Lego Marvel Superheroes Review: PS4's Best Game for Kids

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So you've purchased a PlayStation 4 for your family and you're looking for a family-friendly game to go along with your new system. You could get Knack, a light, Pixar-style romp that Jeremy disliked or you could go with Lego Marvel Superheroes. Sure, Lego Marvel is already out on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3; it's an excellent game on those platforms. Is it worth buying a second time? No. If you already own it, what's on PlayStation 4 doesn't justify dropping another $60.

Next-gen Lego Marvel is the exact same game I reviewed over two weeks ago. TT Games didn't add anything new, so the PlayStation 4 version is just polishing things up a bit. The graphics have improved, but the game is based on Legos, so that's not saying much. There's some anti-aliasing (jaggies still appear), slightly better textures, a few new smoke effects, and the draw-distance has been pushed way out. It's still the same title at heart. That means over 130 Marvel characters to unlock, a cute story mode, and a ton of things to find and collect. For families with young kids, jump-in co-op means you can play the game with them or they can join you at any time.

If there's one feature that adds to the whole package, it's Vita Remote Play. (Be prepared to hear that again and again in PlayStation 4 reviews because it's a great addition.) The PlayStation Vita version of Lego Marvel Superheroes, subtitled Universe in Peril, had to drop the free-roaming Manhattan of its larger counterparts. Instead, the game was an isometric brawler that took you to all the same places as its console brethren, but with tweaks to fit the smaller screen. The combat system was changed as well: a dash move and touchscreen-powered Super Moves brought Lego Marvel closer to its classic brawler roots, but I wouldn't say it was a wonderful improvement. The developer did the best they could with the system. It was a decent game, not a great one like the 360 and PS3 versions.

Vita Remote Play means you can now get the full Lego Marvel experience on your Vita. It works great and there's no issues with Vita button mapping because Lego Marvel never used a ton of buttons in the first place. Jetting around Lego Manhattan just before I fell asleep was great fun; LEGO Marvel streaming to Vita will probably be the thing I do before I head to bed. The game also allows co-op using Vita Remote Play, where one person plays using the Vita and another rocks out on the PS4 with a Dual Shock 4 controller.

Is Lego Marvel the game that gets you onboard with the PlayStation 4? Is it a vast improvement over the current generation versions? Not really. No one is going to see it on PS4 and be swayed into buying the system. That said, it is worth buying if you happened to miss out on the game on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. If you're a Marvel comics fan or you're trying to get someone into comics, LEGO Marvel is a great starting point.

The best thing I can say about Lego Marvel Superheroes on PlayStation is I bought it myself. USgamer didn't receive a review copy of the game, but I went out and purchased it anyways. I love the game that much and I figured the definitive version with Vita Remote Play was worth $60. I don't regret the purchase at all. If you're on the fence, rent it and see if it makes you a True Believer too. Tell Lego Stan Lee I sent you.