The powers of each hero have been interpreted fairly well in LEGO form. Powers repeat occasionally, but that’s the nature of the game. Cyclops and the Human Torch can melt through gold barriers. The Hulk and the Thing can bash through walls and pull heavy objects. Thor and Storm can each summon electricity to attack foes or power up machinery. The Invisible Woman and Jean Grey can move objects and create force fields. Black Widow and Iron Man can activate computer puzzles to solve. There isn’t a huge variety of powers, but they all feel authentic to the characters, particularly when put together in different combinations.
One minor issue with the use of powers and abilities are the hints that pop up from time to time. An example would be an early X-Men mission, with Cyclops and Jean Grey. There was a beam blocking our progress, and the hint called for using Captain America’s absent shield. It took us a moment to realize that Jean’s force field could deflect the beam just as Cap’s shield would. Certain levers call for “web-slinging” characters, but Black Widow’s cable or even Mister Fantastic’s arms will work just as well. Speaking of the leader of the Fantastic Four, he easily gets the award for most unique hero. His malleable body can be formed into screwdrivers, cranes, parachutes, a water pump, and more. It’s hilarious to watch and makes the F4 levels really stand out from the rest.
The core LEGO experience remains largely unchanged from that of the recent games. The trend for more puzzles and interesting boss battles and less minion fighting and platforming continues. There are still plenty of LEGO objects to bash into studs and collect, secret areas that can only be reached with different characters in freeplay mode, and enough collectables to satisfy the most OCD gamer. The co-op aspects remain solid, with two player local drop in/out and the choice of a dynamic or vertical splitscreen. I do miss the cunningly designed and extremely cooperative shadow world/real world sequences of LEGO Lord of the Rings, but there is still a good deal of teamwork required throughout the game.
It might possibly be my fanboy tendencies, but LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is easily my favorite game in the series, and I believe it is the best of the lot from a game design perspective as well. There are a few quirks with the camera here and there, but overall the game feels polished and complete, more so than some of the more pedestrian LEGO games of the past. Whether we’ve reached the pinnacle of LEGO potential remains to be seen, but it’s certainly an enjoyable gaming experience, especially for Marvel fans. Humor, cool characters, and compelling LEGO puzzles have always been a recipe for great gaming fun, and LEGO Marvel Super Heroes does not disappoint.
The Co-Optimus review of LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes.
Verdict
Co-Op Score
Overall
The Co-Op Experience: Lego Marvel Super Heroes lets you take control of your favorite Marvel heroes with over 100 unlockable characters, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine, Captain America, the Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Deadpool, Loki and Galactus. 2 player local co-op will be featured throughout the campaign
Co-Optimus game reviews focus on the cooperative experience of a game, our final score graphic represents this experience along with an average score for the game overall. For an explanation of our scores please check our Review Score Explanation Guide.