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Reviews

Close Your Eyes – Line In The Sand

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Having been through numerous lineup changes since their inception in 2005, Close Your Eyes could easily have thrown in the towel when their lead singer Shane Raymond left the band in 2012, Blessed By A Broken Heart’s Sam Ryder Robinson was appointed instead though and the band therefore lived to see another album. ‘Line In The Sand‘ is Close Your Eyes’ third studio album to date, the band’s first release since changing their vocalist and one that sees the band take on one incredibly noticeable change; Sam Ryder Robinson’s appointment now means that the band comes complete with an incredibly British vocal sound.

Somewhat of a departure from their pop-punk/melodic hardcore crossover sound of old, Close Your Eyes are probably at their best on this album when they’re turning their attention to a more commercial rock sound. With tracks such as ‘Frame and Glass‘ and ‘Kings Of John Payne‘ for example there is a definite nod towards the Foo Fighters, with Sam Ryder Robinson’s vocals just seeming absolutely perfectly suited to this kind of sound. Robinson seems incredibly comfortable on these tracks, there’s a fantastic fluidity about the music and it’ll certainly be interesting to see if this is a sound that is further explored on studio album number four. Whilst some of the tracks may head down a more radio rock direction, that’s not to say that the band leave their pop-punk/melodic hardcore crossover nature behind them, however, and ‘Burdened By Hope‘ is a fine example of the band heading down this route and doing it in fantastic style. Much of the track is reminiscent of the material found on Sum 41’s ‘Chuck‘, the vocals even sounding quite similar here to how Deryck Whibley’s do on that album, but with a frantic finale to the track that is more akin to the music of A Day To Remember.

There’s an interesting mix of styles displayed on this album, but at times it feels as though Close Your Eyes are having a bit of an identity crisis and aren’t entirely sure exactly what they want the band to be right now. They have a new vocalist and changes have definitely been made to how the band approach their music given this significant shift in vocal sound, but the album at times feels like a bit of an experimentation, with some of the tracks coming across incredibly well, and others not quite reaching the same high standards. The tracks on this album range in quality from highly infectious to hugely forgettable, there’s definitely a lot of quality on display here but it’s also not all positive news. Zoli Téglás of Ignite fame (and formerly of Pennywise) provides an impressive guest appearance on ‘The End‘, a singalong anthem that also comes complete with a high quality heavy edge, ‘Sleeping Giant‘ similarly includes a guest appearance though, this time from Tommy Green, but is one of the tracks from this release that just feels a little flat and generic. There are definitely many moments of promise throughout, there’s also a distinct lack of consistency though that would take ‘Line In The Sand‘ from being a merely decent album, to an absolute banger of a studio release.

It really does seem that Close Your Eyes are just starting to try and find their feet with this album as they’ve not long found themselves a new singer and it’s therefore going to take a little time for the new formula to take its true form. There are some fantastic moments, but the band are not yet finding a level of consistency that will make for a more well rounded and finely polished overall studio release. Album number four will be an interesting one for Close Your Eyes and it’ll certainly be exciting to hear how they can progress and develop next time around; Sam Ryder Robinson really does have an absolutely incredible rock voice, and all being well, the next album from Close Your Eyes will equally match his fantastic quality as a vocalist.

Ajenda – Hatred & Greed

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With an impressive amount of swagger and a huge amount of cool, ‘Hatred And Greed‘ is a fantastic new single from Ajenda that showcases strongly a very talented rock band with an incredibly powerful frontwoman.

Right from the opening with its heavy focus on the bass, ‘Hatred And Greed‘ is a hugely striking single that instantly sucks you straight into the sound. There’s a massive amount of instrumental talent on display here, what hits you hardest when listening is the fantastic amount of depth to frontwoman Jenny Walker’s voice, however, and it’s difficult to listen to her fantastic tone without feeling incredibly impressed.

‘Hatred & Greed‘ is an incredibly impressive rock song, a track that packs a powerful punch with its chorus and one that is just generally hugely enjoyable to listen to. There’s so much to admire about the music here, the band sound at the very top of their game throughout and showcase a fine talent for their craft with a single that seems incredibly well thought out and absolutely immaculately composed.

If you’re a fan of female fronted rock bands then Ajenda really are a band that you need in your life; they released their début album ‘Unrecognizable‘ at the back end of last year so if you don’t already own this album then definitely do make it your mission to give this release a good listen as you’ll surely not be disappointed with what you find.

