Lego Marvel Super Heroes

Lego Marvel Super Heroes

Cover art
Developer(s) TT Games
Publisher(s) Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Disney Interactive Studios
Feral Interactive (OS X) [1]
Director(s) Arthur Parsons
Programmer(s) Steve Harding
Writer(s) Arthur Parsons
Stephen Sharples
Jonathan Smith
Mark Hoffmeier
Composer(s) Rob Westwood
Platform(s)
Release date(s) NA 22 October 2013[2]
AUS 13 November 2013
EU 15 November 2013
JP 22 January 2015 (Wii U & PS3)
PlayStation 4[3]
NA 15 November 2013
EU 29 November 2013
JP 22 January 2015
Xbox One
NA 22 November 2013[4][5]
EU 29 November 2013[6]
Nintendo DS/3DS
NA 18 February 2014[7]
EU 21 February 2014
JP 22 January 2015 (3DS)
OS X
INT 8 May 2014[1]
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
Distribution Blu-ray Disc, download, Nintendo game card

Lego Marvel Super Heroes is an action-adventure video game developed by TT Games and published by Disney Interactive Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in 2013 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows,[8] and published by Feral Interactive for OS X.[1] The game features gameplay similar to other Lego titles, such as Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga and Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, alternating between various action-adventure sequences and puzzle-solving scenarios. The game was released under the title Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril for the iOS, Android, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, and PlayStation Vita handheld systems.[9]

Gameplay

The player can visit several locations in the game such as the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.

Following the gameplay style of past Lego titles, players are able to control approximately 150 characters from the Marvel Universe, each with their own unique abilities.[10][11] For example, Spider-Man can swing on his webs and use his spider sense while the Hulk, who is larger than the standard minifigures, can throw large objects, as well as shrink down into Bruce Banner to access computers.[12][13] Galactus was chosen as the main antagonist in the game.[14] According to game director, Arthur Parsons, and producer, Phil Ring, one of the main settings of Lego Marvel Super Heroes is a Lego version of New York City.[15] In addition, a Lego version of Asgard was created.[16]

The creative team has also incorporated Marvel Comics co-creator Stan Lee in the game. He is a part of missions called "Stan Lee in Peril" (similar to "Citizen in Peril" missions from previous games). He is also a playable character and has several of the other characters' abilities (such as Spider-Man's webbing, a combination of Human Torch's heat beam and Cyclops's optic blast, Mr. Fantastic's ability to grapple, an adamantium skeleton when all health is depleted, and the ability to transform into a Hulk-like version of Lee).[11]

Players can also explore the Marvel version of New York City, though they can only use a specific character and access buildings after the campaign is complete. Side missions are narrated by Deadpool[11] and take place in buildings with their own storylines. There are a total of 15 missions in the main single-player campaign, followed by 12 side missions.[17]

Plot

The game begins as Galactus is eating the remains of a destroyed planet. Still hungry, he sends his herald Silver Surfer to find him more food. The Surfer's search leads him to Earth, where he is chased by S.H.I.E.L.D. and Iron Man. Silver Surfer is knocked out of the sky by Doctor Doom with his surfboard shattering into several 'Cosmic Bricks' that fall onto the Earth. With these blocks containing immense power, Doctor Doom captures the powerless Surfer and forges an alliance with Loki and other villains to collect the Cosmic Bricks and make the powerful "Doom Ray of Doom" - which Doom intends to use to both stop Galactus from devouring Earth as well as to rule the planet. However, S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury calls upon the superheroes of the Marvel Universe to retrieve the bricks before they can be captured by Doom and his army.

