Footage of THQ's Cancelled Avengers Game Surfaces Online

People are pretty into that 'Marvel' universe. Have you heard? THQ certainly had in the early 2010s; it's common knowledge that THQ Studio Australia were hard at work on a first-person Avengers brawler circa 2010/2011 (not the Crystal Dynamics-led Avengers game set for release this year). Sadly the project was axed following THQ's decline and over 200 layoffs from its Australian division. Now though, thanks to Andrew Borman, Digital Games Curator at the Rochester Museum of Play, brand-new footage of the game is available for us all to view. Check it out above.

The footage, taken from an old hard drive over at ObscureGamers, shows off an early Xbox 360 build of the unreleased game. It's barebones footage for sure: missing textures, lack of environment detail and T-poses are hard to ignore, but it's still an interesting look at an interesting and reportedly ambitious title that never saw the light of day. 

According to Unseen64, the game was planned for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and eventually Wii U. Taking the form of a co-op brawler, the game would have centred around an all-new, globe trotting plot involving shape-shifting Skrulls imitating superheroes and invading their ranks. While a first-person perspective may seem an odd choice for a property whose characters' appearances are so crucial, it was hoped that the perspective would set the game apart from the countless dozens of third-person Marvel videogames that had already released up to that point.

In the roughly 10-minute long video, we see co-op gameplay that cycles between Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk and Captain America—the game's four playable characters. Hawkeye, Black Widow, War Machine and Ms Marvel would have been available as bonus unlockable characters.

In the vein of Left 4 Dead, cooperation in the face of hordes of enemies would have been crucial to success. Unlike Valve's co-op hit, however, each character would have had their own perks, abilities and playstyles which could be used in conjunction for powerful combos against foes. While each character would have been distinct, they would have been similar enough for a casual player to have no trouble frequently swapping between them and adjusting to the change of pace. An XP system would have also seen players unlocking new abilities for their characters—something that, in 2011, was quite a fresh idea for a predominantly action-orientated game.

 When watching the footage, it's important to bear in mind the early stage of development on show. Take the footage as a representation of the (planned) finished product. Try to look past the unsightly environments and models; interpret the potential lying underneath.

What do you make of this footage? Would you rather have THQ's cancelled Avengers game or Crystal Dynamics' upcoming Marvel's The Avengers?