Thanks to the mighty Marvel movies Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch and others are all household names. But what about Kid Colt, Stingray, Adam Warlock or Wonder Man? Are they and others doomed to live in obscurity as B-List heroes?
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2
Release Date: November 14, 2017 (NA).
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One.
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Developer: Traveller’s Tales.
Genre: Action-Adventure – Children’s.
ESRB Rating: E 10+
MSRP: $59.99 USD
Official Site: https://www.lego.com/en-us/marvelsuperheroes/marvel-super-heroes-2
Thanks to the mighty Marvel movies Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch and others are all household names. But what about Kid Colt, Stingray, Adam Warlock or Wonder Man? Are they and others doomed to live in obscurity as B-List heroes?
Not anymore, true believer.
A motley band of superheroes led by The Avengers attempts to foil Kang’s plan and put everything back where it belongs. That is where the minor bosses come in. Offered power and wealth by Kang, villains such as Klaw, Doctor Octopus, Kingpin, and Man-Ape thwart the heroes at every turn.
Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 remains consistent with the new breed of Lego titles which have moved away from the standard gameplay formula which ran through such past titles such as Lego Indiana Jones or Lego Harry Potter; a formula that wore out its welcome with fans and gamers alike. The current Lego games are far more free-flowing, focusing on action and adventure rather than convoluted and monotonous puzzle solving. Instead of those, there are a host of fetch missions like the one where you search for mystical runes in Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum.
The action in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 is wide-ranging and just great fun. One minute you are battling an invading Surtur in Asgard; the next you are swinging through the air as Spider-Man chasing the Vulture in Manhattan. The time-traveling adventure also brings you to other eras including the Medieval Period as you assist the Black Knight against The Enchantress and visit the Old West where you partner with the gun-slinging Kid Colt to stop a moving train.
Some stages are ripped right out of current-era Marvel movies to broaden the adventure even more. You will trade spells with Baron Mordo in Doctor Strange’s sanctum and the Mirror Dimension. As Thor, you enter an arena to battle a gladiator Hulk. The way Traveller’s Tales has incorporated these scenes as part of the overall adventure is quite clever.
Speaking of arenas, Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 has a new battle stadium in which four players at a time can beat the tar out of each other. It is nothing really unique; however, it is nice to have the option available, especially with younger children who may tire of adventuring and just want to battle as their favorite heroes.
A few minor shortcomings continue to hound the Lego series though. Changing characters on the fly is easy with the Y button but when you also have to interact with an object with the same button you can end up swapping heroes when you really mean to board a vehicle or mount something like a laser cannon. Some interactive points can be a bit buggy as well. You might have to circle an area repeatedly before the button prompt becomes available and visible to use.
For the first time ever in a Lego game the A.I. characters don’t always follow you wherever you wander as well, which is odd. Having to switch characters and move them along to where they are needed then can be incredibly bothersome.
With all the passion that is put into Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 by Traveller’s Tales these minor annoyances are just that. This is a knowledgeable, quirky, enjoyable adventure for comic book fans of all ages, a wacky tribute to comic books and also continues the Lego game franchise down a far more unpredictable and progressive path.
- Review Summary
Whether you are a comic book fan or not, a young gamer or not, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 is a fun-filled adventure.