If Ajenda don’t enjoy a huge amount of success in 2014 then there’s clearly something very wrong with the world.

Contrast Review

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Set in 1920s Paris, Contrast is a curious title with its dimly lit streets and heavy focus on the music of the era. The setting is strong, the gameplay however is not always quite so impressive and that’s a real shame as the game has an incredible aesthetic and feel that could easily have made for a very enjoyable puzzle game.

With its stuttering frame-rates and huge amount of repetition, playing Contrast can sometimes feel like a bit of a chore. Some of the puzzles can at times be a little tricky to work out, most of the time you’re just progressing from A to B, however, utilising the shadows to make your way through the game and manipulating them by moving objects from one place to another in order to create a shadow that suits your needs to progress further through the game. When the game does at times require a little more working out, you often find the same solution is then required several times over in quick succession; the game suffers due to a mix of there being a lack of variety at times, and at other times the puzzles just being relatively easy to work out yet incredibly fiddly to successfully execute. With less framerate drops and more of a fluidity about the game, Contrast could be a lot more fun, as it stands it just feels a little too buggy to properly enjoy though, and the game suffers from being beautiful to look at yet at times incredibility unintuitive to play.

One incredibly positive quality to note about Contrast is the strength of the storyline, something that probably keeps you playing moreso than the gameplay. The script is incredibly well written, but in a way this is actually another aspect that can make the game so frustrating as you’re often completing tedious sections of gameplay purely to find out the next part of the story. The gameplay itself doesn’t keep you playing, just the drive to find out where the story will go next, a credit to the scriptwriting department, but not such a ringing endorsement for those responsible for the gameplay.

Dependent upon how well you take to the game’s puzzles, Contrast is a game that can be finished within a few hours and is therefore not a title for the long-term. Some of the gameplay can be enjoyable and the script is certainly strong, all too often the game tends to be incredibly disappointing though and can feel like a bit of a one trick pony with its fundamental focus on lurking in the shadows and manipulating shadows in order to overcome obstacles. There are definitely worse titles out there than this one and the scriptwriting department deserve every credit for their role in the process, it’s unlikely that Contrast will be your favourite ever indie title though, and once you’ve played through the game once for its storyline it’s unlikely that you’ll ever want to come back to it again in the future. Some games are short yet have a fantastic amount of replay value nonetheless, Contrast is definitely not one of those titles though and it’s therefore difficult to recommend the game for anything other than its storyline.

Neck Deep – Wishful Thinking

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For a band that only formed in 2012, Neck Deep really have come a very long way already in the short space of time that they’ve been in existence, and with this début album they 100% live up to the hype and expectation that already surrounds them with this release.

From the very first track on the album, Neck Deep grab you here and send a very strong message that ‘Wishful Thinking‘ is a pop-punk album well worth listening to. At just over half an hour in length, ‘Wishful Thinking‘ is a fast and furious attack of an album that hits you hard right from the word go, immediately grabbing your attention and maintaining it throughout the album’s duration. ‘Losing Teeth‘ kicks the album off in fantastic style with an incredible instrumental tightness and a huge amount of vocal power, as the album progresses the momentum at no point ever drops, however, and at all times the quality here is high and the music is absolutely infectious.

Whilst much of the album sticks to the same tried and tested pop-punk formula, fifth track ‘Zoltar Speaks‘ keeps you on your toes a bit with a heavier edge to the music that stops things from getting too stale and predictable. Neck Deep are incredibly good at creating pop-punk music, ‘Zoltar Speaks‘ demonstrates that they can also successfully go a little darker, however, and with its resounding chorus that includes reference to the album’s title as vocalist Ben Barlow shouts ‘Let this sink in, wishful thinking’, the band’s ability and the album’s success certainly does sink in here in a track that features a fantastic key change and successfully shows that the band can venture away from their comfort zone and still come up trumps with a track of absolute class.

Much like ‘Zoltar Speaks‘, closing track ‘Candour‘ is another that demonstrates the band’s ability to do things a little differently and still sound equally brilliant. With guest vocals from Laura Whiteside, ‘Candour‘ is a fantastic offering of music that comes complete with a huge amount of vocal beauty. The vocals are at the very heart of the music, central to the track’s success with Ben Barlow’s vocals here the best that he has to offer on the album, contrasting incredibly well with Laura Whiteside’s. The track slows down the pace of what has otherwise been an incredibly frantic and hard hitting album, bringing the release to a beautiful close in a piece of music that will no doubt be held in incredibly high regard by all those that hear it. ‘Zoltar Speaks‘ demonstrates a fine ability from the band to hit a little harder, but ‘Candour‘ shows a softer side that Neck Deep is also equally capable of showcasing, a track that ends the album in style and brings the release to an impressive conclusion.

