‘LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2’ Preview: The Guardians Were Playable At E3 2017

In the days leading up to E3 2017, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced the sequel to the popular LEGO Marvel Super Heroes game for the Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. At the show, a hands-on demo gave gamers a first glimpse of its forthcoming gameplay.

The E3 2017 Demo

On the show floor at the Warner Bros. booth, the E3 demo for LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 opens by introducing the Guardians on their space ship. It looks a lot like the one in the Guardians movies; the interior is overcrowded with dirty clothes and remnants of food. Shuffling through the mess, the Guardians have to build and flip an emergency switch on their ship. The exercise serves as a simple tutorial before heading into the first battle.

Upon landing, a Celestial is relentlessly attacking the city and it’s time to go to work. Although the player can choose to take it down as Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, or baby Groot, Star-Lord is perhaps the easiest character to get the job done. His ability to fly comes in handy during the hack and slash romp, which is also filled with traditional LEGO game puzzles. It’s a frenetic fight with a lot happening on screen. Trying to solve the puzzles while also taking care to dodge projectiles as they appear gives the battle an exhilarating feel; however, the use of trippy, shaky camera effects may feel excessive or distracting to some. Getting the Guardians to work together and defeat the Celestial brings the demo to a close.

What’s New in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2

Several characters in the Marvel universe have seen a rise in popularity since the first LEGO Marvel Super Heroes game, and the folks at Warner Bros. and TT Games seem to be in tune with which characters fans want to see in minifig form. Considering box office hits like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. and Dr. Strange, characters prominently featured in the MCU such as Dr. Strange, Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora, Rocket Racoon, and baby Groot are included in the super hero lineup this time around. Fans of Marvel comics are being also being shown some love with the new roster with the addition of characters like Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Gwen, and Captain Marvel.

Comic book writer Kurt Busiek lends his talents to the story, which naturally picks up right where the first game left off. Kang the Conqueror is the big bad this time around, which significantly changes how the story unfolds. Noting the time-traveling powers of the super villain these LEGO heroes are up against, the plot takes players to places where memorable Marvel battles have been fought, including Ancient Egypt and the Old West of the past as well as the New York City of the future in 2099.

In addition to an original, time-bending storyline there is also a new multiplayer battle mode, where up to four players can duke it out to see who has the maddest LEGO game skills.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGzAFBVV1j0

Developed by TT Games, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 has a release date of November 14 for the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The Nintendo Switch version is set to release shortly thereafter this coming holiday season.

[Featured Image by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment/TT Games]