By Taylor, Video Game EnthusiastLEGO Marvel Super Heroes is the next in the long line of LEGO video games. They have now LEGO-fied both the Marvel and DC universes, the Star Wars universe, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, Lord of the Rings … and there are probably more on the way! The game play for LEGO Marvel Super Heroes remains relatively unchanged from previous LEGO games: you have to build and break your way through each level toward the end. This game makes great use of the Marvel brand by giving each character different abilities that coincide with their individual powers. Spiderman can swing around and create ropes for other players to climb. Mr. Fantastic can stretch and squeeze his way into secret areas. And Black Widow can turn invisible to sneak past obstacles. Every hero feels pretty unique and fun.
In addition, the roster for the game is pretty comprehensive. The game starts you out with mostly the biggest Marvel stars: Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk, etc. But as you progress through the game, you can unlock plenty of other more obscure characters, such as Captain Britain, Howard the Duck, and even (my favorite) Moon Knight. While most children nowadays won't recognize these characters, any parents who grew up reading these comics will probably appreciate the LEGO Company’s inclusion of them. In fact, there are plenty of little additions to the game that make it enjoyable for all ages rather than simply a children's game. There's a side objective in every level where you need to rescue Stan Lee (the creator of many of these super heroes) from whatever situation he got trapped in, and many of the interactions between the characters and locations in the game will be recognized by only the most ardent of Marvel fans. The only complaint against the game is the very odd camera that the game uses when you are in multiplayer mode. Whenever the two players split up, the screen splits to follow each character, but in a way that is very disorienting. The two players’ cameras end up spinning around each other, and it makes you very dizzy. Thankfully, this can be changed in the options menu to a more traditional split-screen camera style, so it’s not a big issue.
In short, the game is a lot of fun no matter what age you are. With the huge cast of Marvel heroes and villains and the great variety of challenges, you won't be bored at all when you play it. In addition, there are a great number of collectables and goodies to find in each level so it gives you an incentive to go back and play through the game again with all the new characters you have unlocked. The game is best when played with a friend, so if you have a younger sibling or just another friend who is a comic fan, I suggest you pick up this game.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is available for Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Playstation Vita, Nintendo WiiU, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, and PC. (This review was based on the WiiU game.) It’s rated E10+.
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