Somewhere along the line, LEGO games on portables got really small. Older LEGO adventures on DS and PSP at least tried to recreate the large-scale action and exploration of their console big brothers, but more recent installments (like LEGO Marvel Superheroes) have streamlined the gameplay to the point where the portables feel like they’re getting a plastic brick shaft. The LEGO Movie Videogame on PS Vita and 3DS is no exception: its stripped-down gameplay and focus on bite-sized levels and timed achievements make it feel like a rushed, lesser version of the console experience. Like the console version, The LEGO Movie Videogame for 3DS and Vita follows the storyline of the movie exactly, only this time the action is divvied up into 45 mini-levels. In theory, that makes a lot of sense on portable systems where you might not have 20 or 30 minutes to complete a single level and just want a quick burst of LEGO fun, but most levels go by so quickly that the desire to go back and replay them to explore further is ruined.
Some levels can be completed in a couple of minutes, such as those love-’em-or-hate-’em falling sequences in which you have to maneuver the lovable star, Emmet, to avoid obstacles while plummeting through as many bonus pick-ups as possible. Others, like driving and mine-cart railed sequences can be so infuriating to get through in the first place that only completionists will want to load them up again. The action on 3DS and Vita is also shown from an overhead isometric perspective as opposed to the console versions’ closer, over-the-shoulder viewpoint. So, yay - not only are you playing on a smaller screen, but everything looks smaller, too. Otherwise, the gameplay is the regular entertaining LEGO formula of exploration (though more limited), smashing your surroundings into collectible studs, punching bad guys, and solving puzzles using each character’s unique abilities. Emmet, for example, can fix machines with his wrench, and Wyldstyle is a Master Builder capable of assembling huge contraptions.
And then there are the timed objectives, like beating a number of bad guys in a set amount of time to earn bonuses. I get why they’re here - they add variety and give you an extra reason to go back and replay a mission - but they seem counterintuitive to the laid-back, toybox approach of LEGO games. Suddenly you’re being prodded to hurry up, or worse, race to an objective, when what you really want to do is explore and experiment with the colorful plastic world around you. What’s most irritating about this portable version, though, is that you can actually die. As in, the kind of death that forces you to restart the level and try, try, again. In the console version, like most LEGO games, you’ll lose some studs when your health is depleted, but you can always jump right back up and continue from where you fell to pieces (literally). But the Vita and 3DS editions greet you with a “restart level” screen that puts you back at the start. True, most of the levels aren’t terribly long to begin with, but the side effect is that the portable version is tougher.
Accidentally fall off a platform? Get whacked to bits by a tough boss? Since portable editions tend to skew towards younger players, the increased difficulty on 3DS and Vita seems strange. The LEGO Movie Videogame naturally looks best on Vita given its power and higher resolution, while the 3DS version is more pixilated and has a lower framerate. Otherwise, the two are virtually identical, including the annoying touch-screen controls that make you tap the screen repeatedly to make Emmet jackhammer something or swirl your finger around to assemble objects. Most of these are optional, though, and you can substitute button presses or the control stick/D-pad to do the same things. The LEGO Movie Videogame manages to ride the charm of its hilarious source material, yet still reeks of movie tie-in-itis. The 3DS and Vita versions’ bite-sized chunks of gameplay make the overall experience feel less like a grand LEGO adventure and more like a series of mini-games and puzzles crammed into where the story should be.
There’s still a lot of fun to be had in wanton destruction and problem-solving, but this trip into LEGO-land feels too rushed to be awesome.iPhone/iPad, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One Awaiting 2 more reviews Mixed or average reviews- based on 13 Ratings More Details and Credits » users found this helpful The LEGO Movie Videogame - Launch Trailer The LEGO Movie Videogame - Official Trailer The Lego Movie Videogame is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by TT Fusion. It follows the plot of the animated film The Lego Movie. The game was published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and released alongside the film in 2014 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One,[1] and on 16 October 2014 for Mac OS X by Feral Interactive. Continuing the trend of gameplay from previous Lego titles by TT Games, the game puts players in control of various characters from the movie, utilizing Lego pieces to make their way through several levels.
