Game Review - LEGO Marvel's Avengers

LEGO Marvel’s Avengers (LMA) is the nineteenth entry in the library of licensed Lego videogames, running since 2005.

Since then it has evolved less than the open pot of hummus at the back of my fridge.
The controls have not changed, the camera is still stubbornly locked in position and the graphics are still limited by the plastic it is based on.
The gameplay has also stayed the same, consisting of smashing stuff, switching character and then holding down a button to proceed.

It is basic and accessible, a working formula for a game that must appeal to all ages (it is Lego remember).

To those who have played 2013’s Lego Marvel Super Heroes, LMA will feel like déjà vu.
It is a very similar game but without the characters Disney does not own and with more pointless filler.
You can play as characters who are basically extras from the films, such as Beth the waitress.

Despite lacking any innovation, LMA is actually rather enjoyable.
There is something ever so cathartic about smashing everything to bits, while progressively unlocking the 200+ playable characters and hidden bricks.
Simple but satisfying is the game’s method and it works.

The cut scenes are also quite charming.
Characters are self aware about being Lego figures and this is used to inject a comedic undertone while following the plots of the films.
LMA follows the events of six Marvel movies.

The scenes are not all in chronological order, but every memorable event from the films is in here.
There is even a level based on a five second scene at the end of the credits.
Most of the script is lifted directly from the films, it is great to hear some of these lines again but it does not always work.

To start, the background noise on the audio files can still be heard.
So when Captain America spouts a quote about justice, it sounds like a pre-recorded message.
Many of the quotes are also used out of context or have been censored to the point that they make no sense.
Hawkeye frequently laments about being “unmade” halfway through a fight.
While not terrible, it can be distracting.

LMA’s biggest treats are the huge free-roam maps, including Manhattan and Asgard.
They are massive Lego playsets where you can embody any character you want and just be a kid.
But you can only access them once you have slogged through the campaign.
For those with a short attention span, it would have been better if these areas are available from the go.

In terms of content, this is the most bloated Lego game so far with a big campaign and a well of post game content based on films such as Thor: Darkworld.
Together with eight free-roam locations, reaching that 100 per cent trophy is a mission.
Unfortunately, everything past the quarter way mark is flavourless filler.

Most of the unlockable characters are simply variants of ones you already have and beloved characters outside of Disney’s license are absent, so no Spider-Man.

If you love Marvel or Lego, or your kid does, LEGO Marvel's Avengers will provide weeks of themed entertainment.
Yet for anyone else, this is just another Lego game.

+ Visual gags
+ Rushing around Manhattan as a super hero
+ Extreme amount of content.

- Offers nothing new
- Bloated with pointless unlockables
- Audio integrated from films
- Feels too much like a toy advert

6/10