It’s a tale as old as time: a game promises the Moon on a stick and fails to live up to it, giving you a rough approximation instead, like a hard-boiled egg on a Twiglet. The sequel to the promising yet ultimately lukewarm Disney Infinity pledges to go the distance that the first one couldn't, but be prepared for disappointment: that ‘no strings’ creative freedom is just as limited as it was the first time.
There’s no denying that the idea of living toys is a tantalising prospect, and the game’s gorgeous style in all the colours of the wind is as much of a sensory treat as Disney World itself, but the experience is all too superficial.
If you want to play around in Toy Box mode, making new buildings and objects part of your world is quite simple but the technical capabilities mean you’re limited to a certain number of bare necessities, and even then they’re little more than set decoration.
The packaged Avengers Play Set offers a more focused experience, but New York feels underpopulated and far too large for your character while simultaneously finding a way to shepherd you to the next objective.
The addition of Marvel characters opens up an audience of comic book lovers older than the current target demographic, resulting in confusion over who exactly this is for. Its simple mechanics and reluctance to punish failure are more suited to the younger generation, but the inclusion of Marvel is a clear reflection of Disney’s attempt to aim its wares at different markets.
It definitely feels like there’s something there that could be tapped into to make this game live up to expectations it would have been better to just let Toy Box go and focus on improving the Play Sets. These campaigns are the best part of the Infinity range, with a variety of vehicles, combat styles and characters to keep the experience fresh. Having themed six-hour stories to collect is more appealing than the slightly lacklustre attempt at open-ended creative play.
Infinity 2.0 isn’t a terrible game, but having thoroughly enjoyed the wonderfully balanced and expertly detailed Lego Marvel, it’s hard not to remember that there are better Marvel games out there. If this is the future of toys, it’s not quite there yet.
There’s no denying that the idea of living toys is a tantalising prospect, and the game’s gorgeous style in all the colours of the wind is as much of a sensory treat as Disney World itself, but the experience is all too superficial.
If you want to play around in Toy Box mode, making new buildings and objects part of your world is quite simple but the technical capabilities mean you’re limited to a certain number of bare necessities, and even then they’re little more than set decoration.
The packaged Avengers Play Set offers a more focused experience, but New York feels underpopulated and far too large for your character while simultaneously finding a way to shepherd you to the next objective.
The addition of Marvel characters opens up an audience of comic book lovers older than the current target demographic, resulting in confusion over who exactly this is for. Its simple mechanics and reluctance to punish failure are more suited to the younger generation, but the inclusion of Marvel is a clear reflection of Disney’s attempt to aim its wares at different markets.
It definitely feels like there’s something there that could be tapped into to make this game live up to expectations it would have been better to just let Toy Box go and focus on improving the Play Sets. These campaigns are the best part of the Infinity range, with a variety of vehicles, combat styles and characters to keep the experience fresh. Having themed six-hour stories to collect is more appealing than the slightly lacklustre attempt at open-ended creative play.
Infinity 2.0 isn’t a terrible game, but having thoroughly enjoyed the wonderfully balanced and expertly detailed Lego Marvel, it’s hard not to remember that there are better Marvel games out there. If this is the future of toys, it’s not quite there yet.
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