It’s easy to get swept away in the character reveals (ranging from Captain America to Loki to Groot), but a closer look at the announcement trailer shows off some of the new features and gameplay mechanics that the expansion will introduce, many of which were at the request of players of the original. Consumers who have already sunk significant hours and dollars into the core Disney Infinity game don’t have to worry - executive producer John Vignocchi has already confirmed that all components (bases, power discs, characters and saved content) from the original game will seamlessly carry over to the new world order of 2.0. Come fall, those Disney playable characters will be looking in on some play sets much larger than what we’ve seen so far in the game.
Watching the Avengers knockout grunts on the streets of Infinity’s New York makes it clear that a lot of thought was put into how each character would move, speak, and fight like their comic book inspirations. From the iconic Captain America shield throw to Iron Man’s repulsor beam and Hulk’s smash, all of the classic attacks are there. We didn’t see a whole lot of team superpower synergy in the trailer, which is part of what makes using these characters in Marvel Ultimate Alliance or Lego Marvel Super Heroes so fun, but hopefully those capabilities will come into play at some point.
The Disney Infinity 2.0 starter pack will include the extra-sized Avengers-themed play set, two power discs, and three of the new Marvel characters. Black Widow, Thor, and Iron Man are included in the set, but players who want to assemble the whole team will need to purchase Cap, Hawkeye, and Hulk separately. Disney released a few images showcasing how the iconic comic book heroes’ style and aesthetic were modified to make them more at home in the world of Infinity. The new character models are definitely familiar enough to still feel like their film and comic counterparts, but they do look a little more like something from The Incredibles than what some fans might be used to.
The Marvel Manhattan play set will be roughly four times the game’s original play set. Part of the reason for the drastic increase in size was to compensate for the extraordinary powers of the new characters. Because some characters can now fly, it was important to spread things out and give the heroes (and villains) room to breath. The new flying system will utilize both hovering and a forward flight ability. Players can engage in combat in either of the flying varieties. Some players without the gift of flight will be able to reach similar heights with super jumps and the ability to scale large buildings (Hulk gives a pretty good demo of this in the trailer).
For gamers who prefer to stay on the ground, the new motorcycles (which Captain America puts to use in the trailer) will be a nice change of pace from the usual vehicles, representing the addition of two-wheel vehicles. Cap uses a motorcycle for a major action scene in both of his standalone movies, so it seems like the appropriate mode of transportation for him to explore the extra large new map. According to one of the new Power Discs, it looks like the bad guys will be able to burn rubber too with an unlockable Hydra Motorcycle. Now that motorcycles and Marvel are a part of the Infinity world, comic fans will likely be crossing their fingers that Wolverine and Ghost Rider eventually make an appearance with their own custom bikes.
