In what is stated to be the first of many, Crystal Dynamics put off a “War Table” event showing off new material for the upcoming Marvel’s Avengers. The event kicked off with a band new story trailer, focusing on the world post A-Day – the event that causes The Avengers to disband in this universe – and the first look at a classic Marvel villain: M.O.D.O.K, who is the leader at A.I.M pulling the strings. From there the team moved onto a new solo mission featuring Thor. In it Thor, in a volunteer t-shirt, assists The Avengers in defending a Helicarrier that’s being attacked by A.I.M’s forces. While other Avengers are present, the action is clearly from the point of view from the God of Thunder. An interesting new mechanic shows Thor painting his target – inspired by Jason Aaron’s run on the character – wherein you can target multiple enemies and then unleash Mjolnir on them. One of Thor’s new moves, dubbed an ultimate attack, allowed him to bypass an enemies’ shield using the Bifrost and it’s just about as cool as it sounds.

The team at Crystal Dynamics was also on hand to show how the game will work in multiplayer. Playing in a group of up to four players, or solo with three AI companions if you wish, heroes can use their powers to buff one another – an example was shown of Thor supercharging his teammates with lightning – and this plays into the game’s gear system. When joining up with friends, there’s a deep level of customization on display such that when you play as a character like Iron Man, it will be completely different from your friend’s version of the same character. Elements like Gamma give a green tint to your attacks, and equipping Pym Particles allows you to shrink enemies and lower their defenses. Within this segment you’re able to say may different cosmetic character options, from different armors for Iron Man, costumes like Mr. Fixit and World War Hulk, plus a brief glimpse at the Hulkbuster suit. Characters like Dum Dum Dugan, Nick Fury and Maria Hill were also on hand to guide you from your base area.

Crystal Dynamics has promised that this will be the first of many War Table events, and in the coming months you can expect to learn more about when the PlayStation 4 exclusive beta will start as well as the first post-launch character.

Marvel’s Avengers arrives September 4th for the PlayStatiopn 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia and PC.

trailers via Marvel Entertainment YouTube