I think it's safe to say that most of us grew up with Lego in our lives. From building wonky houses or vehicles that had different sized wheels, to even steeping on random Legos by accident (I know, worst pain ever, right?), Lego as a brand has always been with us. And of course this eventually spread into the world of videogames. Since the release of Lego Island for Windows back in 1997, Lego based games have been hitting the shelves now and again. However, once Lego brought out Lego Star Wars: The Videogame in 2005, the games have been coming out hard and fast, and have tapped into big film franchises such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Marvel and The Pirates of the Caribbean. Now with The Lego Movie out, a videogame tie-in was expected. Aptly named The Lego Movie Videogame, does it do anything new, or is it just the same old Lego videogame formula?
Developed by TT Games, The Lego Movie Videogame pretty much follows the storyline of the film from start to finish. The game focuses on Emmett, a guy who lives the boring and mundane life of a simple Lego construction worker. That is until Wildstyle comes into his life, a girl who believes that Emmett is a Master Builder; a powerful Lego capable of creating anything without the need for instruction manuals. Now, with a Lego tyrant planning to glue all Legos together, Emmett must join up with the other Master Builders in a bid to stop him. The story is pretty basic but fun, and ultimately makes for a great set up for a game through its many action set pieces.
The formula largely remains the same in The Lego Movie Videogame. Throughout the course of the game the player controls various characters, starting with Emmett himself. Through levels the player needs to solve various puzzles to advance further. These puzzles generally call for Emmett to build, break or fix something. For instance, the player might need to fix a bridge, which will have them venture through a level looking for a missing screw. This is of course blended with some expected Lego enemy bashing, but above all construction is the key here. However, The Lego Videogame Movie changes it up slightly in that way that there are now two types of characters- Regular Builders and Master Builders. Controlling a Regular Builder requires the player to find the instruction manual of an object or structure before they can construct it, while as a Master Builder that isn't a problem. Master Builders aren't usable right off the bat, but finding these instruction manuals can be pretty damn fun in of itself.
The Lego Movie Videogame is a game for all ages. Kids will love it, parents playing with their kids will share in a wonderful experience together and gamers playing it by themselves will have a lot of fun with it. But it's a by-the-numbers Lego game. The formula remains the same, which is a problem. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed some of the past Lego games, and yeah, I enjoyed this, but I felt like I was playing Lego The Lord of the Rings merely re-textured, as opposed to a brand new game. Nearing the end of the game I felt bored, basically. If you're looking for a game that will challenge your skills you're barking up the wrong plastic tree here. But if you're looking for a fun, cute and often hilarious time sink then be sure to check out The Lego Movie Videogame. Sure, it ain't Ico, Batman: Arkham Asylum or Grand Theft Auto 5, but you'll probably smile more playing this game instead.
The Lego Movie Videogame is fun but has some dust on its blocks and gets a 3/5, [★★★☆☆]
Denis Murphy
The LEGO Movie Videogame at CeX




















