With the world gripped by Grand Theft Auto VI pre-order fever, it’s an ideal time to take a look back at when TT Games took the open-world formula of GTA with the slapstick gameplay of their LEGO® titles. The blending of unusual worlds resulted in LEGO City Undercover, a Wii U exclusive which later headed to Xbox and PlayStation. LEGO City might not be as dangerous or as risky as Vice City, but the LEGO City Police Department is always on hand should any mischief befall the brick-filled metropolis.
In 2013, the LCPD gained its ultimate poster boy: Detective Chase McCain, the star of TT Games’ very first original, non-licensed LEGO title. LEGO City Undercover (and its handheld prequel, The Chase Begins) let players experience a living, breathing LEGO City in all its digital, bricky goodness.
Released exclusively for the Nintendo Wii U in 2013, LEGO City Undercover was the first LEGO title to be published by Nintendo. After a two-year absence, Chase McCain returns to LEGO City to track down the notorious criminal mastermind, Rex Fury. Gameplay took on a Grand Theft Auto style—thankfully with less crime and more wacky disguises, comedy, and mega builds. Thanks to the lack of a license, the game was filled with real-world LEGO City sets, including the Passenger Train, Octan trucks, and Mining sub-theme sets.
The game featured some of the wittiest dialogue ever seen in a LEGO title. Similar to LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, TT Games packed the story with pop culture nods, including a level with crime-fighting cardigan lovers Studski and Clutch, and an Arnold Schwarzenegger soundalike spouting classic action movie lines.
Handheld gamers also got a piece of the action with LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins for the Nintendo 3DS. Released shortly after the Wii U title, this game acted as a prequel to LEGO City Undercover. In The Chase Begins, rookie Chase McCain finds his feet and begins his career in the LCPD. It offered the same sandbox-style gameplay as its home console counterpart, but tailored for a more limited handheld experience.
A special edition of the game came bundled with an exclusive physical Chase McCain minifigure. Set 60007: High Speed Chase included a special 1×2 brick printed with a code. When entered into the game, it unlocked digital versions of the set’s vehicles and two exclusive missions.
Chase McCain’s legendary status also earned him a spot in LEGO Dimensions with a dedicated LEGO City Undercover Fun Pack, allowing players to explore a compact version of the city with a new physical ToyTag minifigure. Later, set 60138: High-speed Chase was released, which included Chase in his updated SWAT team outfit from the remastered game.
The game found a new audience when a remastered edition expanded beyond Nintendo platforms to PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. Years after its original release, LEGO City Undercover remains one of the finest LEGO titles to come from TT Games. The story is genuinely fun, and while the original mechanics were tailored for the Wii U GamePad, the leap to modern platforms proved the gameplay holds up beautifully.
