Year of the Lego (Games)

I have always been a fan of the Lego games, even if it did take a few games to revise the co-op for playability without killing the person next to you. At the end of last year, we saw a new direction with Lego: Lord of the Rings; an open world concept with side missions. Being able to run around and explore was fantastic, especially in the Lord of the Rings universe. The addition of voices (first appearing in Lego Batman 2) is a bit more engaging, however I kind of miss the Lego humor of grunts and chuckles. That being said, Lego isn’t afraid of trying new ideas and concepts.

This year, we have another new take on the Lego games, this time in their own universe. Lego City: Undercover (Wii U exclusive) gets released tomorrow, and I cannot wait. Some of the reviews I have read (only a few to avoid spoilers) all compare this game to another: Grand Theft Auto. While violence isn’t normally associated with the Lego brand, as kids we can’t help but play as cops and robbers and kill the bad guy. Lego has dealt with dying in their previous games by Lego character’s limbs popping off in every direction, and I think that is entirely appropriate. There is something satisfying about smashing bricks, even in character form. But wait, there’s more!

Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins (3DS) is slated to come out in April—just one month after the brand new Wii U title. I don’t know much about it, but the description of the game informs the reader that this takes place before Lego City: Undercover. This seems like a strong way to start out the year for Lego, but that isn’t all.

Lego Legends of Chima: Laval’s Journey has a release date of June 1st, and Lego Marvel Super Heroes in October. This has me slightly worried because I’m afraid that Lego games are going to flood the market and not get the attention they may deserve. It would make more sense to me to showcase Lego City Undercover for the months they are being released, and then have one more title released after September, possibly showcasing it at PAX. I know Lego games aren’t exactly blockbuster titles, but enough people play and enjoy them to notice the titles being released. Most people who play the titles are familiar with the movies the games are based on, and with these three brand new concepts I can’t see most people taking the risk of buying the game, at least not right away. I will most likely play every single title, but I am currently more interested in the Lego City titles and will probably wait until more information is released to even consider the other ones. Who knows, this very well could be the Year of the Lego.