LEGO Marvel Avengers Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Vita, 3DS, PC Developer: Traveller's Tales, TT Fusion Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Total score: 6.5 out of 10 stars - HEX: 3 - BAJO: 3.5

BAJO

Good questions, good questions. Well guys, LEGO are back with their latest superhero adventure! Are you ready to Hulk out?

HEX

It's gonna be Thor-some!

DARREN

LEGO Marvel Avengers is the latest superhero-themed LEGO game, and a spin-off to LEGO Marvel Super Heroes. The main story quest follows both Avengers films, as well as various scenes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, such as Captain America. However, as most of these films are rated M, lots of spawnlings probably haven't seen them.

BAJO

Yeah, not seeing the film can make the experience less fun, I mean half the fun of these games is seeing a scene that you recognize from the films and reliving it in LEGO form.

HEX

Yeah I agree- and if you don't already know what's going on it can be hard to follow LEGO 's goofy retelling. One minute you're fixing the helicarrier in Avengers 2: Age of Ultron, the next you're ziplining to a train as Captain America. That being said, the game is bursting with that trademark LEGO charm. Everything is designed to be as silly and fun as possible, and it's a joy to see that kind of positivity.

BAJO

Yeah and collecting studs is as satisfying as ever. My favourite moment in fact was playing as Tony Stark and destroying everything in my own penthouse apartment. Yes!! The destruction! Have a bit of this! The chaos, Hex!!!

HEX

Yeah! Or breaking all the expensive equipment in the SHIELD helicarrier! Take that, and that!

DARREN

Ah hahaha! Each scene has been carefully recreated from the films, but unfortunately there's a bit too much messiness to it all. Shaky cameras or busy environments sometimes cloud your next objective, leaving you scratching your head.

BAJO

I know what you mean, DARREN! There were times when I couldn't figure out what was important and what wasn't, so I was just stuck for ages!

DARREN

Affirmative. The game also introduces mechanics without properly explaining them, which really grinds my gears. For example, Tony Stark can call for an Iron Man suit by holding triangle. But the game never tells you that! In the end I had to look up a guide- I felt positively human!

HEX

How awful for you, Darren! I admit, I got stuck too trying to activate Loki's scepter, because you had to activate the same terminal several times to make the right events trigger, which was not obvious at all.

BAJO

Yeah, the puzzles in LEGO games have always been a bit clunky. One thing they are finally improving on is combat, there are some new combat mechanics- such as combo moves. You occasionally get a prompt to do a unique move, devastating the enemies around you. They change depending on the pairing, and most look really cool.

HEX

Yeah, it's a nice addition to gameplay, and keeps the game feeling fresh. They've also mixed it up with things like this flying section, which was such a delightful surprise.

DARREN

The story missions also only make up about 20% of the game, with plenty of open world exploring to do afterwards. You can revisit each area to do quests, collect gold bricks, participate in races, and free Stan Lee, the founder of Marvel comics. A number of new locations also open up, such as Asgaard.

BAJO

Plus, there's an absolutely massive amount of characters to unlock, and they all have unique abilities. Hawkeye has explosive arrows, Black Widow can stealthily go invisible and scan the environment, and Iron Man can melt gold with his laser beam.

DARREN

Ah hahaha! LASERS!

HEX

Most of the main characters feel useful and pretty fun to play, and there's a good variety of obstacles that require a specific hero to unlock. But I didn't always feel quite like a superhero while playing, the combat was very similar between characters, and you don't really get a sense of power. But it's still enjoyable running around as all your favourite characters.

DARREN

We reviewed this on PS4, but the game has been released on virtually every platform. However, the handheld version is a bit different, with alternate maps and missions. But what did you two think of this PS4 version overall?

BAJO

Well, I think the main story left a bit to be desired, especially if you haven't seen the films. However, there's heaps of hours of fun to have in this open world. I'm giving it 3.5 out of 5 rubber chickens.

HEX

Yeah, the game isn't as polished as I'd hoped, but it's still so charming and smashing things for studs remains fun. I'm giving it 3 out of 5 rubber chickens.

BAJO

Hey guys, hey guys, why did the Avengers have a hard time finding the villain?

HEX

I dunno, Bajo - why?

BAJO

Because he was too 'low-key'!