For those that love their pop-punk, Neck Deep’s ‘Wishful Thinking‘ really is an album well worth listening to. 2013 was the year of The Wonder Years as their phenomenal ‘The Greatest Generation‘ album was unveiled, 2014 looks like it’s going to be a great year for UK pop-punk though and Neck Deep have certainly made sure that the year has kicked off in style with the release of this incredibly impressive début. In a genre as overcrowded and overpopulated as pop-punk it is always going to take something pretty special to rise to the top, and although it’s only been two years since this band even formed, Neck Deep really do deserve the success that they’ve gained so far and this début album definitely does demonstrate that the hype surrounding this band really is deserved and that they truly are an incredibly talented group of individuals.

Neck Deep are currently touring the UK in support of this extremely impressive début, so if you’re based in the UK then be sure to try and head along to one of their shows as the way things are progressing for them, the next time they tour they’ll definitely be packing out far bigger venues than they’re performing at this time out, so make sure you see them on this tour and you’ll surely not regret it.

Peacock DVD Review

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With a large dose of Psycho and a heavy influence of the Hitchcockian, Peacock is an intriguing thriller film from director Michael Lander that focuses on an individual that suffers from dissociative identity disorder. There’s an extremely impressive utilisation of soundtrack throughout, and Hitchcock himself would have been proud of the film’s fine ability to convey a mood through its powerful sense of sound.

Starring Cillian Murphy in its leading role, Peacock deals with the issue of dissociative identity disorder in an interesting manner as Murphy takes on the personalities of John and Emma, with the two identities communicating with one another through the use of notes. John’s mother sadly passed away the year before we join him here, and we get the impression that his mother did a lot for him to help him through his daily routine and that the personality of Emma is now acting as his surrogate mother. Although both parts are played by Cillian Murphy, John and Emma have very obviously different personalities and Murphy puts on an incredible acting performance to provide a convincing case that these are indeed two very separate identities.

Although the film features notable stars such as Susan Sarandon and Ellen Page, the key focus is firmly placed upon Cillian Murphy and we spend much of the film’s duration with him. Sarandon and Page play their roles well, the success or failure of the film is extremely dependent on Murphy’s ability to convincingly portray two separate identities, however, and he performs his part commendably.

Despite the extreme success of Cillian Murphy’s acting ability here and a very impressive storyline, Peacock is at times as frustrating as it is intriguing. As excellent as Cillian Murphy is in the role of John/Emma, you really only feel as though the film is scratching the very surface of the character; there’s so much more that we could have got to know about John/Emma, so much we want to learn and discover about the complexity behind this character, and had the film delved deeper into his/her psyche then this certainly would have been a very interesting avenue for exploration. Peacock takes a fascinating approach and deserves every credit for its success as a thriller film, but you can’t help but feel that the key protagonist is left underdeveloped and come the end of the film it’s therefore quite disappointing when we’re forced to leave the John/Emma character behind as we feel that we’re only just getting started with finding out about them. The film certainly gets you thinking and wondering what came next for the character (maybe opening a motel?), but there also could have been a little more development and exploration of character within the film that could have taken things to the next level.

If you’re a fan of Hitchcock, enjoyed Psycho, and have a soft spot for David Lynch, Peacock is definitely a film that’s well worth checking out. Peacock is a mysterious and thrilling film that features an incredibly powerful performance from Cillian Murphy; it’s a film well worth watching for Cillian Murphy’s performance alone, and the fact that it’s also a pretty impressive piece of cinema ensures that whilst not perfect, Peacock is a film that is most definitely more than worthy of a watch.

Extras:-

In addition to the feature film itself, the DVD release from Lionsgate also features a 21 minute documentary that provides us with some insight into how the idea of the film first came about, research that was conducted into Ed Gein prior to the film’s production, and an idea of the process that Cillian Murphy went through in order to perfect and properly separate the characterisation of both John and Emma. It’s an interesting documentary that explains what the film started out as and what it ultimately became, and it makes for an enjoyable watch to provide some perspective about the thought process behind some of the film’s key areas.