Sandman and Abomination hold the entire Grand Central Station hostage in search of a Cosmic Brick, and it draws the attention of Iron Man and Hulk, who are later aided by Spider-Man in defeating Sandman and thus securing the Cosmic Brick. Fury then tasks Captain America and Mister Fantastic in finding more bricks, and the two head to the Baxter Building, which has fallen under the control of Doctor Octopus. When the fight goes through the Daily Bugle, Spider-Man returns to aid the two heroes. The heroes defeat Doctor Octopus at Times Square, but the Cosmic Brick is stolen by the Green Goblin, who takes it with him to Oscorp Tower. Fury tasks Black Widow and Hawkeye with finding the Cosmic Brick while Spider-Man heads to Oscorp in pursuit of the Goblin. The three are forced to face Venom inside Oscorp's underground lab while the Goblin once again escapes.

Wolverine works with Iron Man and the Hulk to secure the Raft, a maximum-security prison being raided by escaped prisoners, including Abomination, Leader, and Sabretooth, all of whom the heroes have to take down. Magneto is revealed to be a mastermind behind the mass breakout, and quickly makes his escape from the facility with the help of Mystique, destroying Iron Man's armor in the process. Stark goes with Captain America to Stark Tower to retrieve a new suit, but upon arriving, the duo is forced to use the House Party Protocol to stop an invasion courtesy of the Mandarin, Aldrich Killian, Loki and several Extremis soldiers. During the invasion, Loki sneaks away with one of Stark's arc reactors.

Tracking the Arc Reactor's energy signature, S.H.I.E.L.D sends Black Widow, Hawkeye and Human Torch to the Empire State Building, where they infiltrate an underground HYDRA base there and defeat the Red Skull and Arnim Zola with the help of Captain America and Wolverine. Loki once again escapes using a portal to Asgard, built by HYDRA and powered by the Arc Reactor he stole, while the portal itself is accidentally destroyed during the battle. Captain America, Wolverine and the Human Torch meet Thor, who takes them to Asgard to find Loki. Upon arriving at the Bifrost Bridge, they find that Loki has allied himself with the Frost Giants, and they fight their way to Loki's domain, where Loki enhances his powers with the Tesseract. Loki unleashes the Destroyer armor on the heroes, but they disable the Destroyer while Loki escapes.

Wolverine steals the Tesseract, taking it to Professor X at the X-Mansion with the hopes that it will help them find Magneto. The mansion is attacked by Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants. Jean Grey, Cyclops, Storm, Iceman and Beast work together to fend off Toad, Pyro, and the Acolyte soldiers, rescue the trapped students, and defeat Juggernaut. However, Magneto and Mystique escape with the Tesseract.

At this time, Fury decides to initiate Operation: Latveria. He travels with the Fantastic Four to Castle Doom in order to stop Doctor Doom, but instead battle the Green Goblin. When the group find Doom, Loki collapses a pile of rocks on top of them before he and Doom escape with the bricks. However, Fury and the Fantastic Four are able to rescue the Silver Surfer. Iron Man, Thor and Spider-Man head to a submarine where they defeat MODOK and his forces, being aided by Jean Grey in an attempt to find Doom underwater following the submarine's destruction. Magneto, on the other hand, uses his powers to take control of the Statue of Liberty, literally bringing it to life and using it to attack Mister Fantastic, Hulk and Wolverine. The heroes get trapped inside the statue and make it to its head, where they encounter and defeat Mastermind.

Believing Magneto to be on Asteroid M Island, Fury sends the Thing and Captain America there, and with the help of Storm, they defeat Magneto's acolytes along with carnivorous velociraptors from the Savage Land and Rhino. Mystique is revealed to be disguising as Magneto to lure the heroes to the island while the real Magneto continues with his plan, raising Asteroid M into space (although Captain America, the Thing and Storm all manage to slip on-board). Doom and Loki arrive on Asteroid M and continue building the Doom Ray, with their plan nearing completion. Iron Man, Thor and Spider-Man arrive there and fight Magneto, defeating him, but Iron Man and Thor are incapacitated by Doom in the process. Spider-Man goes on with Storm, Thing and Captain America and they defeat Doctor Doom. With only Loki left, he reveals his elaborate scheme to harness the power of Galactus to destroy both Earth and Asgard, with Doom and the other villains merely been used to do his bidding. Loki uses the Doom Ray, shown to instead be a craft powered by the Cosmic Bricks and the Tesseract, to control Galactus. The heroes narrowly escape Asteroid M as Galactus destroys it before he heads towards New York.

