DC Superheroes was also the first Lego game to introduce an open world, giving players the whole of Gotham City to explore. Until then, silent protagonists had always been played for laughs, but fresh new actors brought life to plot points that otherwise wouldn’t have landed. Platform(s): PC, Nintendo 3DS, PS3, PSVita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360 Release: 2012 Having made Lego games for seven years, in 2012 Travellers Tales tried a few things to shake up the formula with Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes. The open world is expertly made, and filled with enough wit and warmth to keep you entertained for hours. In between missions, explore a Lego Manhattan, spanning from the Statue of Liberty to the X-Mansion up past Harlem, to the massive Shield Helicarrier that hovers over the East River. It is a beautifully constructed love letter to the Marvel universe, cramming in hundreds of characters and locations from X-Men, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and more.
The Avengers had arrived in cinemas the year before, and Travellers Tales released Lego Marvel Superheroes.
Platform(s): PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, PC Release: 2013 2013 was peak Marvel mania. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s a nice touch that acknowledges these games are ultimately a virtual mirage of physical Lego building, which children have been doing with their parents for years.
There’s also a nifty new addition in the form of group builds, where the Parrs must work together to construct towering, complex Lego structures in-game. In Lego: The Incredibles you’ll need to switch frequently between Elastagirl’s stretchy limbs and, say, Dash’s supersonic speed to make it through tricky platforming puzzles. Platform(s): PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC Release: 2018 Each of the Parr family’s unique abilities make for excellent level design fodder.