This review originally written for Real Dream Productions. You can find more HERE

Remember LEGO Dimensions and how refreshing it felt when developer TT Games tried out new gameplay ideas? Throw all of those new ideas away and you're stuck with LEGO Marvel's Avengers. I sat playing the game, continually looking for something to be at least a little bit exciting.

If you like the LEGO game formula, you have a preference for playing solo and you're a huge fan of MCU, there's still a lot of value for you in LEGO Marvel's Avengers, even despite a disjointed plot and annoying audio mixes.

Inviting settings; Co-op combo moves

Incoherent plot; Limited dialogue; Some missions aren't co-op friendly

Another LEGO game with everything you love! New open world is huge and robust and a lot of fun to play around in, but the wide array of games this title covers hurts the LEGO charm a little too much, as you lose on some jokes if you haven't seen every Marvel movie right before you play as it doesn't...

From movies to games. The transition between the two seems to be quite difficult to master. Even when the film is actually good, it doesn't mean that the game will also be quality. This has happened to a lot of well known characters such as Harry Potter, as well as solid movies such as Avatar.

There are more than 100 characters to discover in Lego Marvel's Adventures, and it'll take dedicated players dozens of hours to access every single one. But even when you've unlocked only a handful, it's clear that many of the characters play in the same way.

Good family fun; Huge roster of Marvel characters; Charming spin on the Marvel movies

Very little different to the same Lego formula; Not much character variation despite having huge roster

TT Games is back with, you guessed it, another LEGO game! Following 2013's Lego Marvel Superheroes, this time around it is the Avengers who get their turn with a title based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But how solidly built is this latest outing compared to the previous instalment?

Marvel’s Avengers has proven to be a pleasant surprise, even if its live service identity arguably hinders the true potential of its world, story and characters. Engaging combat and rewarding progression have established a solid foundation for Crystal Dynamics to build upon with new heroes and scenarios in the months and years to come.

A varied, enjoyable cast of characters at launch; Each hero plays differently with its own path of progression; A loving homage to the comic universe that’s been crafted with care ; Establishes a solid foundation for Crystal Dynamics to build upon;

The narrative feels disjointed and underbaked; Mission structure can feel oddly confusing and repetitive ; Live service formula feels detrimental at times ;

A classy single-player campaign, but its endgame needs some work. Destiny it ain't – at least not yet.

Looks great; Decent brawling mechanics; Superb storyline; Great new Avenger in Kamala; Satisfying superhero abilities;

Too keen to encourage microtransactions; Too much grinding in endgame; Not enough snap on ranged attacks; Gear system could do with rebalancing;

LEGO continues their plan for world domination, on consoles at least.