With no other options left, Fury assembles the heroes (consisting of Captain America, Cyclops, Human Torch, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Storm, Thing) and villains (consisting of Abomination, Doctor Doom, Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, Magneto, Mystique, and Venom) together in order to defeat Galactus on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, splitting the combined forces into several teams. After a long battle, Galactus and Loki are warped into a large portal, thus trapping both of them into an unknown part of space while Thor shatters the mind-control craft with his hammer. Fury also retrieves the Tesseract in the process. With Earth now safe, the heroes make an agreement with the villains to give them time to escape before they are pursued by the superheroes. With all the Cosmic Bricks collected and reassembled back into his surfboard, the Silver Surfer thanks the heroes for defeating Galactus and departs on his surfboard into deep space, promising to lead Galactus away from Earth. In the mid-credits scene, Fury oversees the repair of the Statue of Liberty. Suddenly, the Guardians of the Galaxy arrive on Earth where they are after something that is on Earth. Fury later the sees silhouette of presumably Batman, but instead finds Black Panther arriving as well where he had just found his pet cat Mr. Tiddles.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings(PS4) 84.00%[18]
(PC) 80.60%[19]
(X360) 80.71%[20]
(PS3) 81.90%[21]
(Wii U) 83.38%[22]
Metacritic(PS4) 83/100[23]
(PC) 78/100[24]
(X360) 80/100[25]
(PS3) 82/100[26]
(Wii U) 82/100[27]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Computer and Video Games7/10[28]
Destructoid8.5/10 [29]
Game Informer9/10 [30]
GameSpot7/10 [31]
GameZone90/100 [32]
IGN9/10 [33]
Play85/100 [34]
Polygon8.5/10 [35]
The Escapist[36]
Revision3[37]

Lego Marvel Super Heroes received generally positive reviews upon release. Among its strengths, reviewers cited its humor, variety of missions, characters and open world gameplay. According to review aggregating website GameRankings, Lego Marvel Super Heroes received an average review score of 84.00% based on 15 reviews; according to Metacritic, it received an average review score of 83/100 based on 22 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Steve Butts of IGN gave the game a 9 out of 10, praising it for being: "the best thing to happen to Marvel games since 2006's Marvel Ultimate Alliance. He added, "It's a warm and witty, multi-layered approach to the brand that ties in hundreds of Marvel's most iconic characters, settings, and stories."[33] Steve Hannley of Hardcore Gamer gave the game a 4/5, calling it "one of the best Marvel games this generation. "[38] Game Informer gave the game a 9 out of 10, while Polygon gave the game an 8.5 out of 10.[30][35] GameZone's Matt Liebl gave the PS4 version a 9/10, stating "On a console filled with shooters like Killzone and Call of Duty, TT Games' LEGO Marvel Super Heroes presents a nice break from the complex sports titles and intense shooters that overrun the console."[39]

Though the game was generally well-received, it garnered some criticism, often regarding the frame-rate and the repetitive nature of the missions. Chris Barylick from GameSpot noted that, "Lego Marvel Super Heroes looks and sounds lovely, but its presentation quirks often prove distracting. Certain characters repeat the same lines of dialogue ad infinitum, which can get tiresome; there are only so many times you can hear Tony Stark proudly describe himself as "Tony Stark...genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist" before it gets old." He also noted that "the frame rate occasionally drops, particularly upon entering co-op mode, and a small black box occasionally appeared in the air over my characters' heads towards the end of the game. At one point, my character would respawn directly next to his still-present corpse, while a boss fight against Red Skull had me wandering around the room for several minutes looking for scenery to smash before I realized I had encountered a bug and had to restart the level." Asides from the cons, Barylick gave the game a 7/10, praising its humor, open-world and variety.[40]