For the first time in the series, environments are completely made out of Lego pieces. The game introduces two main new character types: Regular Builders (such as Emmet in earlier levels) and Master Builders (such as Batman, Benny, Princess Uni-Kitty, Vitruvius, and Wyldstyle). Regular Builders are unable to normally construct objects out of piles of Lego pieces and instead require instruction pages that are found throughout each level for the construction worker characters to use. Using these, players follow the instructions to build objects with specific pieces like real-life LEGO sets. Master Builders, on the other hand, have the ability to grab Lego pieces from the environment and use them to create something new. While Lord Business is known for using switches in either his Lord Business form or his President Business form, other known abilities for each of the characters include fixing machinery, hacking into computers, destroying gold bricks with lasers, destroying silver bricks with rockets or dynamite, starting fires, and putting out fires.
The Lego Movie Videogame received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the PlayStation 4 version 71.67% and 74/100,[4][7] the Xbox One version 69.90% and 69/100,[6][9] and the Xbox 360 version 73% and 71/100, respectively. Andrew Hayward of IGN gave the game a 6.5 out of 10, calling it "Okay". He said that some aspects of the game were "boring", and that the game's "diverse backdrops and heroes devolve into tedium and busywork."[16] Game Informer's Andrew Reiner gave the game a positive score of 8 out of 10 in his review. He called it a "visual marvel" while praising the graphics, characters, and soundtrack. In his generally average review for Destructoid, Ian Bonds scored the game a 7.5 out of 10. He stated: "The LEGO Movie Videogame does a decent job telling the movie's story and being its own licensed tie-in game – to its own licensed tie-in movie. Thankfully, both are fun in their own right." Giancarlo Saldana of GamesRadar awarded the game a 4/5, writing: "The Lego Movie Videogame is one of the better movie tie-in games out there, and it may even get you to see the film if you haven’t already.
Its action-packed stages will keep you on your toes, and all those cheeky quips from its characters are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. It may not bring anything new to the table, but The Lego Movie Videogame takes some of the best elements from the series and delivers it all in a charming package anyone will want to play with." Saldana had minor criticisms of the game; he disliked the smaller amount of content (compared to other Lego games) and said glitches can ruin the fun. scored the game a 6/10, mostly praising the mix of humour, locations, and characters. Bratt's main criticisms were concerning the game's familiarity, saying: "The Lego Movie's main problem is its origin. Whereas past movie tie-ins have gleefully poked fun at their source material, adapting Hogwarts, Middle-Earth, or Gotham (among others) to fit the Lego universe, this game isn't given that opportunity, and is poorer for it. Using clips from the film during cutscenes and rarely making its own gags, I’m reminded that I don’t play the Lego games for their simplistic gameplay, which predictably hasn't changed here.
Instead, I play them to see other, famous worlds reimagined with that Lego magic. There's nothing wrong with The Lego Movie Videogame, but it just doesn't have the same appeal as other entries in the series." Jason Venter of GameSpot gave the game a positive review; Venter scored the game a 7 out of 10 and stated: "The Lego Movie Videogame is a faithful take on its source material, with just enough of the film's content missing to make it worth getting out to the theater, but not so much that the game's narrative becomes difficult to follow. The added interaction is also welcome and is handled in a manner that keeps the experience approachable and generally refined, even if it isn't always as creative and varied as you might hope. While not everything is awesome, The Lego Movie Videogame should be just the ticket if you're ready to spend another 10 to 12 hours in the fantastic world of animated plastic blocks." Blake Peterson from Game Revolution scored the game a 3.5 out of 5. He cited the "great" comedy, "high" replay value, and "fun" mini-games as positives, but criticized the presence of technical issues, disliked the platforming gameplay sections, and felt that the game should have looked better graphically.
Peterson thought the first half of the game featured "strong" gameplay, but felt the second half's gameplay was "weak". Peterson also praised the game for capturing the feel of the movie. Marc Camron of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game a positive score of 8.5 out of 10 in his review. Camron stated: "Another smash-and-collect game featuring everyone’s favorite building toy. This time around, it’s based on the new animated movie and offers many of the hilarious characters fresh off the screen. A little bit of fresh gameplay livens up this entry, but a few story and camera problems hamper the experience somewhat. Ultimately, The LEGO Movie Videogame is great fun and perfect for fans of the fantastic plastic." ^ a b Bonds, Ian. "Review: The LEGO Movie Videogame — Everything is (moderately) awesome". Retrieved 13 September 2015. ^ a b Peterson, Blake. "The LEGO Movie Videogame Review". ^ a b Saldana, Giancarlo. "THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME REVIEW". ^ a b Bratt, Christopher.