In the past I have played games and thought they were wonderful, only for Izzy to try them and not like them. The same has happened in reverse at times. Other-times though we have loved games together – so it is clear that although we have different tastes in games, there are some games that we do both like including Lego City Undercover.
Without further delay, here is my side of the review of Lego City Undercover. Read Izzy’s below mine to see if she agrees with my analysis.
The World of Lego City Undercover
If you have played any Lego games in the past you will know that the worlds they create are normally good. Lego City Undercover is the exception to the rule – this time they have made an exceptional world to explore. They have also made a few changes to earlier titles with Undercover and these have only made the game even more enjoyable.
The world looks good as all Lego games tend to do. The interaction early on with the world is also good and you will spend a good deal of time looking for bricks and constructing super builds. These super builds are a highlight to the game and even a simple call in point is something you feel satisfied building. My only complaint with super builds is that toward the end of the game you find yourself with an abundance of bricks making them easy at the end of the game but difficult initially – I would have liked to have either more super builds or something else to use my stash of bricks on.
Gameplay of Lego City Undercover
The gameplay is fairly fluid within the world as well although there are a few aspects that could be worked on in the sequel which this game definitely deserves. Driving can sometimes feel clumsy and jumping from one place to another precisely is not always easy. Sometimes the controls seem overly sensitive and other times they seem a bit slow – which is most noticeable when using a chicken to reach places.
The collectibles really set the world apart from other worlds. There is enough variance to keep you occupied for hours after you have completed the game as well as enjoyably silly things to do along the way. They also didn’t go overboard so completing the collectibles doesn’t seem repetitive. In Assassin’s Creed you would be tasked with collecting hundreds of the same thing – and that is why people get fed up with collectibles in those games.
Lego City Undercover realises that less is more and most tasks have a total of around 20 to reach.
Offline Co-Op
For much of the game I had my son playing alongside me (he is 5) and he enjoyed the missions and some of the game play with a clear objective. Other gameplay elements he grew bored with quickly and it didn’t have the same replay or continual play value for him as Lego Jurassic Park or Lego Marvel Super Heroes.
Also – a lot of the story references went way over his head and I doubt many kids will get them unless they have watched a lot of films with adult themes. Having a balance of adult and children’s references normally works fine but Lego really missed the mark here. For example, there were a few Columbo references throughout the game, which many adults wouldn’t get even.
All in all, he enjoyed the game but I don’t think it will be a game he pesters me to play with him again.
Story of Lego City Undercover
The story is playable and flows nicely within the world and there are a few highlights along the way including some cameo (or spoofs) along the way. Pacing is also good and the story doesn’t drag at all even though there are moments when you expect it to start dragging – as soon as it approaches the stage where you feel like it is overkill the writers pull it back.
The story itself is fairly simple with a good little finish at the end that you won’t expect – not because it is a twist so much – more it is just silly – but in a good way.
That is how I would sum up the Lego City Undercover story – it is silly but in a good way. The jokes are amusing but not as funny as other Lego productions. Overall, the story was solid but I did finish it and feel as though they could have done a bit more with it. I felt that the story needed a twist or needed some kind of unexpected event – but that never came.
Jon’s Conclusion
Lego City Undercover is a refreshing open world game that keeps you engaged (mostly) from start to finish. It has many very fun elements that as an adult I enjoyed immensely, but these moments were not very child friendly. For example – there is a part of the game with a space theme – would it have killed them to write some kind of Buzz Lightyear jokes? Likewise, there is a castle in the game with zero Disney references.
I feel like I shouldn’t have enjoyed Lego City Undercover as much as I did and my son should have enjoyed it a lot more. I am still undecided if that is a good thing? Maybe reading Izzy’s take on it will convince me either way!
Izzy’s Thoughts on Lego City Undercover
I enjoyed the game a hell of a lot more than Jon did, probably. The difference is, I take a more laid-back stance when it comes to reviewing games. Rather than constantly looking for ways to improve the game as it’s played (like Jon), I tend to just accept it and enjoy the ride for what it is.
What I love in a game is:
- A good main character that doesn’t irritate me.
- 100s of collectible items.
- No obscenely hard or challenging levels.
Already this game hits all 3 spots.
The Characters
I haven’t reviewed Life is Strange (Jon has here), but it’s one good example of how the main character you’re stuck playing with is annoying as hell.
That’s not the case with Lego City. The main character you’re stuck with through the missions and the other characters you can switch to are all great to play as. The fun thing is, even if a character is horrible, it’s completely on purpose. Thus, it’s hilarious to run around as a gangster, a spy, a clown, or just a cop.
This really makes the gameplay elements so much better and I actually paid attention to the storyline rather than playing it level by level.
Collectible Items
I’m the person who collected all the flags in Assassins Creed (the first one). I’m the person who really did try to catch them all in Pokémon Diamond AND Black. And I’m currently the person working hard to have studied, tracked and killed all animals in Red Dead Redemption 2.
And this is one of the reasons why I adore the Lego games. I’ve gained 100% completion on Lego Jurassic Park and Lego Marvel Super Heroes and I’m loving the work I’ve put in to get their on Lego City Undercover.
If you want to spend hours for no reason other than to make that tiny stat jump to 100%, you’ll love this game.
Furthermore, you’ll also love this game if you don’t care about collecting. Why? Because collecting things isn’t essential to progressing through the game excessively.
Hard and Challenging Levels
There aren’t any. At all. And that just makes it so much more enjoyable for me. Other games that will go unnamed have made my hands sweat just at the thought of taking on a boss or trying to complete a challenge within a silly time constraint.
That being said, there are some challenging collecting bits that did have me stumped for a while. Not to mention a glitch on Lady Liberty that had me stumped for a few days before I Googled it and realised the problem was the game, not me.
Izzy’s Conclusion
This was a great game for those that love collecting and having a laugh while you’re doing it. The levels are a breeze and it’s just a thoroughly enjoyable game to play. If you’re into gaming, you could probably finish the story on a Sunday afternoon.
If you don’t have this game available on your game pass (check out Jon’s review of the Microsoft Game Pass Ultimate) then you can find it on Amazon.
Images belong to Lego City Undercover.