Comic book, video game and movie fans are converging on Disney Infinity 2.0. The new version of the popular gaming platform was created to introduce the Marvel Universe to audiences. This attempt to adapt the Marvel franchises to the game screen is not focused on a movie tie-in. Giving audiences a reason to celebrate. The previous movie tie-ins were bland experiences, especially those from Sega. If the characters appeared before or after a film it made no difference to audiences. Each Marvel title introduced in Infinity features its own unique story, and its own group of heroes and villains as well. Audiences learned the story through the course of the game and were introduced to all of the main characters while playing.
By going at its own pace and easing the viewer into the universe, Infinity is essentially the gaming equivalent of a film franchise. In this way the youngest of Marvel fans are able to learn about new heroes or get caught up on the returning icons. Disney had actually planned to include the Guardians of the Galaxy at the launch of Infinity 2.0. They had no idea that the film would have been so well received, nonetheless they wanted to make sure that fans of the characters had a memorable experience. Disney had planned for three main groups of comic book franchises to be available for Infinity 2.0 at the launch. The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and Spider-Man. The film versions of the Avengers and Guardians influenced the look of those characters however for Spider-Man it was the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series that dictated the design. It was a fantastic blend of the various live-action, animated and comic book properties that audiences could accept.
Infinity 2.0 plays like a completely new build of the game. All of the bugs that plagued the original launch of the platform seem to have been resolved. I had a chance to play through several different Play Sets and use almost every character released thus far. I have to admit that the developers at Avalanche Software did a phenomenal job at adapting the Marvel characters to a game engine. No two characters played exactly alike and this is an important detail. In the original Infinity several of the characters in the Pirates of the Caribbean, Lone Ranger and Cars were interchangeable. There was nothing memorable about them aside from their appearance. The control, special moves and attacks of each character were more or less the same. A few button presses were all that gamers had to learn in order to beat each story mode.
By comparison, Infinity 2.0 managed to keep the unique qualities of each character intact and wrap a solid gaming experience around them. The abilities and control for characters like the Hulk and Spider-Man were as well done as the best Activision and Radical Entertainment comic book games. Those studios had developed some the most critically-acclaimed, and commercially successful, comic book titles ever. Not only that but the Power Disks for the 2.0 characters gave a nod to the comic book legacy. Spider-Man could use his black and white “symbiote” costume and have access to unique moves with the appropriate power disk. There were also Team-Up disks which allowed a computer-controlled teammate to help fight the bad guys. The star-spangled Iron Patriot complimented Iron Man and The Winter Soldier made a great ally for Captain America. The level of fan service in Infinity 2.0 was absurd and well done.. For the first time in ages it seemed that Marvel, instead of a licensor, was on the road to gaming success.
In Infinity 2.0 gamers need to learn the nuances of each character, what the strengths and weaknesses are for the individual heroes and opponents. The various Play Sets for the Marvel characters are much more challenging than the ones created for the Incredibles. The Pixar film was the standard by which the Infinity action portions are measured. The Marvel Play Sets elevated the challenge but also look great in the process. The levels are as expansive as the massive stages featured in the original Infinity but they are also very distinct. There is a world of difference between the Avengers, Spider-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy play sets. They did a fantastic job at putting gamers in the heart of each adventure. The alien worlds visited by the Guardians, including space ships and remote outposts, seemed as realistic as the streets and sewers of New York visited by Spider-Man and his friends.
Of course something that audiences enjoyed in the original Infinity would be revisited in Infinity 2.0. Playing as the heroes was fun, but many times it was not half as fun as playing as the villains. In Pirates of the Caribbean, for example, players could explore the world as Captain Jack Sparrow. Yet I often found myself going through the game as Hector Barbosa and Davy Jones. There wasn’t much to playing as any captain but Infinity 2.0 will really give the bad guys a chance to shine. The major villains for each Play Set will be playable as well. These characters include Venom, the Green Goblin, Ronan the Accuser and Loki. Needless to say the characters each have their own unique abilities pulled from the comics and cartoons.
Disney Infinity 2.0 is off to a great start and audiences seem eager to see what the future holds for the system. Disney has rolled out some icons such as Tinker Bell, Donald Duck, Maleficent, Merida and Stitch for the 2.0 Toy Box. Any Disney Play Set will be well received as long as it maintains the quality of the previous releases. Disney Infinity 2.0 is available now for almost every home console including the Xbox One and Playstation 4. The Marvel Super Heroes Starter Pack can be had for less than $80. The massive collectors edition is about $180 but it includes all of the Avengers AND an Ice Giant display set.
If you have any questions on anything Marvel related or anything Disney gaming related please share them in the comments section. Until the next blog take care!
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