Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 is the sequel to my favorite Lego game ever, Lego Marvel Super Heroes. I had been a bit hesitant to play through and review it because I didn't want to be hurt. The newer Lego games have been a big disappointment to me, and particularly those games that are based on a film license. Fortunately for me, this game featured a brand new story set in the Marvel Universe, so it didn't struggle with many of the same issues as Lego Marvel's Avengers.
The game follows the same basic structure as the other Lego games. You have twenty big missions to complete with a roster of hundreds of Marvel characters, many of which even serious Marvel fans will not be familiar. The story is basically that Kang the Conqueror has ripped apart the barriers between different Marvel timelines and universes, bringing all of them together in a big new universe he calls Chronopolis. You must do your hero thing, beating his followers, solving puzzles, and exploring Chronopolis on your way to saving the day.
First, the story and presentation for this game are light years ahead of that of Lego Marvel's Avengers. Traveler's Tales really shines when they're producing original, very goofy stories in fandoms they care about, and this shows here. The writing is again crisp, the characters are funny, and the design of the levels and world are top notch. The gimmick of packing all of the dimensions together in one locale is genius, as it gives you lots of distinct areas to explore, but also avoids the drab nature of having separate overworlds, as in Lego Marvel's Avengers. If you want to go from Egypt to Lemuria, you're going to have to do it the old fashioned way. Swim. There are no load times, no self-contained worlds, just a huge bundle of joy to walk around in. The game is also the least buggy Lego game I have ever played, and that's always been an issue with this series. In comparison, these elements are definitely less good than they were in Lego Marvel Super Heroes, but the total package here suggests that Traveler's Tales still have some really good work in them. For the record, I still miss the inventiveness of not having the figures speak, but I think that ship has sailed.
Combat is much improved from Lego's Avengers. You can no longer just spam your super moves, but you still have the option to use them if you build up a bit of meter. This is a nice half measure between making cool characters and having balanced combat.
The puzzles are significantly better in this game as well. Each level is filled with fun little tasks to do, and some of them will actually require a modicum of brain power! This is a great game to play with children as a result, as they will be challenged by the puzzles, and you can help them out if they're struggling.
The game definitely struggles with feeling extremely similar to previous entries, so it's far from an all-time classic, but it's just a good Lego game, and it's been a while since I've played one. It's a simple game that is great to play together with children, and that's a really big chunk that's missing out of the modern video game scene. I'll give it an 8.7/10.
Up next on What I'm Playing is...another game I've already teased! This is the month for finally finishing up all of these games I've teased in the past. See you soon!
-TRO
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