Just about everyone likes escapism and to live in a fantasy world full of impossible possibilities. Unfortunately for most of us, we mere humans are not known for having super powers that let us fly, command thunder or leap tall sky scrapers in a single bound. It’s why we comic book and popcorn movie fans love such franchises as DC Comics and the Marvel universe. The super hero movie genre has arguably been getting better with each new movie and sequel (again I use the word “arguably”). Many moons ago, the same could not be said about the super hero genre in the video game industry, up until recently that is. Games like the Batman Arkham series, The Amazing Spiderman, Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions (as well as last gens Spiderman 2) have all played there part in breaking the hoodoo.
The Lego franchise has also followed this increase of quality, the first series of Lego games such as Star Wars, Harry Potter and Indiana Jones (to name a few), were much loved, but all soon became very samey with a different themed skin. So the Lego franchise took a big step in its evolution and introduced real voices and scripts for its characters and an open world with Lego Batman 2 DC Super Heroes and then with the officially licensed Lego Lords of the Rings game, they not only recreated all the iconic moments taken from the movie trilogy, they also used real sound clips taken from the characters voices and implemented them perfectly into the game.
This was a huge step for the franchise and while many still may wish for the series to return to its mumbling voice roots, it’s hard to argue that since this decision was made, it has drastically improved the method of storytelling for the franchise. This now brings me on to Lego Marvel Super Heroes.
The world is relatively safe under the S.H.I.E.L.D agency, the Avengers, the X-Men and almost every other lonesome super hero’s protection on planet Earth. This of course is not going to go down with the super villains of this world and the infamous Dr Doom has forged a maniacal plot to stop the Avengers and anyone that joins forces with them by creating his very own allegiance of the world’s most sinister villains that wish to rule over our earth with the super heroes taken out of the picture.
Lego Marvel’s visuals are a joy to behold. Each and every character is instantly recognisable, your playground of a world aka Manhattan is as close to a living, breathing Lego bricked world that you could ever hope for. During each era of the Lego franchise, they have always been good looking games and Lego Marvel Super Heroes is no exception. Each Lego Marvel character is digitally created to look just like the Lego collection in the real world. This visual quality transcends with the gorgeous looking cutscenes that feature in the game and it doesn’t look to shabby during gameplay either.
I genuinely believe that developers Travellers Tales have reached their peak with Lego Marvel on the current gen systems, which just gets me even more excited to play the PS4 and Xbox One instalments, which will feature an ever higher standard of crisp visuals. Speaking of next gen, you may or may not already know, but unfortunately the Xbox One version has been delayed. The PS4 version however has already been released in North America and will release across Europe on November 29th.
Fans of the series will instantly feel at home when picking up the control pad to play Lego Marvel as it essentially plays just like Lego Batman 2 and Lego Lord of the Rings. With well over 100 characters on the roster, there is a lot of variety, despite the franchises similarity. Many of the characters will have their own unique skills and abilities, each granting you different methods in approaching a certain section and many will allow you to access certain areas that some characters will not. During your first playthrough it will be just about impossible to access all the hidden areas and items.
Luckily as with previous games, as you progress through the game you will unlock even more characters and many more can be purchased with the in-game currency. After you’ve finished each stage, you are able to replay that stage with any character that you have unlocked along the way. So if you’ve just finished a section with Black Widow and Hawkeye, but needed the powers of Iron Man or Spiderman, then never fear not as you can freely replay any stage with any character.
Hidden areas and items located throughout each stage are not the only sections worth replaying as the city in which the majority of the game is located is huge and full of exciting goodies to uncover. Just like in the stages in which you play during the main missions, you will need certain characters to access certain areas. Manhattan not only features many hidden locations, but there are also heaps of side missions that you can carry out for the pedestrians of the city, races to compete in and more.
