Despite a few glitches and inconsistencies, you won't find a better comic book romp this holiday season.
Over the course of the game, you'll get to play as several different characters, evil and good alike, and test out their capabilities. It's here that TT Fusion really nails the nature of Lego Marvel Super Heroes, as they all play just like their comic book counterparts. Iron Man fires plasma beams and missiles – while also delivering a bit of snark as Tony Stark – and the Incredible Hulk, well, smashes. Most of the characters are effective, with only a couple of weird standouts that could use some powering-up…so you shouldn't feel bad if you're "stuck" with a less-than-capable character. Relax, your turn with Spider-Man is probably coming.
The gameplay follows the general nature of Lego games, as you'll beat enemies, face off against bosses (the Sandman encounter at the beginning is an awesome example), build objects and solve occasional puzzles. Like those games, you'll also be able to find hidden bonus items to help collect more gold bricks, and unlock a gaggle of characters along the way. What's great is how TT Fusion crafted all this almost seamlessly into the Marvel universe. Even running around on the Lego helicarrier is sheer joy – and the jump-off for Captain America is even better.
Lego Marvel Super Heroes is also the most visually spectacular of Lego games to date – and that's including Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes. The universe is well drawn and the levels are well done, even if some are a bit too large for their own good, leading to more exploration. There are occasional glitches with some of the smaller objects, as well as erratic character behaviors that get in the way, but otherwise, this is a, ahem, Marvel to behold. (Get it?!)
Audio is also as good as Marvel games get. The voicework is solid across the board, especially Clark Gregg, who gives his Lego edition of Agent Coulson a nice boost. The music is good, typical heroic fare, and fun for fans to listen to. And how about those sound effects – lots of boom to go around.
