Game review: The Lego Movie 2 Videogame packed with quests, locations and characters

Based on an open world setting from the 2017 game Lego Worlds and tapping locations from both movies, The Lego Movie 2 Videogame is packed with quests and activities to complete. PHOTO: WARNER BROS INTERACTIVE

Buoyed by the success of its movie counterpart, The Lego Movie Videogame went on to garner loads of accolades following the release of both movie and game in 2014. Five years on, the sequels of both are here and Emmet, Lucy and their blocky friends are back to renew their charm on fans.

Based on an open world setting from the 2017 game Lego Worlds and tapping locations from both movies, The Lego Movie 2 Videogame is packed with quests and activities to complete.

This time round, an invasion by the Duplo brick aliens led to the capture of most of the Lego characters and it is up to Emmet, Lucy and the remaining few to save them.

As with any Lego video games, the core activity involves breaking and collecting studs and bricks to build items needed for tackling various puzzles. Along the way, players will discover hidden chests containing relics that can be redeemed at in-game stores for objects, characters, vehicles and blueprints. The more of these items players unlock, the more options they will have in the game.

Some areas in the game are only accessible with tools earned from exploring other planets. Playing through the story campaign lets players unlock these tools progressively.

You start off by playing as Emmet. You can customise the look of your character by interchanging its body parts with parts you have unlocked. However, some missions require you to switch back to the default outfits for certain characters, which can be easily done.

All characters have access to the same abilities and tools. But the superhero characters lack the skills and powers that they are normally associated with, except in a brief but entertaining animation sequence in the game. Hence, Superman does not fly, Flash does not sprint and Batman rocks with a guitar. There are over a hundred characters and a wide selection of vehicles from various Lego franchises that gamers can unlock, which is just delightful. Among them are Lego DC characters. However, Marvel characters and characters from other movie franchises are missing, possibly due to licensing issues.

  • FOR

    - Fun, free roaming gameplay

    - Decent collection of characters, vehicles and buildings

    AGAINST

    - Unlocking relics can become tedious

    - Absence of some characters

    - General lack of animated sequences

    Rating: 7/10

    Price: From S$54.90 (PC; PS4, version tested; Xbox One; Switch)

    Genre: Action adventure

Alas, there are some design shortcomings in the game. Awkward camera angles can cause players to lose their bearings, though if they do perish, it will only set them back by a few seconds. Bad collision detection made me lose a few precious relics when they rolled away, though the opportunities to get them again will always reappear. And I wish there is a faster way to redeem collected relics. The relics can only be unwrapped individually, which is time consuming. Lastly, players are limited to one task at a time, thus requiring them revisit locations.

There are thirteen planets from the base game for players to explore, and another three locations from future downloadable content. So take your time and play at your own pace.

The game can be played solo, or cooperatively with a player next to you or who is online, making it great as bonding sessions with family and friends.

Nizam Mohd is a freelance writer.

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