The Stepfather (2009) Review

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A 2009 remake of the 1987 thriller film of the same name, The Stepfather seeks to cash in on the popularity of the Gossip Girl TV series as it sets Penn Badgley in a starring role (Gossip Girl’s Dan Humphrey) with Amber Heard playing the role of his on-screen girlfriend (who looks a huge amount like his Gossip Girl co-star Blake Lively here).

The film begins with David Harris (Dylan Walsh) leaving a family home behind, leaving three dead children and their mother in his wake; he now looks to find his next victims and ultimately sets his sights upon single mother Susan Harding (played by Sela Ward). As Susan’s son Michael (Penn Badgley) returns home from military school, events occur that make Michael suspicious of his new stepfather, and although not everyone is behind him in his suspicions, Michael seeks to discover the truth about his secretive new stepfather and find out what it is that his mother’s new love seems to be hiding.

The Stepfather is at all times watchable and is certainly not a bad film as a piece of entertainment, with its predictable and extremely clichéd plot it’s certainly not a classic of its genre, however, and although it may nicely pass 100 minutes of your time if you’ve nothing better to do on an evening, there are certainly much better thrillers out there than this one. The film doesn’t set out to reinvent the wheel and has its fair share of plot holes and inconsistencies, if you’re willing to just accept it as a light, throwaway piece of entertainment though then you may just find that you quite enjoy watching this one.

Dylan Walsh’s performance as David Harris is most definitely an impressive one here as he performs his incredibly sinister role superbly well; he’s extremely convincing as his creepy character with a huge murderous secret to hide, and Walsh most definitely steals the show with his impressive acting style throughout the film. The other performances are all fairly forgettable and none of the rest of the cast really provide much in the way of a memorable performance, Walsh’s performance as the stepfather is definitely worth watching though and he most definitely plays the part to perfection.

If you’re a fan of the thriller genre then there’ll be nothing particularly new for you here, if you’re looking for a light piece of entertainment though then you could definitely do a lot worse than watching The Stepfather. Whilst the film is unlikely to massively shock or surprise you, it’s still a fairly entertaining offering from director Nelson McCormick, a man who is probably better known for directing TV shows than he is for directing feature films.

Movie 43 Review

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Despite an incredibly strong cast, Movie 43 is a comedy film that suffers from its extreme lack of laughs. Although occasionally amusing, all too often the film’s gags fall flat and this therefore provides for an incredibly underwhelming overall viewing experience.

Comprising of a series of short films, Movie 43 feels rushed and surprisingly low budget for a film with such a stellar selection of stars on show. With poor comic timing and a real lack of editing prowess, the film often fails in its quest for cheap laughs and this therefore results in a fairly painful viewing experience as you’re left constantly waiting and wondering when the film’s next laugh will arrive.

Terrence Howard’s sketch stands out strongly here as the finest moment of the film; Howard is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise massively disappointing comedy and although watching the full 90 minutes of the film isn’t particularly recommended, seeking out the ‘Victory’s Glory’ short should surely provide you with a good few laughs should you do so.

With cover art that boasts of ‘the biggest cast ever assembled’, bigger is most definitely not better here; Movie 43 may have an impressive cast at its disposal, but by and large the film itself is anything but.

Super Mario 3D World Review

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When the Wii U was released last November it was only ever going to be a matter of time before we were treated to another 3D Mario game experience. New Super Mario Bros. U was available from launch and is an impressive enough 2D platformer, now that the Wii U has its 3D Mario game though we know that Nintendo really does mean business with its latest home console system.

With Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad all available as playable characters within the game, we are here treated to a bit of a retro throwback as they all have the same skill sets that they had in Super Mario Bros. 2 on the NES; Peach is not the fastest but makes up for her lack of speed and jump height in her ability to hover in the air, Luigi can achieve great height with his jumps, Toad is extremely speedy, and Mario is the character to plump for if you’re just looking for someone that’s fairly solid in all areas. If you’ve got a group of friends together then you can give the game’s multiplayer functionality a go, with up to four people on the screen at a time whizzing around each level and making them easier or more difficult depending upon the situation. The multiplayer functionality provides a fun chance to see each character’s individual abilities put to the test side by side in a good mode of gameplay that brings a Mario Party-esque competitiveness to the table; you want to be the one to collect the stamps and green stars and it’s therefore a constant race against your friends as you look to outdo them at every turn, whilst at the same time working together as a unit to beat each level and get the job done.

