Pre-launch
reviews are a rare thing these days, and most reviewers are constricted by
embargoes that stop them publishing reviews before a certain date. As such, it’s
common for the public to have to wait until launch day to find out if their
desired game is, in the eyes of reviewers, a hit or a miss. LEGO Dimensions has thankfully lifted
its embargo a few days before launch-day. This should help games make an
informed decision about whether or not to pre-order.
Certainly,
it’s a big question - Dimensions
comes in double the usual price of a new game, and its additional content packs
are about double the usual price of DLC. Of course, they also comes with more content
- LEGO miniatures, to be specific, which do add extra value. Nevertheless, whether
or not this justifies Dimensions’
launch price is still a big ask - and today’s set of reviews will surely be of
interest to would-be consumers.
From the
off, LEGO Dimensions has been
receiving solid reviews. Most reviews are giving out scores in the 80s (or equivalent),
which indicate a good game. The first thing to take from Dimensions’ reviews is how the game itself plays. Developers Traveller’s
Tales have been behind all the big LEGO games of the last decade, and it is no
surprise to find Dimensions is cast
in the same mould. Game
Informer explains that “The game itself fits nicely into the lineage of
Lego titles created by TT Games. If you’ve played any of these Lego titles, you
know exactly what to expect from Lego Dimensions: plenty of fist-swinging to
smash a Lego object into a sea of bricks, followed by holding down a button to
rapidly reassemble the pieces into a different form. Puzzle solving is heavily
sewn into all levels, and most characters play a different role in how these
riddles are completed. Minikits and secret studs are hidden in every stage.”
However,
the addition of the toy-to-game elements to Dimensions
also add a fresh twist. In addition to adding new characters (more on that
later), the LEGO portal functions within the game as an additional tool. Games Radar state “the
portal is integral to the experience and something the gameplay truly benefits
from. In an early encounter with The Wicked Witch of the West, I was mildly
Kojima’d when she cast a spell that restricted the movement of a character on a
specific block of the portal. Move the afflicted, real-world minifig to a
different section on the portal and her spell is broken.” This apparently adds
a new dimension (sorry) to the gameplay. However, it’s not necessary to
interact with real-life LEGO to enjoy the game. The Dimensions portal only requires the special bases that come with
each minifigure to work. It does seem a pity more gameplay cannot be derived
from the figures. Swapping parts around has no game-play effect so, for
example, nothing will happen if you pop Batman’s head onto Gandalf’s body and
arm him with a portal gun. On the
plus side, doing that would have likely made the game more expensive and added
extra difficulty should you misplace a figure or part.
Dimensions’ irreverent treatment of its
heroes and their franchises is also praised. The mashing of franchises creates
both humour and game-play. Gamespot
argue that the results are often “outstanding”, and there’s “an undeniable joy
to be had in seeing Batman use the Bat Signal to defeat Sauron, or the Joker
destroy the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, or the off-handed way the Doctor
addresses Portal's GLaDOS as the "faulty A.I.".” Games Radar
agrees, claiming “The staggering attention to detail in the writing helps to
elevate this above previous Lego entries. Each, very disparate, world feels
like a part of the same universe. Jokes that work for both Batman enthusiasts
and Wizard of Oz fans are very rare, but somehow Dimensions manages to pull it
off.”
The
recurring downside to this is that the game constantly draws attention to the
benefits of its additional characters, which of course must be purchased separately.
While Dimensions core game can be
completed with the three characters included in the starter pack - Gandalf,
Wyrdstyle and Batman - you miss out on the many secrets throughout the game. In
previous LEGO titles, additional characters were unlocked through gameplay,
which allowed you to interact with special objects throughout the game world.
On the
bright side, the characters included in new sets appear to offer genuinely new
gameplay abilities. Game
Informer’s review claims not to have found a boring character, particularly
praising unusual powers like Chell’s Portal gun. Likewise, the feel of the
characters, their worlds and their foes is praised. The characterisation of characters
like the Doctor is praised. However, his enemies get equal treatment: Games Radar says, “the
gameplay doesn’t just trot them for the sake of it, it understands why these
characters work in their original format. So, when the lights stutter and the [Weeping]
Angels grab you, you’ll be just as unsettled as the first time you saw them in
the show. It’s fan service of the highest order”. The various worlds featured in
Dimensions are also complemented. The
base game already has three open worlds: The
Lord of the Rings, DC Universe and The
LEGO Movie. These add additional
content and gameplay. However, Game
Informer is more critical of the additional levels, saying “The unique
bonus levels that come packaged with the Portal, Back to the Future, and
The Simpsons sets are not as good as the campaign’s stages, and each
only lasts for an hour or less. The best Portal and Simpsons moments are in the
campaign. The open worlds for each brand don’t offer much story content and
mostly consist of fetch or escort missions. These worlds are entirely optional,
and aren’t great for anything other than mindless exploration and Brick
collecting.”
Overall
however, the reviews for LEGO Dimensions are
positive - with the Caveat that this is an expensive game. Games Radar’s review
is the most negative so far, and it still awards Dimensions a respectable 3.5/5 stars. They write, “It’s
a massive disappointment that the game goes to great lengths to connect all
these universes in the story and then reminds you that to unlock areas you can
already see, you’ll need to spend more.” The cost of game plus the launch-day
content packs comes to around £385/$580, which is pretty steep, even if you do
get a game and some LEGO figures. Nevertheless, if you’re a fan of LEGO, TT
Games’ previous LEGO games and mash-up - and you’re unhampered by financial
worries - LEGO Dimensions might be
the game for you.
At the
time of writing, LEGO Dimensions has an average score of 81 on Metacritic,
indicating generally favourable reviews. LEGO Dimensions will be released on
the 27th/29th of September in the USA and Europe respectively. It’s available
for Wii U, PS3 and PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. It can be pre-ordered on Amazon UK and Amazon.com