As an added bonus, just about every comic book fan loves to see what the legendary Stan Lee’s next cameo will involve in the movies, so they might be almost just as excited to find out that he also has various cameos of sorts in Lego Marvel. All I will say is that keep an extra vigilant eye and ear open and should you find and rescue Stan Lee throughout the many locations, you will be rewarded for your efforts… excelsior!
There are many great moments in Lego Marvel Super Heroes, but there is one new element introduced into the series which will never waiver in the fun factor and that’s the awesome sky diving sections. As with the Marvel Avenger movie, the Hellicarrier is your command centre and is often the location in which you will receive your mission briefing. But when the instructions have been given, on many occasions you are then tasked to sky dive into the city of Manhattan to begin your mission. I know this is nothing new in the video game industry, but sky diving as Captain America with no fear (as he does in the movies) will always be fun.
If there was one minor criticism that I would have with Lego Marvel, it would be with its difficulty. I do feel a little guilty in criticising this lovable franchise, as I know it’s always been known for its welcoming and accessible difficulty to just about everyone, after all its a huge part of its appeal. Yes I know the Lego franchise has always been easy, but with Lego Marvel it seems to want to hold your hand like never before. With Lego Batman 2 and Lego Lord of the Rings, due to huge areas in which you are located, you would have a trail of coins to help guide you in the right direction, which was fine and understandable.
Now not only do you have the trail of coins, you also have a ghost like shadow to help lead the way, just in case you missed that trail of coins and the waypoints on your map. Throughout the game you will also have Agent Coulson in your ear giving you tips to help you progress in the game. I don’t really have a problem with this, but what I don’t appreciate all that much is being given the very obvious hint before I’ve even had time to look for myself. On many occasions I would enter a certain area and then ‘BAM’, Agent Coulson will be telling me how to progress. I think at the very least you could have been given 30 seconds to a minute of wondering aimlessly, before being given that very obvious hint.
With such a huge roster, it would be very illogical to go through each cast member, though it is worth noting that many of the cast members have voiced more than one Lego Marvel Super Heroes character. The names, or should I say voices that some may notice straight away are from Adrian Pasday as the voice of Iron Man (as he has in many animations featuring Mr Stark) and some may also recognise him as Nathan Petrelli from the cult TV show Heroes. But the individual that Marvel fans should recognise most of all is that of Clark Gregg, the voice of Agent Phil Coulson from not only the game, but numerous Marvel movies, TV animations and the TV show; Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
All in all the voice acting do an outstanding job and perfectly deliver the signature humour that we all know and love from the Lego franchise. The writer of Lego Marvel Super Heroes Mark Hoffmeier deserves a lot of credit for giving the voice actors the ammunition to deliver the goods. Also while the soundtrack won’t win any awards, composer Rob Westwood has done a solid job in presenting us with the patriotic tone that we would expect from a Marvel video game or movie.
If you’re new to the Lego video game franchise, you will have no problem at all with picking up the control pad and jumping into the action. It’s always been a franchise that has opened it arms to gamers of all ages and generations, and this certainly remains the case with Lego Marvel Super Heroes, perhaps even more so with the easier difficulty curve. Lego Marvel continues on with the trends and evolution that made Lego Batman 2 and Lego Lord of the Rings so good, but this time with the seeminglessly bottomless pit that is the Marvel universe as its resource with well over 100 characters to discover.
Some have deemed Lego Marvel Super Heroes the greatest Lego game to date and who’s to argue? But is it really better then Lego Batman 2 or Lego Lord of the Rings? It certainly puts up just as much of a fight to its case against its two predecessors. It’s a question that I’ve asked myself numerous times since plaything this game. Personally I ‘just’ perhaps prefer it to the mighty Lego Batman 2, but perhaps on par with Lego Lord of the Rings. Should you ask me this question again tomorrow, then I may give you a different answer. Bottom line is that Lego Marvel Super Heroes ‘may’ not only be the greatest Lego game to date (along with Batman Arkham Asylum and Arkham City), it might just be the greatest super hero game ever…maybe.