It was easy to be a little skeptical when "Lego Marvel’s Avengers" was first announced. Developer Traveller’s Tales had already given us a near perfect “Avengers” game with "Lego Marvel Super Heroes," pulling characters from every angle of the comic universe under one open world, with the freedom to tackle any mission with nearly every hero or villain. I wouldn’t call it perfect by any stretch, but it came pretty close at times.
Now TT has abridged the "Marvel Cinematic Universe" elements of the titular heroes, covering both the first "Avengers" film, "Age of Ultron," and nearly everything before and between them. If you've played a Lego game before, it’s going to be about the same: break things down to build stuff up, beat up bad guys and find secrets in each level and the open worlds.
“Lego Avengers” doesn’t quite shake up this formula, and there's a chance that players coming here fresh off of "Lego Marvel Super Heroes" (or other Lego titles) will likely wonder if they’re playing the same game. Stark similarities aside, however, there’s still enough here to keep things entertaining, especially for fans of the MCU and the comics. And even with a few glaring flaws, this will likely be the most faithful game adaptation of the films for a while.
One of biggest design beats “Lego Avengers” shares with its older siblings is the act of the parody. Self-conscious humor is abound here, combining slapstick with sight gags and the occasional piece of witty dialogue. It doesn’t shy from taking a few comedic liberties with the films, subverting scenes mired in suspense or drama.
For example, one set has Bruce Banner talking to Black Widow during their first meeting in the "Avengers” film, while a cadre of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents hilariously fail to keep themselves hidden. It’s consistent touches like these that kept me playing just to see what comes next, and I’ll admit that I haven’t laughed so hard at a game before this one. Additionally, fans of the MCU will find tons of references worthy of a laugh, with some dabbling outside the films (think "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.").
What will jar a lot of players in the beginning is the lack of dialogue recorded specifically for the game. Aside from actors Cobie Smulders, Hayley Atwell and Clark Gregg reprising their roles as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents Maria Hill, Peggy Carter and Phil Coulson, the majority of the in-game story chats come directly from the films themselves.
It takes some getting used to, especially with the film quotes sounding noticeably different from the game’s main audio (think of one those "Crack" videos on YouTube, though not as rough). But in the long run, these scenes add to the game's campiness and balance out some of the more serious scenes in the films. For you'll laugh at Coulson's death in this one, believe me.
Much like other "Lego" games, there’s never a want for more visuals. Colors shine even in the more dismal areas, faithfully redesigned from the films, and touches such as the shine on Iron Man’s armor are always neat to see in action. The various hub worlds stay true to their origins and can be fully explored. You'll go from New York, Asgard, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and more, each with 10 characters to unlock.
Getting a handle on one of the many characters present in “Lego Avengers” is intuitive and easy enough for yourself and the young ones — provided you can slink around the slight learning curve. The game controls well enough, with each character having a set of special abilities and it feels wonderfully responsive. For example, Thor can call down lighting and Agent Coulson can throw grenades, for example. There's nary a bit of lag, even in the most hectic of areas.
But the game seems to assume that players were coming in fresh from the last "Lego Marvel" game, as it has a slight issue with the concept of show not tell, which leads to a few frustrating moments. One such was the party scene from "Age of Ultron," where I needed to destroy silver blocks with an explosive. On my (unchangeable) team were Thor, Tony Stark, Maria Hill and Hawkeye sans explosive arrows. I never passed the tutorial marker (here or anywhere) that said I had to hold down Y (triangle on PS4) to get Stark into an Iron Man suit so I could use his missiles.
It's a contrast from "Lego Marvel Super Heroes" where such information showed up on screen as you played. I know how nitpicky this sounds and granted, the game has a great deal of tutorial markers. But those tend to only activate if you do the thing that makes them appear, and they need to be hit to turn on — not an easy thing to do when surrounded by enemies or computer controller partners.
As I mentioned earlier, this is the tried and true "Lego" game method and if you've played other "Lego" titles, this won't be much different. It's a formula that functionally works and works well, but for those that have been following the series for a while, it's going to feel a little stale — stylish and comedic trappings aside. So if you're coming into "Avengers" as a pure "Lego" game fan, you may want to just sit this one out.
For "Marvel" fans, there's more than enough here to keep you entertained, so long as you don't mind the art of parody. With a ton of characters to play as, and more worlds to explore and roam around in, the game expands on the ground that "Lego Marvel Super Heroes" set. It's not perfect, with a poor tutorial system and dialogue that takes some getting used to, but it's definitely a treat for yourself and the kids and is very easy to recommend.
Related Links:
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Reach the reporter at Damion.Julien-Rohman@asu.edu or follow @legendpenguin on Twitter
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