Is LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 1 worth it?

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes features a story mode that's best played in short bursts—the gameplay is overly reliant on rushing a villain's lair and downing minions to thwart an evil plan. As a result, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes' main mode has an element of sameness when played at length. That said, making your way through story mode unlocks the free play mode that drops Marvel's finest in an open-world environment not unlike the underrated LEGO City Undercover. This is where LEGO Marvel Super Heroes shines. You explore a massive New York City, tackle side missions, and unlock tons of characters, including lesser-known ones like H.E.R.B.I.E. and Howard the Duck. Unfortunately, controlling vehicles isn't nearly as tight as controlling characters. Loose car and ship handling makes steering an unnecessary challenge.

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Since 2004, I've penned gadget- and video game-related nerd-copy for a variety of publications, including the late, great 1UP; Laptop; Parenting; Sync; Wise Bread; and WWE. I now apply that knowledge and skillset as the Managing Editor of PCMag's Apps & Gaming team.

Unfortunately, there are a handful of issues that plague this version of the game. The audio is a legitimate nightmare and of such a low quality that it sounds fuzzy and unclear. Dialogue sounds like a late PS1/early PS2 title, which is baffling for a AAA game from 2013. The dialogue is also at a much lower level than the rest of the game, so I had to turn on subtitles during my playthrough. While definitely helpful for understanding what’s being said, the subtitles are also massive and placed right in the middle of the screen with no option to adjust the size or placement, so they just end up getting in the way. There’s also some weird moments in the campaign where the camera will pan over to a point of interest and stay focused on it for upwards of 10 seconds. This is especially obnoxious because you’re not able to move during this time and have to wait for the camera to pan back to you, which is unfortunate because enemies can still attack you during this time. Thankfully, these moments only happen a few times throughout the game and are only a minor convenience in an otherwise great game.

FINAL VERDICT

Despite having a few issues with the audio, subtitles, and occasional loss of control, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is one of the best super hero games around. This is largely due to how much love the team at Traveller’s Tale put into it, which is made clear by the way it celebrates its characters and world while also injecting humor in a way that feels flattering instead of humiliating. The campaign is a fun romp across the world where you play as different members of the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four, but it’s the open-world New York City map that truly makes the game unique. There’s so many fun characters to unlock based on Marvel’s deep history of comic books and some of the characters are so extremely obscure that only the most diehard of fans are likely to know who they are. There’s also tons of side-quests, races, challenges, and more to be found, so there’s actually a lot of bang for your buck with this one. This is all tied together by the signature LEGO game brand of humor and gameplay that makes combining all of your characters together to overcome puzzles, obstacles, and enemies a complete blast. Long story short, if you’re a fan of Marvel (or just fun video games in general) you owe it to yourself to play this.

– Zack Burrows

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Ask any Lego game fan the best game in the entire franchise and nine out of ten will give you the same answer: Lego Marvel Super Heroes. Released in 2013, at the earlier days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that game had the perfect balance of MCU content with a more innocent and comic book-focused approach to every other character the media conglomerate had to offer. All while offering fun levels, witty and hilarious dialogue, and possibly the best open world setting in any Lego game to date. I remember playing the hell out of it on the PS4, where it was a launch title, eight freaking years ago…

Captain America, back when he was just a silly old man in a blue outfit, and not the cool spy thriller dude we know today.

Can you believe it’s been that long? Nowadays I couldn’t be more fed up with MCU as a whole, barely paying attention to their latest and upcoming movies, with the obvious exception of the upcoming Spider-Man film. I mean, duh, it’s Spider-Man. Square Enix’s take on the Avengers ended up being a dud, with an overly serious approach to what should have been a lighthearted and entertaining source material. It’s freaking superheroes in dumb costumes! This is why Lego Marvel Super Heroes has aged so well: it is silly. It knows it is silly. It wears its silliness with pride.

Pay attention to what I have previously written: the game was originally released in 2013. Back then, Nintendo’s main console was the Wii U. The Switch, which has seen pretty much every single important Wii U game being re-released to its library, had never received a port of Lego Marvel Super Heroes. It had Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2, which was fun, don’t get me wrong, but way more MCU adapted than its predecessor. We had to wait until 2021 for TT Games’ current magnum opus to be released for the system, but I think it was worth the wait. This game has aged shockingly well due to a series of factors.

