Critics seem to be torn about Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes. Last year's original game married the toy-to-game Skylanders with the create-your-own-adventure playground of Minecraft or Little Big Planet. This year, Avalanche Software and Disney Interactive have upped the ante by importing a more recent Disney acquisition into the game: Marvel.
Needless to say, bringing Marvel super heroes into the mix changes the game significantly, and critics' reactions are mixed. Every reviewer seems to be having their own personal experiences with the game and its many, many accessories -- experiences that often rely on whether or not they have kids to play it with.
What's surprising is that the aspects of the game that some are highly critical of are the very things that other critics celebrate.
Game Informer didn't like it. Their reviewer praised the Toy Box upgrade, but he was bored by the Playsets: "Stay away if your hopes lie with finally playing a great Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy game. Come play if your ambitions lie mostly with building worlds."
Kotaku was far more generous, finding plenty to enjoy about both the Playsets and the Toy Box."Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes' playset adventures are an enormous improvement over those of the original game ... The Toy Box is where the Disney Infinity magic happens, more so in version 2.0 than ever before."
GamesRadar was not impressed: "In trying to be every kind of toy to every kind of kid, Disney Infinity 2.0 ends up biting off more than it can chew ... It wants to be a massive hand-crafted adventure that provides a sprawling set of tools for budding creators, but nothing feels intuitive or well-designed ... Disney Infinity has a long way to go before it becomes the ultimate toy it wants to be."
It’s @DisneyInfinity Day! Here’s our review of the game. Spoiler: We loved it! @JohnVignocchi https://t.co/jt2inUHxNX pic.twitter.com/NsCcspUpiQ
— Comicbook.com (@ComicBookdotcom) September 23, 2014
Destructoid fell completely in love with everything about it: "With stronger writing and even deeper gameplay options ... 2.0 feels like a natural evolution, and that's a good thing if you liked the original." IGN liked the Toy Box but hated the Playsets: "Uneven and undercooked, Disney Infinity 2.0 isn't the major upgrade I expected. It lacks the playful fun and diversity that made Infinity 1.0 so great last year." Joystiq mostly enjoyed it for its "feel like a kid again" qualities: "Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes features more variety than its predecessor, but the campaign content included in the base set is still quite repetitive."
Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes Hints At A World Of Endless Expansion https://t.co/NTcmrJPRvD by @drizzled — TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) September 23, 2014
GameTrailers liked it, for the most part, but aired an increasingly familiar complaint about the repetitive nature of the Playsets: "We're disappointed in the lack of diversity from the available Playsets, but there is still a ridiculous amount of stuff to collect, and it's now more accessible, customizable, and fun than ever."
Entertainment Weekly loved everything about it: "Disney Infinity 2.0 accomplishes a task a surprising amount of games tend to make secondary: providing a purely fun experience."
Electronic Gaming Monthly liked it with very few caveats: "While the Playsets could still use a little work, the Toy Box more than makes up for any shortcomings. Just grab a few figures, unlock some toys, and let your imagination run wild."
