single tap.
Combos are easy to build, but for maximum potency, we'd recommend pairing with heavy attacks (Triangle/Y).
These can help break enemy shields, and in the case of characters like Hulk, can damage multiple enemies at once.
You can also use ranged attacks by pulling L2 or LT to aim, and press RT to fire. These include Hulk lobbing chunks of the ground, Black Window firing her guns, or Thor throwing Mjolnir.
Heroes often have their own extra moves, too. Hulk can grab enemies and swing them around like the "Puny God" scene in 2012's Avengers movie by holding Square/X, while with the right upgrades, Kamala can juggle enemies into the air with the same button command.
Lock On
Easily forgotten in the heat of battle, it's worth remembering that clicking in the right stick will lock you onto the nearest enemy.
You can then swap targets by flicking the stick.
Heroic Moves
Each character is able to use a trio of "supers" known as Heroic moves, each with their own cooldown timer.
There's one support ability (L1/LB), one assault ability (R1/RB), and an Ultimate ability (L1 + R1/LB + RB).
Each offers unique effects, like Hulk drawing enemies in and then using his Thunderclap to deal massive damage, or Black Widow turning invisible.
Dodging
While punching your way through hordes of AIM baddies is all well and good, there comes a time where they inevitably start firing back.
Most heroes are able to block or counter by holding R2 or RT when not aiming, so Captain America can use his shield, while Black Widow can grapple-hook an enemy for a quick takedown. The windows for these options are small, so look out for a blue visual effect when an enemy attacks.
Hulk can't block, but he can enter a "Rage" state that reduces incoming damage, does a small amount of healing, and scares the pants off of enemies, we reckon.
Heroes can dodge (Circle/B) and dodge roll (double tap Circle/B), which is handy - some enemies have unblockable attacked, denoted by a red visual effect.
Movement
Characters have unique movement options, too.
Iron Man and Thor can fly, for example, by pressing X/A and clicking in the left stick, while Kamala can swing across huge gaps by pressing X/A when prompted.
Then there's Hulk, who can jump from wall to wall in certain spots, as well as leap further and further as he builds up steam.
Our review of Marvel's Avengers is incoming, as we wanted to test the game on live servers. Expect the full review early next week.
We recently spoke to Scot Amos of developer Crystal Dynamics, and discussed the game's next-gen versions, paid cosmetics, and why we'll be stepping into the shoes of Kamala Khan for the most part. You can check out the full interview here.