Steve, I have no idea.

First of all, there’s the fact that, well, this game is old. Originally released with the PS3 and Xbox 360 in mind, Lego Marvel Super Heroes is less detailed than its sequel and Lego DC Super Villains, for example. Its environments still look colorful and cheerful, but they don’t feature demanding textures or excessive amounts of particle effects. That means that the Switch runs this game without a hitch, no matter if you’re inside a linear level or while you’re freely exploring Manhattan with a character flying at a bagillion miles and hour. It’s a Lego world after all. It doesn’t need to be overly detailed. It needs to look funny and welcoming. Thankfully, it does.

The second important factor is the quality of its open world. Most modern Lego games feature multiple smaller open worlds, which result in a much more annoying trek in order to complete every single sidequest and obtain every hidden character. Lego Marvel Super Heroes features just one explorable open world, a miniature version of Manhattan. You can explore it on foot, by driving vehicles, by flying around with some fun (but initially confusing) controls, or even like your good old open world Spider-Man game. As per tradition, Lego Marvel Super Heroes kind of tells you to complete its story campaign first before tackling Manhattan’s trillion side objectives, but you can actually explore it whenever you want, with way more freedom than any other Lego game. The moment you get a character whose abilities can solve puzzles in the overworld, you’re free to use them.

Lego Marvel Super Heroes has the best open world of all Lego games. Prove me wrong.

You also have to consider that this game was released during a time when TT Games were pushing hard on original storylines with funny dialogue delivered by top-notch voice actors. Troy Baker steals the show whenever he shows up as Loki; you can clearly notice the man is having tons of fun doing that role. James Arnold Taylor, best known as the voice of Ratchet from the Ratchet & Clank games, kills it as Spider-Man. I will even dare to say that I prefer his performance over Yuri Lowenthal’s already excellent performance in the 2018 Spider-Man game.

Finally, there’s a very important factor: timing. Lego Marvel Super Heroes is a reminder of a simpler time, when the Marvel pop culture juggernaut was, well, gigantic, but not as overwhelming or exhaustive as it is today. The game doesn’t try to set up metaverses or complicated plot points. It is dumb and clearly loves being dumb. It’s innocent fanservice, letting you play as hundreds of different Marvel characters, mostly based on their comic book iterations over their movie counterparts, on a lighthearted quest full of dumb puns and silly gags. Playing a game like this in 2021, right after the release of some of the MCU’s most uninventive and dull outings, actually felt like a breath of fresh air, believe it or not.

Taking such a picture was… inevitable.

It’s weird to realize that the Switch hadn’t had the original Lego Marvel Super Heroes in its library up until now, but that basically ended up working in its favor. In an era where we’re a bit saturated with the MCU and the disappointment that was Square’s own Avengers game, replaying Lego Marvel Super Heroes served to remind me of a simpler, more innocent and way more entertaining take on the source material. It’s a game that aged remarkably well, and a phenomenal fit for a portable, with tons of unlockables to unveil in its huge open world. Hell, this particular Switch version might actually be my favorite Lego game so far. Until the eventual release of Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga next year, of course.

Graphics: 8.0

It is a bit less detailed than more recent Lego games, but that also results in a much more stable framerate, especially during the open world segments.

Gameplay: 8.5

It’s the traditional Lego game formula: simple platforming, combat, and puzzle solving. Add in an actually fun open world full of secrets to unveil, as well as a fun flying mechanic, once you get a hold of its initially bizarre controls.

Sound: 9.5

Funny dialogue from pretty much everyone involved in the project, even the New York pedestrians. Troy Baker is having the time of his life as Loki and James Arnold Taylor kills it as Spider-Man.

Fun Factor: 9.5

There is a reason as to why everyone considers Lego Marvel Super Heroes the best game in the entire franchise. It’s the perfect combination of fun levels, a funny plot, and a really entertaining open world to explore. It also aged surprisingly well, all things considered.

Final Verdict: 9.0

Lego Marvel Super Heroes is available now on PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Wii U, and Switch.

Reviewed on Switch.

A copy of Lego Marvel Super Heroes was provided by the publisher.

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tagged with Action Adventure, LEGO, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, licensed game, Open World, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, TT Games, WB Games, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One

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