Switch between the four characters
If you're willing to invest some time learning each of the character's full range of super powers and combo attacks then there's still a small amount of fun to be had, such as knocking multiple enemies aside with The Thing's rush attack or using Mister Fantastic's elasticity to stretch across the screen to grab an enemy, but the fun is short-lived after you discover rather quickly that a few fancy combat moves is really all the game has to offer and isn’t enough to save it from being a forgettable experience.
The idea behind the gameplay style is actually very good and throughout the game you can switch between these four comic book heroes using the d-pad and use their specific strengths to beat the living daylights out of hordes of attacking enemies or to solve simple puzzles, before proceeding to the end of level big boss battles against the likes of the mighty Super Skrull. By using trigger and button combinations you can pull off a number of unique moves and melee combos, such as unleashing a periscope punch with Mister Fantastic's extendable arm, using the Invisible Woman's invisibility skill to ambush enemies from behind, unleashing a concentrated blast of thermal energy from the fingertips of the Human Torch or pounding the ground with The Thing's shockwave attack, knocking enemies to the ground.. The developers have done a decent job at creating some visually impressive combat moves and there are a few nice touches, such as the Fusion Attack system where you can combine your power with that of a team-mate, but the bland levels, which lack creativity and are devoid of any interesting or challenging puzzles or fights, means that it rarely feels as though your superhero powers are being used in the best way possible.
Click for larger image
Click for larger imageOn a positive note, you do get the opportunity to test out all of your character's abilities during certain stages when you're forced to use specific strengths that you can only achieve through a particular character, for example: in the first boss battle where you need to use the strength of The Thing in order to pick up crates to throw at and break the force field that is protecting Super Skrull. However, this only applies to the boss battles, so for the most part you can rush through levels and any of the heroes will do the job effectively, whilst the others will fight alongside you without the need to command them. This ultimately means that the game lacks any sort of challenge and if you strip away those special moves the gameplay merely consists of fighting a group of baddies, opening a door, moving to the next area, fighting another group of baddies, opening another door, moving to the next area, and then finally taking on the end of level boss, who also puts up no real challenge.
