The Lego Movie Videogame
Producer: Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment
Release Date: February 7, 2014
Platform: Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3, PS4, PC, Wii U, 3DS, PS Vita
Rating: E10+
Genre: Action-Adventure
Lego Maniac
Written by Josh Schilling
Whether you have played them or not, or whether you like then or not, the Lego videogame franchise is a dominate force in the industry. With over twenty titles in their pocket, they have enabled gamers to smash various colored bricks while playing as Jedi, pirates, wizards, superheroes, and scruffy-looking nerf herders. For the majority of their previous titles, developer TT Games has relied on interesting puzzles, slightly addictive gameplay combined with collectibles, and a humorous spin on an enormously popular movie franchise. With their newest entry The Lego Movie Videogame, the formula is generally the same, however the main story is derived from an original movie appropriately titled The Lego Movie.
The film introduces new characters to the Lego universe and brings back a few familiar ones as well. The story centers on Emmet, a blindly optimistic construction worker that ends up being the central figure on a quest to save the Lego world from the conniving Lord Business. The game directly follows the story and includes multiple clips from the movie as well. It continues the current trend of the Lego games by including voice acting, which is a definite plus as the truly random assortment of characters in the game are voiced excellently. You get to explore and fully experience the different Lego locales, and utilize the character’s special abilities to uncover hidden collectibles, or to progress the story. The Lego Movie Videogame even introduces some new aspects to the franchise as well, including a small, piece matching mini-game that rewards quick thinking with heaps of studs.
What sets this Lego game apart from the others is the true out-of-left-field aspects that bombard the player. The characters vary wildly from the straight-laced workers in the early area, to the blind prophet Vetruvius and free-spirited Wyldstyle. Then you get historical figures like Shakespeare, Lincoln and Michelangelo playing along with a small cast of DC superheroes including Superman, Wonder Woman and the integral Batman. But then it really gets bizarre with characters like Uni-kitty, Metalbeard, Panda Guy, El Macho Wrestler, The Green Ninja, and the awesomely determined antagonist Bad Cop. These characters should give you a glimpse of what you could expect from this game. A great deal of the humor you experience comes from quick, unexpected sources, and it will keep you on your toes as you wait for the next comedic blindside.
Now I know that the main story of the game mirrors the movie, and you should probably see the film before playing the game, what I enjoyed most about the overall experience was the story. It is incredibly poignant, interesting and unexpected, while remaining appealing to young and old alike. The game is of course more immersive as you get to spend more time is the numerous locales while experiencing nuances that can’t be caught in the brief time you have to watch a movie. The game does include co-op, so you can run around, discover new characters, smash thousands of bricks and collect millions of studs with a second player by your side. While the main story is somewhat short, and the replay aspect is limited, there are still many, many hours of game time waiting for the determined player that wants to uncover every secret and collectible that is scattered throughout the worlds. As with the previous Lego titles, completing the main story is only half the fun.
I have played way too many of the Lego games, yet I still had a lot of fun with The Lego Movie Videogame. Instead of reliving a well-known movie, I was treated to an homage to the Lego videogame history, along with a fantastic story that pelted me with shiny studs of comedy and action. I have now become a full-fledged disciple of the Lego franchise, and now truly look forward to the next installment from TT Games. According to their track record, a new Lego game should probably be out next Tuesday.