Universal Studios Legendary Heroes

Universal Studios Legendary Heroes (also known as Universal Legendary Heroes and sometimes known as Universal Studios Infinity or simply Universal Infinity) is a 2018 action-adventure sandbox video game featuring the Universal Pictures animated characters including Universal Animation Studios, Illumination, and DreamWorks Animation. It was developed by Avalanche Software and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, in partnership with Universal's parent company NBCUniversal, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on September 28, 2018.

Universal Studios Legendary Heroes is a successor to the Disney Infinity series, in which Disney abandoned the series on May 10, 2016, due to Avalanche Software's closure until it was acquired and re-opened by Warner Bros. on January 24, 2017. Like Disney Infinity, the setting of the game is a giant customizable universe of imagination, populated with toy versions of iconic Universal, Illumination, and DreamWorks characters. In the Story Mode, Peri Dazz from Computeropolis, Gru from Despicable Me, and Shrek from Shrek must rescue all of the animated characters that have been missing after the tornado attack to stop the monster that places a tornado spell at Universal Studios.

Universal Studios Legendary Heroes received mixed to positive reviews from critics, who praised the graphics, controls, story mode, and a revival of toys-to-life but criticized some of its similarities to the Disney Infinity series. The game became a commercial success with 2 million units sold worldwide. A sequel, Universal Studios Legendary Heroes: Classic Heroes, is set for release in 2019.

Gameplay
Universal Studios Legendary Heroes is an action-adventure game that uses collectible figurines that are then virtualized within the game, allowing for animated characters from Universal Studios properties to interact and go on adventures.

Plot
The story takes place at a fantasized version of Universal Studios, with Dronkeys flying around, the Neets running around, and it morphs into the Universal Studios theater with many Universal animated characters sitting down in their seats. Woody Woodpecker came to present the characters, but as the theater goes badly wrong, all the Universal animated characters left the theater to look at what is happening outside. They find that a tornado is about to hit the studio. They try to run away from the tornado, but it was too strong. The tornado then sucks every Universal animated character up. After the tornado attack, one of the characters, Peri Dazz, woke up and got confused that he didn't see everyone else, with the exception of Gru and Shrek. The three characters teamed up to find the rest of the characters.

After they rescue all the characters from different worlds, Woody Woodpecker alerts them that Universal is in danger again. When they came back to Universal, they actually saw the one who caused the tornado attack is the King of Tornadoes. He tells them that he'll summon another tornado attack to destroy the studio. Woody Woodpecker tells Peri that there should be 9 characters that will defeat the King of Tornadoes as 3 is not enough for the team.

As the King of Tornadoes is defeated, Woody Woodpecker would like to thank the legendary heroes for defeating him and they rebuild Universal to repair damages.

Development
With a lack of growth in Toys-to-life market and increasing developmental costs, the Disney Infinity series was discontinued on May 10, 2016, along with Avalanche Software's closure, despite some sources stating that there were some major plans in place to keep the series alive, and the presence of numerous new characters and playsets previously planned.

On January 24, 2017, following Avalanche Software's re-opening and acquisition by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, they announced a partnership with Universal Studios to make an action-adventure sandbox video game and successor to the Disney Infinity series using characters from properties by Universal-owned animation studios, such as Universal Animation Studios, Illumination Entertainment, and DreamWorks Animation. At E3 2017, the first gameplay demo was shown and it was announced that the game would be released in 2018.

Most of the voice cast from the original films reprised their roles while some of the voice cast from the video games reprised their roles respectively. For example, Skylar Astin reprised his role as Branch from the TV series, replacing Justin Timberlake (who couldn't reprise his role due to being busy with his music). In April 2018, WB Games announced that Grant Kirkhope and Brian Tyler had been hired to co-compose the game. Tyler had previously arranged the 2012 Universal fanfare.

Characters featured
The following is a list of character figurines that were released for Universal Studios Legendary Heroes. The starter pack, which included the game and Legendary Hero Base, contained figures for Peri Dazz, Felonius Gru, and Shrek, and three playsets based on Computeropolis, Despicable Me, and Shrek. Additional figures and playsets were sold in special packs, whilst certain figures were sold separately.

: Timed exclusive at GameStop. : Timed exclusive at Best Buy. : Timed exclusive at Target. : Only available in the United Kingdom.

Cast

 * Eric Bauza as Woody Woodpecker
 * Tom Kenny as Wally Walrus
 * Tara Strong as Winnie Woodpecker, Splinter and Tam Williams
 * Nika Futterman as Knothead
 * Brad Norman as Chilly Willy
 * Scott Weil as Andy Panda
 * Debi Derryberry as Gabriel Garza
 * Rob Paulsen as Roge Garza
 * E.G. Daily as Leno Garza and Claire Jones
 * Kath Soucie as Cole Garza and Viper
 * Doug Lawrence as Loy Garza
 * Billy West as the Elves
 * Noah Schnapp as Deon Splatt
 * Beverley Mitchell as Gracie GaColor
 * David Gallagher as Zach Splatt
 * Yuri Lowenthal as Peri Dazz
 * J.P. Manoux as Nicky Kickzoo
 * Sarah Silverman as Vinna Binz
 * Dan Fogler as Travis and A.C.E.
 * Jon Lovitz as Notepad Ned
 * Grey Griffin as Painting Paula
 * Jess Harnell as Media Player Mike
 * David Hyde Pierce as Manager Marc
 * Jodi Benson as Commander Cindy
 * Millie Bobby Brown as Zola
 * Finn Wolfhard as Jamo
 * AnnaSophia Robb as Princess Keena
 * Steve Samono as the Neets
 * Anne Hathaway as Luna McPherson
 * Josh Gad as Zak Douglas
 * Patton Oswalt as Prack and Max
 * John Goodman as Busho
 * Jesse Eisenberg as Moot
 * Wayne Knight as Sard
 * Amy Poehler as Crushie
 * Gwen Stefani as Lix
 * Jenny Slate as Melody and Gidget
 * Steve Carell as Gru and Dru
 * Kristen Wiig as Lucy Wilde
 * Pierre Coffin as the Minions
 * Miranda Cosgrove as Margo
 * Dana Gaier as Edith
 * Nev Scharrel as Agnes
 * Eric Stonestreet as Duke
 * Kevin Hart as Snowball
 * Matthew McConaughey as Buster Moon
 * Reese Witherspoon as Rosita
 * Seth MacFarlane as Mike
 * Scarlett Johansson as Ash
 * Taron Egerton as Johnny
 * Tori Kelly as Meena
 * Nick Kroll as Gunter
 * Garth Jennings as Miss Crawly
 * Benedict Cumberbatch as The Grinch
 * Michael Gough as Shrek
 * Mark Moseley as Donkey
 * Holly Fields as Princess Fiona
 * André Sogliuzzo as Puss in Boots
 * Wally Wingert as Alex
 * Phil LaMarr as Marty and Cool Spot
 * Stephen Stanton as Melman
 * Bettina Bush as Gloria
 * Tom McGrath as Skipper
 * Chris Miller as Kowalski
 * John DiMaggio as Rico
 * Christopher Knights as Private
 * Danny Jacobs as King Julien XIII
 * Matt Nolan as Mort
 * Mick Wingert as Po
 * Fred Tatasciore as Shifu and Maurice
 * Kari Wahlgren as Tigress
 * James Sie as Monkey
 * Max Koch as Mantis
 * Drew Massey as Crane
 * Jay Baruchel as Hiccup
 * Angela Bartys as Astrid
 * Anna Kendrick as Poppy
 * Skylar Astin as Branch

Soundtrack
All music composed by Grant Kirkhope and Brian Tyler.
 * 1) Title Screen
 * 2) Main Menu
 * 3) Story Mode Opening
 * 4) Lost
 * 5) Peri Reunites with 2 Heroes
 * 6) Around Universal Studios (remix of the 2012 Universal fanfare)
 * 7) Beginning of the Universal Legendary Heroes Story
 * 8) You Found a Legendary Hero!
 * 9) An Unexpected Mission
 * 10) Inside Computeropolis
 * 11) Peri and Nicky's Friends Reunited
 * 12) Cyber-Boy Strikes Back/Boss Battle with Cyber-Boy
 * 13) The Deep Web/Zola and the Apes
 * 14) Woody Woodpecker's World
 * 15) Buzz Buzzard Reborn/Boss Battle with Buzz Buzzard
 * 16) Sinking Spring/Gabriel Garza
 * 17) Vio is Back!/Boss Battle with Vio
 * 18) Through the Paint World
 * 19) Welcome to Paradoria
 * 20) King Kakas Kidnapped Keena!/Boss Battle with King Kakas
 * 21) Rescuing Princess Keena
 * 22) Luna & Zak Return!
 * 23) Meeting the Imagimals/Imagimals World
 * 24) Lix & Melody/Harmonia
 * 25) Despicable Me World
 * 26) Vector's Revenge!/Boss Battle with Vector
 * 27) New York/The Secret Life of Pets
 * 28) Sing Theater
 * 29) The Whoville/The Grinch
 * 30) Back to Far Far Away
 * 31) Lord Farquaad Begins!/Boss Battle with Lord Farquaad
 * 32) Madagascar World
 * 33) Kung Fu Panda/Ancient China
 * 34) Berk/How to Train Your Dragon
 * 35) The Troll Village
 * 36) Pop City/Cool Spot
 * 37) Danger is Coming Again!
 * 38) The King of Tornadoes/Final Boss Battle
 * 39) King of Tornadoes Fades Off (King of Tornadoes's Defeat)
 * 40) Happy Ending/Rebuilding Universal Studios
 * 41) End Credits
 * 42) Game Over

Reception
Universal Studios Legendary Heroes received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the game holds a 74 rating for the PlayStation 4 version, a 75 rating for the PC version, a 71 rating for the Nintendo Switch version, and a 69 rating for the Xbox One version.

IGN gave the game 8.0 out of 10, saying that "the game revives the toys-to-life market, it might be similar to Disney Infinity, but Universal Studios Legendary Heroes brings characters to life with refreshing graphics and story mode".

Sales
During the first two weeks of its release in the United States, WB Games revealed that the game sold an estimated 450,000 units (including 150,000 units for PlayStation 4).

Sequel
On March 10, 2019, Warner Bros. announced a follow-up game, to Universal Studios Legendary Heroes, Universal Studios Legendary Heroes: Classic Heroes for release on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in Q4 2019, featuring characters from classic Universal properties, as the first installment of Universal Studios Legendary Heroes 2.0. The game will feature improved Toybox editor tools and introduce Toybox Games, discs which allow players to create games based on genres such as tower defense. The game will also be compatible with all figurines and accessories from the previous Universal Studios Legendary Heroes. The starter pack will contain figures for Ama from Ama and the Mysterious Crystal, Magina from Magina, Niz Chicoloco from Niz Chicoloco, Zina from Zina and the Vivid Crew, and Sinbad and Marina from Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.

Transcripts
For the transcript of the game's story mode, see here.

Gallery
Coming soon!

Trivia

 * Universal Studios Legendary Heroes has a similar concept to Skylanders, Disney Infinity, and Lego Dimensions.
 * This is the second game developed by Avalanche Software after it was re-opened by Warner Bros., after the video game tie-in of Disney/Pixar's Cars 3.
 * The game was also planned to be ported on the Wii U, but it was canceled due to the discontinuation of the console and in favor of the Nintendo Switch.