Lego off me copper!
Lego City Undercover is a new step for the Lego franchise, a game that doesn’t borrow from a franchise like Star Wars, LOTR, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean. It follows the story of Chase McCain, an undercover cop who is brought back into the force to track down criminal mastermind Rex Fury. The game has the typical humour you would expect from the Lego series, but it also treads new grounds with its clichéd 80s TV moments, making it all the more charming.
The basic design of the Lego games hasn’t changed that much, although it is definitely more open world than its past outings. Being a Wii U exclusive also adds the Gamepad’s features to track criminals and receive calls from characters, they are great additions and really makes the best use of what the Gamepad is capable of. Oddly there is no multiplayer to be found in this instalment of the Lego games when every past game has offered the drop-in-drop-out option.
As you would expect, you still smash and build items made from Legos and there are still plenty of collectables to find. The controls are basic as in past games and while the open world adds a new element to the franchise, the basic premise of the game hasn’t changed that much and it’s starting to show it’s age. It’s not a terrible game by any stretch of the imagination, it’s actually the best Lego game to date, but it does have a “been there, done that” feel to it when playing.
The story is full of laugh a minute moments and is definitely more memorable than the parodies of the past. In terms of presentation, Lego City Undercover is impressive with a great open world and colourful characters aplenty. The framerate is solid throughout and the presentation for the Wii U’s Gamepad is also well done. The voice-acting is hilarious and the music is typical of a 80s cop show like Hawaii Five-O.
The Verdict
Lego City Undercover takes the series in a great direction with the open world and original characters, it makes great use of the Wii U’s capabilities and is just a joy to play, even if it feels like we’ve been here before. It’s the best game on the system in months and deserves to be played by those who have one.
