It’s hard to believe now, but during the late 90s, the Lego company faced an enormous struggle to stay relevant and profitable as children turned elsewhere for entertainment. Now, however, the Danish toy outfit has established itself as a cultural giant built not just from little bricks, but from licensed toys, animated feature films and, of course, video games. The unique, symbiotic connection between key brands like Star Wars, physical Lego playsets and the hugely successful Lego series of games was always going to lead toward a “toys-to-life” title. In this genre, created by Activision’s Skylanders series, special action figures can be placed on a USB portal, which then renders them into the on-screen action (using a rather unglamorous technology close to that which sees an Oyster card open a Tube station’s gate). The only surprise is that it’s taken so long for Dimensions to arrive. Created by Traveller’s Tales, the team behind many of the recent Lego video games, Dimensions’ design takes on a fundamentally similar form to its forbearers.
It’s a third-person action-adventure where gameplay centres on light combat and environmental puzzle solving, with switches, levers and locked doors serving as Dimension’s core currency of interaction. But while it’s conventional, it is certainly not mediocre. Lego Dimensions offers a hugely captivating world filled with character and considered design. The wit that this studio has brought to its previous titles is immediately evident in the setting. Thanks to the dimension-plundering efforts of an archetypical super villain played by Gary Oldman, the game’s cast of protagonists – opening with the Batman, Gandalf and Lego Movie characters included in the starter pack – are forced to protect a series of high-profile fictional worlds. The result sees the protagonists, locations and lore of The Wizard of Oz, Doctor Who, The Simpsons and more mixed and mashed into a series of entertaining levels. The environments are detailed and imaginative, playing home to well-designed puzzles that reward single and cooperative play with near equal grace.
The quality of writing and knack for comedy shines through. Whether it’s Batman’s frustrated attempt to comprehend a Tardis, or confusion about right and wrong on the Yellow Brick Road, Dimensions knows how to raise a smile. There are odd glitches to be found, and perhaps the value of the boss battle is slightly overstated throughout the game. Predominantly, though, Dimensions is tremendous fun. But what of those physical toys? In Dimensions they are, of course, built from Lego, taking the form of characters and vehicles. The starter pack includes the required Toy Pad platform, the three aforementioned character figures, and one vehicle; a diminutive Lego Batmobile. Very quickly, the unique strength of Lego reveals itself. While other toys-to-life games like Skylanders and Disney Infinity have mostly provided players with static action figures, this is a game that wants you to really play with the toys. In fact, the opening starts with putting the controller aside and building a portal on the Toy Pad.
Later models are reconstructed to track progress and reflect upgrades in game, and throughout, you’re never far from the next moment you switch thumbsticks for bricks. But with the toys also comes Dimension’s capacity to irritate. Unavailable areas, hidden items and other concealed elements lurk in each and every level. Many can only be accessed by certain characters or vehicles not included in the starter pack, which must be purchased in the real world for real money. Although this is a standard feature of this genre, it’s still a bridge between the physical and virtual that most parents could probably do without – especially as the extra sets do not come cheap. Available in various arrangements that each provide new Lego models and game content – including entire new missions and levels in some cases – the packs are certainly of a quality equal to the base game. But it is Dimension’s habit of constantly suggesting the introduction of these new elements that is bound to put pressure on parental wallets.
Buying a new pack does make revisiting a level rewarding, and arguably lends longevity to the experience. But one thing is clear; the completist will have to spend hundreds of pounds to experience Dimensions in its entirety. The base game, though, remains superb – the ways Dimensions harnesses what Lego does best to blend the tangible with the digital is consistently delightful. Dimensions may be the best Lego game yet, but like the sweets at the supermarket counter, or those tantalising extras in the latest free-to-play smartphone game, it might prove most talented when it comes to causing friction between parent and child.PS3/PS4/Wii U/Xbox 360/Xbox One (version tested); Could this be the best LEGO game yet? TT GAMES have returned with another epic LEGO game and this latest adventure could be the biggest and best one ever made. The bods at Lego don't do it in halves.They've amassed a whopping army of 200 superheroes and villains in their newest game Lego Marvel's Avengers.The title brings together six films worth of classic Marvel action in one hilarious new kiddie shooter.
You get to take in baddies like Ultron with a hoard of playable heroes including Iron Man, Thor and Hulk.It looks great fun and it's available now in shops on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. You can also get it on PS3, Wii U and Xbox 360. Lego Marvel’s Avengers is the first video game to feature storylines from the critically-acclaimed film The Avengers and its hit sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron.It also has playable content based on additional Marvel Studios blockbusters, including Captain America: The First Avenger, Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. “An epic combination for fans and newcomers alike” Tom Stone, of developer TT Games, said: “Lego Marvel’s Avengers celebrates the thrilling world of Avengers as only a Lego game can.“Players of all ages will be able to experience their favourite Marvel moments in a brand new way, through six different blockbuster films across the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while also exploring an incredible amount of classic Avengers characters and content from famed Marvel Comics, all with our unique Lego style and humour."
It’s an epic combination for fans and newcomers alike.”Gamers can play and unlock more than 200 characters, with over 100 new characters that have not appeared in a Lego videogame before.For the first time, players can execute incredible Avengers Team-Up Moves resulting in incredible combos when using core Avengers, including Black Widow, Captain America, Hawkeye, Hulk, Thor and Iron Man. It also features a unique take on open world gameplay, with eight different environments to explore within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the expansive streets of Marvel’s New York, as well as Asgard, Barton’s Farm, Malibu, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Base Exterior, Sokovia, South Africa and Washington, D.C.Players can freely roam around these open world locations using brand new gameplay mechanics, allowing Hulk to super jump off skyscrapers, Quicksilver to speed run over water or even play as giant characters, like the menacing Fing Fang Foom, who can grow to the size of tall buildings.Open World Manhattan will also be available on handheld consoles for the first time so fans can enjoy the sprawling concrete jungle on the go, anytime, anywhere.