LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 – Review

With the astounding success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the emergence of more obscure and lesser known characters, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 is a game that really capitalizes on this. With the tried and tested LEGO video game formula, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 adds a plethora of new characters, locations and fantastic interaction between characters to continue the story of it’s own LEGO universe where humour and absurdity go hand in hand.

A sequel to the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes game that released in 2013, this new game really builds on that while providing an extremely fun experience that doesn’t strive too far from the LEGO games formula while adding its own touch to it. The game takes place after the events of the previous game where the entire cast of heroes from the Marvel universe from the various timelines and eras and realities face off against the time-travelling villain Krang the Conqueror and his evil companions in battle across time and space itself. The gameplay remains quite similar to all the LEGO titles from the past with a new addition of time travelling puzzles that are based on manipulating time to solve them. While it can feel a bit repetitive and figuring out where to go/what do next can sometimes be a bigger challenge than a puzzle itself but that is alleviated by the fantastic writing and quite frankly, the fun you’re having while playing the game.

The core mechanic of using 4 characters across a level and switching between them is still there. The huge gallery of characters that are available in this game are used to a decent extent in the story mode but really shines once you’ve beaten the game and can do side-missions and replay missions freely. The new hub of this iteration of the game is Chronopolis, which is an amalgamation of various locations from the Marvel Universe, ranging from a noir version of New York, Xandar, Wakanda and Ancient Egypt to name a few, all in one location. The time manipulation mechanic also works in a way that affects the characters themselves.You can move time foward or backward on certain characters to use the different versions of those characters. You can move time back to get Noire Spider-Man, move it to modern day to get the Spider-Man we all know and love or you could move it the future and get Spider-Man 2099. There’s even Baby Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy 2 who can be turned into Adult Groot.

While some characters are quite over powered, as is the case in the actual Marvel Universe *cough* My main man Deadpool *cough*, some feel a bit weaker or less useful in game. However, the various characters are designed quite well and do feel like their individual selves and have that uniqueness to them rather than just being skins for a character to just fill the character selection screen. Characters can be unlocked by paying for them in Bits but paying for characters you’ve met/discovered in the game world does feel a little unfair. The characters in this game range from the famous and well known ones like Iron-Man, Spider-Man to lesser known ones like Squirrel Girl, Forbush Man and The Black Knight. My favorite ability, one which is a lot of people’s favorite, is Star-Lord’s ability to “Jam” to the tunes on his Walkman which makes enemies and allies also jam to the music with him. The game also features a few competitive local co-op modes should you choose to play with your friends while it lacks any sort of online multiplayer.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 is a sequel that is done right with a huge cast of characters and locations that feel unique and authentic that really tie in fantastically with the story and the great writing which trumps over the gameplay being repetitive at times to provide an experience that is overall really fun and relaxing. If you’ve played the prequel, this game is a no-brainer and if you’re looking to play something more relaxed, fun and that isn’t too complicated this game is right up your alley. Fans of the Marvel universe will also love this game but don’t expect something to dark and deep as the story and writing is very light-hearted and absurd.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 is out now for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.