San Diego Comic-Con is over, but the superheroics show no sign of slowing down.

Gazillion Entertainment announced in a press release today that Marvel Heroes, its ARPG in tights, has now registered over 1.5 million users since launch.

Hello to all our new readers, and welcome back to those who have been following ZAM's bi-weekly column, The Free Agent. Our mission, as always, is to answer the question "Can gaming REALLY be free?"

Well of course it can. But, as we learned in the last episode of the Free Agent, sometimes free comes at a cost. And in the case of Star Conflict  that cost was both time and content. Be sure to check out Episode 4 if you want to know more.

So as we set aside our pilot’s jump suit for a pair of tights and a mask, will the Free Agent discover the same problem with Gazillion Entertainment's, brand new Marvel Heroes? Or does this super-charged Action RPG MMO deliver as a true free-to-play title?

Comic book and Diablo fans rejoice, Marvel Heroes from Gazillion Entertainment is officially live!  This game has a lot of familiar features, with the added twist of the Marvel Universe, and a fresh take on the Diablo-esque RPG style.  Marvel Heroes feels surprisingly triple A, which is a relief in a market of disappointing free to play games.  While I intend to focus more on the game itself in this piece, rather than its free to play features, I will note that this game is in no way pay to win.  If you would like to know more about the Free to Play aspects of Marvel Heroes, Robert "Caergan" Gray of ZAM has a new Free Agent out about them! This game is, however, marketed as an MMO.  While the term is starting to lose any specific definition, this game definitely rides the line of what constitutes an MMO.  Essentially, it feels very much like a Diablo game, but replaces lobbies with an open world that includes event battles and auto grouping for instanced quests. 

For the Marvel junkies out there, this game is an absolute must play.  I myself am a fan of the Marvel universe, but by no means consider myself an expert in the matter.  That being said, this game does an incredible job of both introducing new-comers to the story and getting them invested in said story and, at the same time, offering plenty of detailed tidbits for even the most hardcore of fans.  If you’ve seen the movies, you will recognize a plethora familiar faces, and if you’ve read the comics, either casually or religiously, you will be introduced to many heroes and characters from the far reaches of the Marvel Universe that you have come to know and love.