Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 review - more high-quality family entertainment

Lego games are legion; the blockbuster licenses, ranging from comicbook cross-overs to TV show adaptations and, of course, the Lego Movie behemoth, dominate the family-friendly gaming space.

And with good reason: for co-operative fun that incorporates rudimentary puzzle solving with lots of button-bashing combat and witty dialogue, look no further than the consistently solid building-block games.

The fundamental structure is similar to previous Lego games: It’s an open world environment featuring dozens of side quests, while the main story plays out in short stages, involving an unusually high number of boss battles. 

The plot involves arch villain Kang the Conqueror who is on a personal mission to capture worlds and meld them all together to form a "Chronopolis". Quite why, we don’t know. But what this loose narrative affords is the chance to visit 18 different locations, ranging from Ancient Egypt and The Old West to the alien planet Sakaar, via Medieval England and New York City in 2099.Along the way, you take control of a host of characters, from Cowboy Captain America from the past to Spider-Man 2099 from the future, along with Thor, Hulk, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, Green Goblin and dozens of other Marvel heroes and villains.

It’s the extensive cast of characters, coupled with a wicked sense of humour and great visual presentation that makes this Lego outing one of the best yet. The attention to detail is bordering on OCD levels, with a plethora of power moves and genuine big boss battles, complete with a slowly whittling health bar that make co-operative combat, especially with a younger gamer, so much fun to enjoy.

The Lego cookbook keeps on churning out winning recipes, and while the big screen heroes may be faltering (we’re looking at you, Justice League), the videogame variants keep the flag flying for high-quality family entertainment.

• Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 is available on all major formats 
• Read more gaming reviews on theartsdesk

@wordsbysteve