With the core gameplay following the same style of past Lego titles, the game features the ability to manipulate time and a four-player competitive Super Hero battle mode.[5]Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2's storyline centers around superheroes from different eras and realities of the Marvel Universe as they fight against the time-travelling villain Kang the Conqueror in a battle across space and time.[6]
Gameplay
Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 is an action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective. The game features a similar gameplay to its predecessors and other Lego video games, alternating between various action-adventure sequences and puzzle-solving scenarios.[7] The game also introduces a new four-player competitive Super Hero battle mode, allowing players to fight each other cooperatively in battle arenas.[8][9]
Characters
Much like the two previous Lego Marvel games, the players are able to take control of a roster of iconic characters from the Marvel Universe, each with their own unique abilities. For example, Star-Lord is capable of flight, Black Panther can activate claw switches, and Spider-Man can swing on his webs, crawl on walls and use his spider-sense to detect hidden objects. The game also features characters from different time periods and realities over the Marvel Universe, which includes Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Man Noir, King Arthur, Merlin, a cowboy version of Captain America, a troll counterpart ofHulk, and many others.[10] In addition, the game also features variations of sundry characters, like Iron Duck (who is merely Howard the Duck wearing Iron Man's armor) and Carnom (a fusion of the Venom symbiote and the Carnage symbiote that is exclusive to the game while loosely based on Toxin).[11]
While some characters are just based on the comic books, others have their visuals taken from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, such as the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, and Ant-Man. Using the ability to manipulate time, the players can change the look and abilities of certain characters. For instance, they can take Baby Groot (from the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) and move time forward for him to become his adult version, and Spider-Man can go both ways with his Noir and 2099 counterparts.[12]
On 6 October, ten DLC packs were announced for the game. Of these ten, there are six level packs and four character packs based on Marvel Cinematic Universe films, superhero teams, and time variant heroes:[14]
On 6 July, a final level pack inspired by Ant-Man and the Wasp was released, which includes an original level featuring Ant-Man and the Wasp as they try to recover Hank Pym's original Ant-Man helmet from Egghead, who plans to use it to create some A.I. Avengers. The DLC adds 8 new characters to the game: the "Ant-Man and the Wasp" version of Ant-Man (Scott Lang), the MCU version of the Wasp (Hope van Dyne), Crossfire, Egghead, Ghost, Giant-Man (Raz Malhotra), Human Fly, and Stinger (Cassie Lang).[20]
Plot
The Guardians of the Galaxy help defend Xandar from an attack by Kang the Conqueror, who uses his time crystal to summon Eson the Searcher. After the Guardians defeat Eson, Kang's ship, the Damocles, launches devices which cause a section of Xandar to disappear.
Captain America leads a team through a portal to Medieval England, where they help Sir Percy reclaim his castle from Enchantress and the Black Knight. Another team led by She-Hulk follows Klaw and the Hydra Four through a portal to Wakanda, where Black Panther joins them to fight Man-Ape in the vibranium mines. The heroes converge in a version of Manhattan ruled by Hydra, where they battle Klaw and vibranium robot soldiers created by Arnim Zola, and defeat Baron Zemo in a dogfight. Thor, Captain Marvel, and She-Hulk then travel to a swamp where they defeat Man-Thing. Kang reveals that Man-Thing was guarding the Nexus of All Realities, which kept the various realms of Chronopolis separated. Kang destroys the Nexus which drops the barriers between the locations and challenges the heroes to rise up and face him.
Regrouping at Avengers Mansion, the heroes detect a faint signal from outside Chronopolis. Searching for a device to boost its strength, the Guardians travel to the Old West where they battle MODOK and the Circus of Crime. Retrieving the device, they learn that the signal is being sent from Knowhere by Cosmo the Spacedog. The heroes plan to retrieve the fragments of the Nexus in order to bring Knowhere into Chronopolis and use its energies to bring down the barrier surrounding Kang's citadel.
At the same time, Captain America's group travels to the underwater city of Lemuria, but falls into a trap set by Attuma and are forced into Sakaar where Red King pits them against the "World Breakers" (consisting of Hulk, Red Hulk, Maestro, and Greenskyn Smashtroll). Joined by the Hulk and Stingray, they return to Lemuria, defeat Attuma and Torg, and retrieve a Nexus fragment. Moving on to Ancient Egypt, they enter a Sphinx and join Horus of the Heliopolitans in facing Loki and N'Kantu, the Living Mummy to obtain another fragment. As Kang observes the heroes' exploits and plots to destroy them, his wife Ravonna becomes increasingly disturbed by his actions.
With the fragments gathered, the heroes assemble a device to bring Knowhere through a portal opened by Doctor Strange. Their first attempt nearly brings Ego the Living Planet through instead because of Kang's interference. Once Knowhere is in Chronopolis, they use an electromagnetic pulse to knock out the energy shield protecting Kang's citadel. As the heroes begin their assault, Kang summons the Damocles. Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Star-Lord disable the ship, battling Korvac and escaping before it crashes. Captain America, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, and Star-Lord enter the citadel and face Kang, who grows to gigantic size, uses the time crystal to reverse the Damocles' destruction, and wields it as a sword. Captain America creates a giant solid hologram of himself and uses it to defeat Kang. Ravonna betrays Kang and uses the time crystal to turn him into a baby. The heroes celebrate their victory, and Ravonna promises to return the components of Chronopolis to their original places in time and space once the remaining villains are dealt with.
In a post-credits scene, everything is restored to normal. While visiting the Statue of Liberty, Iron Man, Captain America, and Captain Marvel are visited by Ravonna (now known as "Terminatrix"), an elderly Kang, the Supreme Intelligence, Cosmo, and Man-Thing, who ask for their help in fixing a "chronal fracture".
^"Nominee List for 2017". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. 9 February 2018. Archived from the original on 15 February 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
