LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, like the LEGO games that came before it, is not complicated, nor challenging. It’s all about simply having fun in an upbeat, delightful LEGO-ized take on the Marvel Universe, which will be most effective and enjoyable for avid Marvel fans, but will still entertain those unfamiliar with its license, thanks to how rewarding and entertaining the gameplay is overall. TT Games has outdone themselves with the amount of polish and detail in their latest LEGO offering, proving even more than they did with LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes that superheroes and LEGO mix beautifully, and thus delivering the new champion for the series’ best licensed LEGO game to date!
As a next-gen launch title, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes doesn’t make for much of a platform showcase though, since it only offers a slight and barely noticeable visual upgrade over its last-gen counterparts, and makes no real effort to take advantage of either the PS4’s or Xbox One’s more unique capabilities. The game is also often a bit more expensive on PS4 and Xbox One, still retailing for a full $60 on those platforms, while the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, only being very slightly less-defined and having a bit of load times, have been knocked down to $30-$40 at this point.
Thus, while LEGO Marvel Super Heroes makes for a good secondary purchase for a next-gen console if you’ve already dropped the money for one and are actively interested in the game, or perhaps have a young child you want to share it with who obviously can’t play Dead Rising 3 or Killzone: Shadow Fall, it doesn’t merit purchasing an entire next-gen console for by itself in the slightest. If you could care less about playing on next-gen consoles, you’ll probably be plenty content by saving some money and just picking up the Xbox 360 or PS3 version, especially since these last-gen versions are a little more stable than their PS4 and Xbox One counterparts.
If you want to save some money but still get optimized visuals, the PC version is a solid choice, being a very agreeable $30 on Steam at this point. It’s really not designed with a keyboard in mind however, so if you do plan on playing the PC version, you’d best do so with a gamepad, and you’ll need two if you want to play co-op!
Wii U players are in for a few more bumps unfortunately, since the Wii U version feels most poorly-optimized of the bunch, and even gets downright glitchy if you’re not playing with the Wii U Gamepad. If you can swallow using the Gamepad and sacrificing achievements/trophies, the Wii U version is still plenty playable and still the same game, but it’s only really recommendable if you’re a strict Nintendo gamer who doesn’t own any of the other platforms, nor a gaming-ready PC.
Regardless of your platform of choice however, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes keeps the series foundations familiar, but also creates the most inviting and enjoyable LEGO world in the video game space to date. Marvel fans definitely shouldn’t miss it, and even if you’re just looking for a fun and colourful crowd-pleasing gaming romp, you’ll be plenty satisfied with this LEGO superhero crew!
Excelsior!