When I saw Disney Infinity at last year's E3, I had hoped they would take advantage of franchises outside of the traditional Disney fare, and that is starting to come true with Disney Infinity 2.0, featuring some of our favorite Marvel superheroes.
First things first: All original Disney Infinity characters are compatible with 2.0, so you won't have to worry about buying new sets of figures for the new title. What the second iteration is doing, really, is smoothing the rough edges of the first and making an already good game even better.
There are two sets Disney Interactive has announced at this year's E3. The first features the Avengers with Black Widow, Captain America, Hawkeye, Iron Man and Thor all taking starring roles and Loki playing the villain. It will also feature the Hulk, though he's going to be a PS4 exclusive for the first 30 days. The other set is your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, along with Iron Fist, Nick Fury and Nova. Of course, Doctor Octopus and Venom will be the bad guys for this one. Other characters, such as MODOK and Iron Patriot, will make appearances, though not playable ones at this time. Appearances will also be made by familiar vehicles, such as Agent Coulson's beloved Lola from "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
The story for both of these sets, as well as for an unnamed third set, is written by Brian Michael Bendis, a name probably very familiar to my fellow comic book readers. He's the writer for "Ultimate Spider-Man" and "New Avengers" as well as several other titles, so his involvement in these games should give them the proper comic book feel.
Skill trees are also being introduced in Disney Infinity 2.0, making it possible for more advanced players to personalize the game to better suit them. An example given was Thor's hammer throw would be able to hit more people if you put points into it. Since Disney Infinity is a popular game with the younger audience, you don't have to micromanage your skills to get the most out of the game; you can let it autolevel if that's what you prefer and still be on good footing when playing with others.
Disney Infinity 2.0 also plans to make the Toy Box easier to use, for those who want to build their own levels and maps. With Builder and Creator bots, you can fill in things like plant cover or city buildings without placing each item individually. This lets you concentrate on building the fun stuff instead of busy work, and it gets you playing your maps that much sooner.
Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes is scheduled for release September 2014 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. Here's hoping Disney Interactive will continue this trend and announce Disney Infinity 3.0: Star Wars at E3 2015.
More articles about Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes