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 animated characters by Universal Animation Studios, Illumination and DreamWorks Animation, all owned by Universal Studios. It was developed by Avalanche Software and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, in partnership with NBCUniversal, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on September 28, 2018.

The game 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 Story Mode, Peri, Gru, and 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. The game received mixed to positive reviews from critics, who praised the graphics, controls and a revival of toys-to-life but criticized some of its similarities to the Disney Infinity series.

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 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, Peri 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 Studios is in danger again. When they came back to Universal Studios, 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.

More coming soon!

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 have announced a partnership with Universal Studios to make an action-adventure sandbox video game using characters from properties by Universal-owned animation studios, such as Universal Animaion Studios, Illumination Entertainment, and DreamWorks Animation. It will be a successor to the Disney Infinity series. 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. Skylar Astin reprised his role as Branch from the TV series, replacing Justin Timberlake. In April 2018, WB Games announced that Grant Kirkhope and Brian Tyler have been hired to co-compose the game. Tyler had previously arranged the 2012 Universal fanfare.

Woody Woodpecker
More coming soon!
 * Woody Woodpecker

Gabriel Garza

 * Gabriel Garza
 * Roge Garza
 * Leno Garza
 * Cole Garza
 * Loy Garza
 * The Elves
 * Claire Jones
 * Jan Soto
 * Lily Stampla
 * Lester Stampla
 * Donnie Stampla
 * Tam Williams
 * Aqua
 * Vio
 * Mr. Leek

Paint World

 * Deon Splatt
 * Gracie GaColor
 * Zach Splatt
 * Splash

Computeropolis

 * Peri Dazz
 * Nicky Kickzoo
 * Vinna Binz
 * Travis
 * Notepad Ned
 * Painting Paula
 * Media Player Mike
 * Manager Marc
 * Commander Cindy

Quest

 * Ridder
 * Princess Pela
 * Deun

Paradoria

 * Jamo
 * Princess Keena

Luna & Zak

 * Luna McPherson
 * Zak Douglas
 * A.C.E.

Imagimals

 * Prack
 * Busho
 * Moot
 * Sard
 * Crushie

Lix

 * Lix
 * Melody

Despicable Me

 * Felonius Gru
 * Dru Gru
 * Lucy Wilde
 * The Minions
 * Margo Gru
 * Edith Gru
 * Agnes Gru

The Secret Life of Pets

 * Max
 * Duke
 * Snowball
 * Gidget

Sing

 * Buster Moon
 * Rosita
 * Mike
 * Ash
 * Johnny
 * Meena
 * Gunter
 * Miss Crawly

Shrek

 * Shrek
 * Donkey
 * Puss in Boots
 * Princess Fiona

Madagascar

 * Alex
 * Marty
 * Melman
 * Gloria
 * The Penguins (Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private)
 * King Julien
 * Mort
 * Maurice

Kung Fu Panda

 * Po
 * Shifu
 * Tigress
 * Viper
 * Monkey
 * Mantis
 * Crane

How to Train Your Dragon

 * Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III
 * Toothless

The Croods

 * Grug Crood
 * Eep Crood
 * Guy
 * Ugga Crood
 * Thunk Crood
 * Gran
 * Belt
 * Sandy Crood

Trolls

 * Poppy
 * Branch

Other characters
Coming soon!

Cast

 * Eric Bauza as Woody Woodpecker
 * Jason Drucker as Gabriel Garza
 * Elijah Wood as Roge Garza
 * Alexander Gould as Leno Garza
 * Hayden Rolence as Cole Garza
 * Alan Tudyk as Loy Garza
 * Michael Wildshill as the Elves
 * Hayden Panettiere as Claire Jones
 * Chloë Grace Moretz as Tam Williams
 * 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
 * Justin Long as Ridder
 * Sarah Michelle Gellar as Princess Pela
 * Simon Pegg as Deun
 * 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
 * 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
 * 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
 * Kath Soucie as Viper
 * James Sie as Monkey
 * Max Koch as Mantis
 * Drew Massey as Crane
 * Jay Baruchel as Hiccup
 * Angela Bartys as Astrid
 * Christopher L. Parson as Grug
 * Stephanie Lemelin as Eep
 * Dominic Catrambone as Guy
 * 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
 * 7) Beginning of the Universal Legendary Heroes Story
 * 8) You Found a Legendary Hero!
 * 9) Inside Computeropolis
 * 10) Peri and Nicky's Friends Reunited
 * 11) A Boss Arrives/Boss Battle

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".

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 cancelled due to the discontinuation of the console and in favor of the Nintendo Switch.