Marvel: Avengers Alliance

Marvel: Avengers Alliance is a turn-based social network game developed by Playdom in 2012. It is based on characters and storylines published by Marvel Comics, and written by Alex Irvine. The game is available as an Adobe Flash application via the social-networking website Facebook, and via Playdom's official website. It officially launched in Facebook at March 1, 2012. It was initially released as promotion for the 2012 Marvel Studios crossover film The Avengers.

Gameplay
Players take control of an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and can fully customize the agent by gaining experience, leveling up, and equipping their agents with various weapons and uniforms obtained within the game. They can also team up with up to two out of the current 35 available Marvel heroes in the game, each with their unique skills and abilities. Players start with only a few heroes, and the other heroes are locked. These heroes are needed to be recruited first by buying them with "Command Points", a currency in the game. Gameplay consists of turn-based fights that pit your agent and heroes against one or more waves of three or less enemies, with each character having unique attacks. There are five character classes, each with a specific strength and a specific weakness to one of the other classes; in the order in which they weaken the following one, the classes are:


 * Blaster - Receives an automatic critical hit against and ignores the defense of Bruisers
 * Bruiser - Becomes stronger and tougher when attacking or attacked by Scrappers
 * Scrapper - Receives an additional attack on the Infiltrator attacked and gains a buff that allows the Scrapper to continue to attack twice the following turn.
 * Infiltrator - Counter attacks Tacticians and receives Combat Awareness on attacking Tacticians. Can continue to counter-attack the following turn, and with a damage boost.
 * Tactician - Receives an extra turn after attacking a Blaster

There is also a sixth neutral class called Generalist which is the player's default class and is neither strong nor weak against any of the other ones. Aside from the player, Mockingbird and Rogue, a few weaker henchmen and some bosses can have Generalist as their class. Players can unlock various Marvel characters as allies and these characters can be customized to adjust their strengths and weaknesses.

Plot
A galaxy-wide disaster known as "the Pulse" has exposed Manhattan to attack from Marvel's most formidable villains. As an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (the secret espionage and peace-keeping organization of the Marvel Universe), the player must assemble and lead a team of superheroes. The mission: keep New York City safe from the clutches of evil.

The first mission deals with the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent accompanying Iron Man to deal with an attack from A.I.M.. The S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent and Iron Man go to meet up with Captain America who is in combat with the HYDRA Power Armor. At the Meat Packing District, Viper is leading HYDRA into attacking it. The players defeat Viper, but the HYDRA Agents make off with device she was securing. S.H.I.E.L.D. Intel tracks the HYDRA Agents to Empire State University where A.I.M.'s strike team R.A.I.D. where it is suspected that Whiplash is working with the team. After defeating Whiplash and R.A.I.D., Maria Hill tells Nick Fury that HYDRA is sighted in Chinatown with Baron Zemo being sighted. After defeating Baron Zemo who retreats with his HYDRA soldier, Maria Hill tells the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent that there is trouble in the Financial District. Upon arrival in the Financial District, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent learns that Wrecker was spotted working with A.I.M. After defeating Wrecker, Black Widow tells the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent that M.O.D.O.K. is in the area and defeat him. Iron Man informs the S.H.I.E.L.D Agent that the Frost Giants have been spotted near Avengers Mansion upon an interdimensional portal opening up in the area. The Destroyer has also been sighted as the players help Thor to defeat it. Upon arriving at Avengers Mansion, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent joins Thor into fighting Loki who plans to acquire the "gift" that the heavens had bestowed on Earth. Thor and the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent defeat Loki who ends up retreating. Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor state that the villains are more organized as something has brought HYDRA, A.I.M., and Loki together in order to seek the Iso-8. Mister Fantastic tells the group that the Iso-8 has exposed some low-level crooks who now pose a threat to the heroes. The S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent and the heroes plan to secure the samples of Iso-8 in order to stay ahead of the villains.

Maria Hill informs the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent that the Maggia is looking for the Iso-8 in Little Italy and that Hammerhead is in charge of the search. Iron Man suspects that Hammerhead is planning to grab as much as he can and sell it. Maria Hill thinks that Hammerhead will sell the Iso-8 to Roxxon Energy Corporation, Roxxon's Brand Corporation firm, and Latveria. Nick Fury sends the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent to stop the Maggia while keeping an eye out for Hammerhead. Nick Fury learns from She-Hulk that Sandman is helping out in Hammerhead's operation. The S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent teams up with She-Hulk to combat Sandman. After defeating Sandman, the players confront Hammerhead and defeat him. Iron Man has Hammerhead remanded to the Raft since the Vault is down.

Characters
Unlockable through Special Operations Missions Unlockable through PvP Tournament (will also be obtainable afterwards by spending Command Points) Announced at the 2012 San Diego Comic Con, but presently unavailable in the game Announced at the 2012 New York Comic Con, but presently unavailable in the game

Reception
PlaydomGaming.tk scored the game 4.5/5.