First Impressions of Marvel Heroes: Two Massively reporters weigh in

Superhero games have never been dominant in the MMO space, and sadly, the genre was dealt a nasty blow last month by the loss of the pioneering City of Heroes. But now on the horizon is Marvel Heroes, a free-to-play superhero MMO published by Gazillion Entertainment and set against the traditional Marvel backdrop. Whether it constitutes a "real" MMO is a matter of opinion; insiders have likened it as much to Guild Wars as to the Diablo series, the latter especially as relates to the title's choice to implement playable iconic characters rather than customizable ones.

So how does it play? Will it be an asset to the superhero corner of MMOland or just another grindy wannabe? Massively sent two veteran reporters -- Eliot Lefebvre and Justin Olivetti -- to investigate the game in its most recent beta phase, bringing along their own predilections and preferences about MMOs in general and the superhero genre in specific. Read on for each preview!