System: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch | |
Dev: Traveller’s Tales | |
Pub: Warner Bros. Interactive | |
Release: November 14, 2017 | |
Players: 1-4 Player | |
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p | Cartoon Violence |
This sort of individual detail is a joyous tribute to the Marvel brand and a nod to the astonishing work the Traveller’s Tales design team performs to recreate a world and all its moving parts using the vast collection of Lego bricks. Even the individual touches to each character’s personality while standing around, such as Black Panther chasing a mouse and Thor playing catch with his hammer, are great examples of the creative team’s extra effort. There is a somewhat jarring distinction between the structures and environments that are Lego-made and those that are not, but even the juxtaposed look is well crafted, as are all the lighting and elemental effects.
Most of the generic sounds in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 are pulled directly from Traveller’s Tales audio archives, such as noises heard when building gadgets and collecting studs or bricks. It would be nice to see these stock sounds evolve, but there is a certain nostalgia associated with them. The music score befits any Marvel action movie found on the silver screen and works well with all the block-busting destruction throughout the entirety of the game. The voice acting is pitch perfect in some instances and generic in others. The voice work for Kang is especially plausible, as are Thor’s melodramatic thespian utterances, and Spider-Man’s boyish nuisances play well against the dour supervillains. Star-Lord and Captain America were two notable characters who simply didn’t fit the tone and attitude we’ve grown accustomed to with their Hollywood counterparts. Also, while most of the script flows nicely through the speakers, certain scenes come through loud, hoarse, and scratchy, as if done by two different editing teams.
Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 contains a diverse cast of thoughtfully created superheroes and supervillains, a fun-filled hub with many unique and interesting sites to explore, and a free-flowing campaign not bound by a movie script. The lacking Fox franchises don’t hamper the experience. What does, however, are the numerous glitches, many of which stunt the progression of the game, and the disjointed voice and sound editing work. The technical bugs will undoubtedly be fixed and, when accomplished, this will be an epic, fun, and laughter filled way to enjoy the wonderful mashing together of Lego and Marvel.
By Sean Engemann Senior Contributing Writer Date: 11/14/2017 |
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