Miniseries

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://www.feralinteractive.com/en/news/405/
  2. ↑ Hilliard, Kyle (13 October 2013). "Lego Marvel Super Heroes Demo Coming Next Week". Game Informer. GameStop. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
  3. ↑ Kato, Matthew (20 August 2013). "Sony Announces PlayStation 4 Launch Lineup". Game Informer. GameStop. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  4. ↑ Ashcraft, Brian (20 August 2013). "Here are the Xbox One's Launch Games". Kotaku. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  5. ↑ Karmali, Luke (4 September 2013). "Xbox One Release Date Announced". IGN. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  6. ↑ MacDonald, Keza (13 November 2013). "LEGO Marvel (No Longer) Delayed on Xbox One". IGN. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  7. ↑ "LEGO: Marvel - Nintendo DS: Video Games". Amazon.com. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  8. ↑ Nunneley, Stephany (12 June 2013). "LEGO Marvel Super Heroes E3 trailer released, game coming to PS4 and XOne". Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  9. ↑ "LEGO Marvel Super Heroes: Universe In Peril, game coming to 3DS and PS Vita.". GameSpot. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  10. ↑ Conditt, Jessica (26 May 2013). "Lego Marvel Super Heroes adds Venom, Human Torch to the roster". Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "LEGO Marvel Superheroes: Stan Lee Hulks Out - Comic-Con 2013". IGN. 20 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  12. ↑ "LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Game Reveal". GameTrailers.com. 4 April 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  13. ↑ "LEGO Marvel Super Heroes On the Way". Marvel.com. 8 January 2013. Archived from the original on 8 January 2013. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  14. ↑ Narcisse, Evan (11 January 2013). "Giant-Sized Hulk Will Smash Galactus in Lego Marvel Super Heroes". Kotaku. Kotaku. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  15. ↑ Henson, Ben (18 January 2013). "Your Video Primer For Lego Marvel Super Heroes". Gameinformer. Gameinformer. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  16. ↑ Lego Marvel Super Heroes E3 2013: Character Walkthrough (Cam). 12 June 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  17. ↑ "Walkthrough - LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Wiki Guide - IGN".
  18. ↑ http://www.gamerankings.com/ps4/720564-lego-marvel-super-heroes/index.html
  19. ↑ http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/696967-lego-marvel-super-heroes/index.html
  20. ↑ http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/696964-lego-marvel-super-heroes/index.html
  21. ↑ http://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/696965-lego-marvel-super-heroes/index.html
  22. ↑ http://www.gamerankings.com/wii-u/696966-lego-marvel-super-heroes/index.html
  23. ↑ http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/lego-marvel-super-heroes
  24. ↑ http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/lego-marvel-super-heroes
  25. ↑ http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/lego-marvel-super-heroes
  26. ↑ http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/lego-marvel-super-heroes
  27. ↑ http://www.metacritic.com/game/wii-u/lego-marvel-super-heroes
  28. ↑ "LEGO Marvel Review".
  29. ↑ "Review: LEGO Marvel Super Heroes".
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Cork, Jeff (22 October 2013). "Lego Heroes, Assemble". Game Informer. GameStop. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  31. ↑ Barylick, Chris (29 October 2013). "Avengers disassemble!". Gamespot.com. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  32. ↑ "LEGO Marvel Super Heroes - Review".
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Butts, Steve (22 October 2013). "Make Mine Marvel". IGN. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  34. ↑ "LEGO Marvel Super Heroes - Review".
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Kollar, Phillip (22 October 2013). "LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES REVIEW: ONWARD AND UPWARD". Polygon. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  36. ↑ http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/reviews/10693-Lego-Marvel-Super-Heroes-Review-Minifigures-Assemble. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  37. ↑ "Lego Marvel Superheroes REVIEW! - Revision 3".
  38. ↑ Hannley, Steve (2013-10-30). "Review: Lego Marvel Super Heroes". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 2013-11-25.
  39. ↑ Liebl, Matt (29 December 2013). "LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (PS4) review: Finally, a game for kids". GZ. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  40. ↑ "LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Review - GameSpot".

External links