Super Mario 3D World

There’s a fantastic sense of fun and discovery in Super Mario 3D World, you’re constantly finding exciting new powers and features, and the game remains fresh throughout as you’re treated to all kinds of fantastic levels, abilities and hidden areas. Ever since Super Mario 64 the bar has been set extremely high with 3D Mario games, and in Super Mario 3D World Nintendo has once again triumphed with an absolutely brilliant game that should send a strong message to all Wii U doubters out there that the Wii U is still a force to be reckoned with. With some absolutely beautiful looking levels and some incredibly nice touches throughout the game, Super Mario 3D World has the makings of becoming an all-time Nintendo classic, a fantastic looking 3D platformer that is easily the most impressive platform title to have been released in a long time. There’s so much to appreciate and admire about this title, and as you explore each level you constantly find yourself amused and impressed as you uncover subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) little nuances that you’d perhaps missed on a previous run through.

In Super Mario 3D World there is a strong sense of the game taking full advantage of the ability of the Wii U’s GamePad; it’s far more than just a second screen for the title, it’s a piece of equipment that’s utilised to help progress you through the game and make you feel more involved in your progress through the worlds. Each time the game has you do something new with the Wii U GamePad it’s a genuinely exciting experience and as you progress through the title you’re constantly looking out for what the game will throw at you next and the tools that will help you through. As fun as playing a 2D side-scrolling Mario title can be, it can at times feel a little too familiar and safe, with a 3D Mario title there’s always that added element of surprise and intrigue, however, and Super Mario 3D World absolutely has this quality in abundance.

Super Mario 3D World Bowser

The key to Super Mario 3D World’s success is just how much the game keeps you on your toes. It’s beautiful to look at, the levels and worlds are all extremely well designed, and there’s an absolutely perfect balance of frustration and challenge, but the game would be nowhere near as enjoyable without its quirky little surprises and refusal to ever really stagnate. With some platform titles it gets to a certain point and you feel like you’re purely going through the motions; you’re not even sure if you’re still enjoying the game, you’re just trying to get to the end for completion’s sake. With Super Mario 3D World there’s never any sense of that detachment and you never feel as though the game has become a tepid experience, you keep on playing the game because you truly do want to, not because you feel that you ought to.

With all the nice little touches that this game provides, Super Mario 3D World is an absolute must have title for all Wii U owners out there, and is definitely a strong enough reason to invest in the console for anyone out there that hasn’t already done so. The game may hark back to the 8-bit days of Super Mario Bros. 2 with its character abilities, but it’s very much a title that brings Mario into the contemporary with its beautiful aesthetics and excellent utilisation of the Wii U GamePad. Super Mario 3D World is an absolutely incredible new game from Nintendo, and with Mario Kart 8 and a new Super Smash Bros. title due for release in 2014, now is an absolutely fantastic time to be a Wii U owner and things can only get better for the console as we progress forward into the future. It may have taken a year for the Wii U to receive its must-own 3D Mario title, Super Mario 3D World is now here though and it’s now time to bring the Super Mario HD experience to your home.

Super Mario 3D World is without doubt one of the best titles released on any platform in 2013.

Resogun Review

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Whilst there are probably not many people out there that purchased a PS4 for the opportunity to play a modern take on a retro arcade game, there’s undoubtedly a huge amount of people extremely grateful for Resogun, a game that is freely available to all those out there with a Playstation Plus subscription.

With only five levels to play through there’s therefore not a huge amount of Resogun scenery to feast your eyes upon, the game will nonetheless provide hours upon hours of addictive gameplay, however, playing your way through what the game does have to offer with your eyes glued firmly to the screen at all times.

As you fly around each level destroying enemies, saving humans, and hurling around in your spaceship at great speed, the game is both visually appealing and genuinely rewarding. The controls are simple to pick up here and there’s a strong focus on keeping the combat going in order to maintain your score multiplier and gain as many points as possible. With the score system of the game there is always room for improvement, and each time you play a level you’re constantly trying to better your previous high score and increase your multiplier as high as possible.

To look at still images of the game you’d be forgiven for thinking that the game doesn’t look all that, immerse yourself in the Resogun world though and it’s highly likely that you won’t want to put down your controller for a very long time. You might not think that Resogun looks like your kind of game, or may feel a little underwhelmed that this side-scrolling shoot ’em up is amongst the first titles exclusive to the PS4, reserve judgement until you’ve played it though, and if you are a PS4 owner subscribed to Playstation Plus then there’s really no reason not to have tried out this deceptively impressive PS4 title.

