LEGO scores big
Marvel superhero game is a blast for children and parents
LEGO Marvel Superheroes
★★★★★
Available on: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo 3DS and PC
Rating: E for everyone over 10
With Iron Man’s rocket boots, Hulk’s bulky muscles, Spider-Man’s webs and Wolverine’s claws, this is one home run of a video game title.
After dozens of variations of LEGO games, from Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean to Lord of Rings, the concern among LEGO fans is that the formula employed by the game’s developers will get stale.
The good news is, with LEGO Marvel Superheroes, it’s better than ever.
The game takes the humour LEGO titles are known for and combines it with more than 100 brightly coloured characters from the Marvel Universe, each with their own powers and abilities, weaving together a narrative that would make Avenger’s director Joss Whedon proud.
It’s exciting, hilarious and best of all, the play control is so simple that parents can actually play with their children and have a blast. Puzzles and levels are complex enough that parents won’t lose interest, but aren’t hard enough to deter younger players.
Mentioning Whedon when talking about the game is necessary, as the game takes place immediately after the Avenger’s movie ends. Rescue crews have just finished cleaning up New York City. Nick Fury and his crack military unit SHIELD patrol the skies and the Avengers are heroes to millions. Suddenly, the Silver Surfer appears, streaking across the New York skyline. He is attacked and drops several cosmic bricks before crashing.
The bricks attract the attention of Dr. Doom, who rallies the world’s villains to help him collect them, harness their power and complete his nefarious plans. The world’s heroes band together in an effort to stop him.
The game opens with Hulk and Iron Man trying to stop the duo of Abomination and Sandman from retrieving one of the bricks. The pair is quickly joined by Spider-Man, who happens to be swinging by.
The level of detail in the game is astounding, and will be appreciated by comic book fans of all ages. Players can stop swinging as SpiderMan, and the character hangs upside down, just like in the comic books. Hold down a button as Hulk, and the jade giant will revert to Bruce Banner through a quick and hilarious animation.
Voice acting in the game is led by Clark Gregg, Agent Phil Coulson of Avengers’ fame, who barks orders at your characters to keep them on track while tossing out funny little hints, such as telling Bruce Banner that “now may be a good time for you to get angry” when he’s running around in his human form.
Learning to use the team and each character’s abilities quickly becomes a priority. Hulk can lift cars, buses and other heavy objects, but he can’t build things with LEGO bricks, which is where Iron Man and his technological know-how come in handy. Spider-man’s Spider-sense comes in useful for finding hidden items.
It isn’t long before a menace that threatens to destroy the world forces the heroes and villains to unite, opening a whole roster of new characters for players to use. The twist is welcome.
The title is near perfect for comic book fans and video game fans of all ages. It’s easiest the best LEGO title that has been released to date and probably the best game ever released that features Marvel’s roster of superheroes.
In a fair world, where realism and serious storytelling wasn’t a factor, LEGO Marvel Superheroes should be a strong contender for game of the year. It’s fun and funny, challenging and captivating, and will keep players playing for hours longer than they originally intended.