We haven’t had much luck getting into LEGO video games at our house, even though we know they’re full of humor and brick-kicking. But the allure of an Avengers game featuring not just the Marvel cinematic universe but also some of our favorite characters (Squirrel Girl! Ms. Marvel!) was too hard to pass up—so my 7-year-old and I settled in to give the new LEGO Marvel’s Avengers a try.
And we’re having a blast.
While I’m mixed on pulling the audio directly from the films, my daughter is beside herself at finally getting to see the Avengers in action without worrying about seeing or hearing anything inappropriate. If you’re looking for a way to introduce the MCU to young kids without tuning into countless episodes of the animated series, LEGO Marvel’s Avengers is an experience your whole family can enjoy.
LEGO Marvel’s Avengers jumps from Marvel film to film to give players a taste of the entire Marvel cinematic universe. Fight the Red Skull with Bucky at your side, infiltrate Strucker’s fortress from Age of Ultron, battle Loki in Stuttgart… you get the idea. The game isn’t quite chronological, but barely manages to tie the scenes together to tell the overall story of the Avengers.
The scenes are supplemented by the audio and dialogue lifted straight from the films, so you’ll hear familiar quips from Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, and the rest of the team. There’s a small but noticeable lower quality to the audio. The real treat is the additional dialogue recorded by Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), and Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter). In fact, for long-time Avengers fans, a few new bonus seconds of Coulson fanboying over Cap might be worth the price of the game alone.
If you have played a LEGO game before, this is all familiar territory. Smash things, build things, rinse, repeat. My daughter and I often find ourselves stuck for a few minutes until we find the next puzzle to solve, but it’s refreshing to not just mash buttons to get through the entire game.
My 7-year-old was most delighted by the open world of New York City and other locations. She enjoyed exploring, swimming, and smashing all at her own pace. The levels can get to be quite frenetic, full of flashing effects and jumping bricks, so the quiet open world was a welcome respite.
But perhaps best of all, some of the more scary parts of the Marvel films—like the various death and dismemberment—are given hilarious, kid-safe makeovers.
All in all, this is a worthy experience (to quote Thor) for Avengers fans and soon-to-be Avengers fans. LEGO Marvel’s Avengers is now available on all platforms for a retail price of $59.99.
GeekMom received a promotional copy (PlayStation 4) for review purposes.
Top image courtesy © Marvel / LEGO Group