Resogun is an excellent PS4 launch title from Sony, a fantastically simplistic game that takes things back to basics to provide a beautifully addictive game that will not just be fun for older gamers looking for a nostalgic gaming experience, but also extremely enjoyable for younger fans looking for an excellent pick-up-and-play title.

Whilst many people have bemoaned the lack of exclusives at launch for PS4/Xbox One, Resogun definitely stands out strongly as one of the very best; really do make it your mission to give Resogun a go as you may just find this to be your very favourite exclusive.

Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril Review

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If you’ve experienced previous games in the Lego franchise, the chances are that playing Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril is going to be a bit of a shock to the system. Gone are the long levels of old, what we are instead provided with is a series of short mission-based blasts as you explore the Marvel universe, unlocking further superheroes in the process.

With plenty of characters to play as and unlock, Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril definitely provides a fun experience in finding out exactly who’s included, the form factor of the levels however is something that is likely to leave fans divided. Whereas in the past a key part of the fun of the Lego game experience has come from exploration and the intrigue of finding out the various items you’re to build to help progress your way through the game, much of this process of exploration has now been taken away as a result of the short level length, and there’s really not much to do at all in terms of building items. Occasionally you will be required to build something, this is something that happens far less frequently than in previous games in the Lego game franchise, however, and it’s disappointing to lose out on much of this area of the game. For those that do a lot of their handheld gaming on the go, the new level format should definitely be of appeal as the short level length is perfect for filling short expanses of time, if you’re more for a longer level length though then this could be an area of disappointment in comparison to other Lego games that you may have played in the past.

There’s definitely a fantastic pick-up-and-play value about Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril; you don’t need to be an advanced level of gamer to get to grips with the controls and there’s no real learning curve with mastering them. There’s no jump functionality which seems a bit strange, with characters such as Iron Man you can though, and with Spider-Man you can use use your web to swing your way through each level. Finding out what each different character can do is always fun and this is definitely a major appeal of the game, the individual levels can feel a bit repetitive, however, and slow loading times when loading up each level can certainly be extremely frustrating.

Keeping the cut scenes from the home console release, the video quality is extremely poor in this handheld release and this is therefore extremely disappointing. Whilst the content of the cut scenes is strong, the fact that the quality of them is awful really detracts from the overall experience, souring an otherwise impressive area of the game. The video quality of the cut scenes is something that really should have been taken into consideration when this game was released, it’s difficult to ignore just how poor they look, and although you always want to watch them to the end to find out how the story of the game is progressing, the extremely low quality makes it incredibly tempting to skip them and avoid the frustration of just how bad they look, especially on the 3DS XL’s larger screen.

Graphically the game is solid, it’s obviously not as crisp and beautiful looking as you’ll find on the home console version, for a handheld release it definitely looks pretty decent though, and if you’ve played and enjoyed the look of previous games in the franchise for handheld then you should appreciate the aesthetic sheen of this title.

This is a game that has many areas for criticism, and compared to its home console counterpart it really does have many drawbacks. The poor quality cut scenes, the lack of free roaming, the inability to jump, and the extremely slow load speeds certainly all are extremely disappointing aspects of the title, they make playing Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril Review an extremely frustrating experience at times and you definitely feel a little cheated when you consider the various different plus points of the home console release over the handheld title. All things considered though, it’s not quite so easy to take out your home console of choice on public transport and get gaming, and in a handheld gaming title you may well be looking for a different kind of gaming experience that’s catered for with the short level length and mission-based gameplay. This game is not as fully featured as it is on the home consoles, but it does still come with a strong selection of Marvel heroes and a good number of levels to get stuck into. They may not be long levels, if you’re interested in completing each level’s tasks and exploring them with various different Marvel heroes this definitely expands the longevity of the title, however, and for Marvel fans this could definitely be a fun game to help fill the time when you’re out and about.

Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril will not be for everyone due to the short level length and lack of free roaming, for some the level length will be a plus point rather than a criticism, however, and for killing short periods of time this game could definitely do a good job of filling a small gap in your schedule. It’s far from being the greatest handheld title ever released, for those that love their Lego games and are fanatical about their Marvel super heroes it certainly has a fair amount of content to keep you entertained though and it’s a game that does have a few cool features up its sleeve even if it does also feature annoying points and disappoint in certain areas. Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril is certainly not a must-have title, but it’s also not a must-avoid.