Considering the vast amount of LEGO® vehicles which have appeared in various sets, this hasn’t translated over into popular LEGO Games line-up to the same degree. Back in the late ’90s, we had the much-loved LEGO Racers and more recently, LEGO Speed Champions appeared in a LEGO-themed expansion to Forza Horizon 4. But that balance is about to change as the LEGO Group partner with a new development studio for the LEGO Games title. 2K Games are best known for their various sports titles but will be releasing a number of different LEGO titles the first of which is LEGO 2K Drive. I’ve been playing it for a few days and here are my first thoughts on the game.
Product Description
Get behind the wheel and gear up for unlimited open-world exploration and thrilling races with the LEGO® 2K Drive video game! Race anywhere, play with anyone, build dream rides and take on the exciting Story mode to compete against a cast of charismatic racing rivals for the coveted Sky Trophy. Unleash your creativity Players can build and modify vehicles in the garage then take their creation for a drive. Roam around the vibrant world of Bricklandia in local 2-player split screen or join driving buddies with up to 6 players online. Master the art of drifting, boosting and using power-ups to defeat opponents.
- Game Title: LEGO 2K Drive
- Publisher: 2K Games
- Developer: Visual Concepts
- RRP: From £49.99/$59.99/59.99€
- Availability: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/One, Nintendo Switch & PC
Although racing is the key focus of LEGO 2K Drive, there is a story woven into the game. You play a faceless driver who is recruited by famed racer Clutch Racington to compete for the Sky Trophy. But every great racer needs a rival and they are soon revealed as Shadow Z. Your racing journey unfolds as you take on other racers to collect flags which will then let you race at one of the Brick Arenas. The more races you win, the closer you get to racing against your newfound rival, his team of henchmen and bagging the trophy.
Racing is the focus but it is not all you can do in the game. In fact, there is a somewhat daunting amount of things to keep you busy in LEGO 2K Drive. You can potter around the various worlds and come across on-the-go challenges such as drifting around a course in the best time. Other challenges will see you collecting items or citizens and taking them to a certain point. The most annoying of the challenges are those which task you will move an item to a certain point. These include potting a giant golf ball, knocking an oversized egg into a frying pan or rounding up tumbleweeds. It’s extremely tricky to manoeuvre these in a timely manner.
LEGO Games are often overlooked as just kid’s games, and of course, this is partly true, they are definitely aimed at kids but this is a real racer. If you played the LEGO expansion for Forza, then this feels very similar but it is quite closer to the experience offered by Mario Kart. You can drift around corners and use a quick turn hop plus there are power-ups to collect as you race. These include missiles, mines, shields and even a very familiar warp. There is also a morphing ability, where you’ll instantly transform from a road car, into an off-roader and also into a boat as soon as you hit the water. All three vehicles can be interchanged with those you earn, those you build and those which can be added via DLC or purchased.
The design of the world in which the game takes place takes a similar route as the TT Games titles do. So much of the scenery is ‘realistic’ and then the items placed around it are created from LEGO bricks. Although there is a slight difference as the world is portrayed as if someone had tipped over the box of LEGO bricks and got building. So you’ll race around and spot a giant hose pipe or pickaxe. There’s even a giant gas canister with a minifigure face painted on it. Which shows the level of humour the game has. Bricklandia is made up of four worlds – Turbo Arces, Big Butte, Prospecto Valley and Hauntsborough.
The concept of a LEGO game being its own unique genre is often talked about but the real connecting thread across many of the LEGO Games is the humour. Much of this will go over the heads of younger players but they are lines from characters which are genuinely funny. It’s tricky to weave a story into a racing game, so it’s often done so through the ANN broadcasts which have been used in the lead-up to the game release and deliver much of the humorous. Along with short cutscenes.
It wouldn’t be a LEGO game without the ability to build. You have to visit one of the many in-game garages and choose to change your ride to one of the many you can unlock through gameplay or build your own. You can also choose to build some of the pre-designed vehicles using digital building tools. This is particularly good for those who would like to recreate some of the game’s unique vehicles with real LEGO bricks. The building function is quite robust, with many elements in available in different colours and the ability to apply stickers. Unfortunately, some of the elements are locked behind paid packs. Which is a shame as it limits what is overwise a decent take on digital construction. Future updates to the game will allow you to share your digital creations with other players but these will be heavily moderated in order to keep the game’s content family-friendly. It’s not clear if there will be limits to content based on other IPs.
Although the base game is packed with content you can expand upon it in various ways. Depending on which version you have purchased, there is a Driver’s Pass that will add new content across four seasons. These will add new in-game things to do and new vehicles. The Driver’s Pass can also be purchased separately. The other means of expanding content is a little more controversial. The game does feature the ability to purchase additional content with in-game currency known as Brixbucks, these can slowly be earned through playing the game but most items will require you to boost your balance but purchasing more using real money. It’s worth noting there is zero requirement to use real money to progress in the game and this sort of variety of cosmetic upgrades is similar to what Fortnite does. Plus the ability to use money to buy content is tied to a 2K account as well as your platform’s ID system. So if the game is being purchased for a younger player, make sure the relevant limits are engaged before leaving them to play the game. They may not fully understand that the additional content is tied to real money, but there is no excuse for a huge bill to be run up.
Many of the vehicles featured in the game are uniquely created for it but there are a few LEGO sets which have also been included in the game. These include the Speed Champions McLaren cars from the recently released set, the LEGO City Penguin Slushy Van and the LEGO City 4×4 Off-Roader. There are also some older sets such as a bus from a past Winter Village set, a Creator 3-in-1 Camper van and a Friends electric car. You’ll also spot a few non-vehicle sets such as Modular Buildings and a Creator 3-in-1 shark. I’d expect more content inspired by LEGO sets will be added through the game’s Driver Pass.
Overall
Much has been said about the inclusion of paid additional content or microtransactions. They are a concern in a game aimed at children, but they are also an unfortunate part of modern-day gaming. Plus there are plenty of steps in place to stop younger players from spending any additional money. There’s also plenty of content available in the game to keep the average players happy without the need to buy new vehicles etc. The biggest disappointment is the ringfencing of some additional LEGO brick elements as paid content. The building function is very well done and building is obviously the core of any LEGO experience, limiting it just seems a shame and will partly constrict creativity. Beyond that, LEGO 2K Drive is a fantastic racer, which offers plenty of things to do and an easy-to-pick-up control system. It’s also one of the few games to offer offline split-screen play and one of the few LEGO games to offer online play. Like other LEGO games, it really offers more beyond the core content, so even after you’ve lifted the Sky Trophy, there’ll be plenty more to keep you busy for many hours. I’ll be taking a look at the exclusive LEGO 2K Drive polybag set and detailing the building mechanics of the game in future hands-on features.
LEGO 2K Drive is available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/One and Nintendo Switch from May 19th.
Thanks to the LEGO Group and 2K Games for providing access to the game for the purposes of review. Version reviewed Awesome Rivals Edition for PlayStation 5 (Digital). The thoughts within this review are that of BricksFanz and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group or 2K Games. Providing a product for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the product.
