Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 is an action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective. The game features a similar gameplay to its predecessors and other Lego video games, alternating between various action-adventure sequences and puzzle-solving scenarios. The ability to manipulate time is allowed to players directly from the new open world of Chronopolis, which is a myriad of 18 different Marvel locations (including K’un-L’un, Attilan, a Hydra empire, a Marvel Noir version of New York City, Knowhere, an alternate medieval time, and several other places) linked through time and space. The game also introduces a new four-player competitive super hero battling mode, allowing players to fight each other cooperatively in battle arenas.
Much like the two previous Lego Marvel games, the players are able to take control of a roster of iconic characters from the Marvel Universe, each with their own unique abilities. For example, Star-Lord is capable of flight, Black Panther can activate claw switches, and Spider-Man can swing on his webs, crawl on walls and use his spider-sense to detect hidden objects. The game also features characters from different time periods and realities over the Marvel Universe, which includes Spider-Gwen, a cowboy version of Captain America, a gladiator Hulk, and many others. In addition, the game also features variations of sundry characters, like Iron Duck (who is merely Howard the Duck wearing the Iron Man’s armor) and Carnom (a fusion of Venom and Carnage that’s exclusive to the game).
While some characters are just based on the comic books, others have their visuals taken from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, such as the Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man. Using the ability to manipulate time, the players can change the look and abilities of certain characters. For instance, they can take Baby Groot (from the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) and move time forward for him to become his adult version, and Spider-Man can go both ways with his Noir and 2099 counterparts.
