Introduction
Basic information
Developer: TT Fusion
Full name: Lego City Undercover
Release date: 2013
Released on: Wii U, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Steam, Xbox One.
Cross play: no
Genre: action adventure, collection
Additional information: There is a prequel that you can play on the 3DS.
Initial thoughts
My wife played this game, she had completed it once before on Steam. This was a few years before ReviewsbySupersven was born. Now she wanted to replay it so that this game could be reviewed. I did enjoy watching her play this game, but it seemed a bit repetitive and as if the developers went overboard with collectable items. But we will get into that Later.
Story and setting
Plot overview
For the story, it feels as if you are thrown into the sequel of something. There is little explanation on what happened before, but Chase comes back to a city he had to leave for some reason. He is also immediately welcomed by the police force, despite that he was banned for some reason?
World building and immersion
While Lego has a great idea on how to make a world, and how to create immersion. There is something as going over the top and beyond that. This game has you believe the bad guy has a base on the moon. Yeah, too much.
Character development
There is little character development in this game. Everything that happens is an excuse to move the weak plot forward. The worst decision are made just to ensure there is even a story to tell. I have seen Lego games do much better compared to this one.
Emotional impact
There is no emotional impact, you know nothing is going to happen to the characters. I mean, they fall from a fucking space station and still have no scratches on them. If things like that constantly happen, believability goes out of the window for me.
Rating for story and setting
I have visited multiple aspects of the story and after some thought and objective thinking, I rated the story and setting with a 5.5.
Mediocre at best, can be fun, but, overall, bad.
Gameplay and mechanics
Core gameplay mechanics
You are forced to play through the main story before you can really get started on the core gameplay. That is collecting the insane amount of loot strewn over the city. And in the levels, but to achieve that, you need costumes which come with powers. And the last one is unlocked after clearing the main story. This means that collecting is a post game activity.
Each costume has different powers, for example, the farmer can give flowers some water. The thief can break into rooms. The city is divided into multiple sections and there are ways to many items to collect. It is boring and repetitive. They could have halved it, and it would still be too many. My wife managed to collect everything once, and she was not going to do it twice.
Difficulty and balance
The difficulty is very low, most of the difficulty comes from searching for what you need. Or not given proper hints. Most of the levels can be cleared with ease, the puzzles are also easy, or far-fetched. Which means the balance is all over the place. Despite that, the game is still fun.
Pacing of the game
The pacing of this game is alright if you just follow the story beats. The beginning does feel dragged out, and the last bits feel rushed. The entire story is about arresting one criminal, finding out he works for someone else and arresting that guy as well.
Innovation and uniqueness
There is not a lot of innovation. Yes, there are new collectables like pigs and aliens. But we all know by now how Lego games work. You play the main story and then go back to collect all the items. However, they truly went overboard this time.
Controls and user interface
The controls are good, but it seems that changing costumes can be cumbersome. There are also quite a few of them. There are many ways this could have been implemented better. The user interface is fine and not too crowded. You do gather plenty of studs, which is the currency, at the end.
Microtransactions
Microtransactions available: No
Rating
After combing through many of the mechanics, the pacing and other factors of this game, I rated the gameplay and mechanics with a 6.5.
There are too many collectibles in this game and changing costume powers is cumbersome.
Graphics and art style
Quality of graphics and art direction
The graphics follow the same Lego style that you would expect by now. It is over the top and fun. But this one takes the cake a bit too far. Having clowns as thieves, strange martial arts ninjas who seem out of place in the city. Most of the city portions also share a lot of the same graphics and assets. Which is a bit strange to me. The levels are diverse though.
Technical performances
Simone encountered minimal technical difficulties while playing, a few frame drops, a crash, stuff like that.
Environment and design uniqueness
The environment is all city. There are a few islands you will visit with a prison. But instead of it being neat and guarded. All prisoners roam around free. These guards are not doing a very good job. They tried to be unique with the moon levels, but if you ask me, that is over the top.
Rating
It took me some time to give the graphics and art style an objective rating. There are many things to consider, but ultimately, I rated this section with a 6.0
While the graphics are good, it all kind of blends together as plenty of assets have been reused all over the place.
Sound and music
Music score and how it contributed to the game
The soundtracks are fine and nicely lay down the groundwork for good ambiance and sound effects. Each place has a different soundtrack, and it feels good to listen too.
Sound effects quality
The sound effects are as crisp as you expect from a Lego game. Ridiculous and fun. They somehow managed to balance this perfectly.
Voice Acting
The voice acting is not perfect, not bad, I would say mediocre. It could have been a lot better and a lot of the voices do feel a bit hollow. Except for Chase, his voice actor did an impressive job! The supporting cast could have been much better.
Rating
After a lot of consideration, I rated the sound and music section with a 8.0
While some of the voice acting could have been better, the soundtracks are fun to listen to.
Multiplayer components
Online gameplay experience
Not applicable.
Replayability
Game Length and content volume
The game length is insane. Not the main story, I think you can easily finish that in about ten hours if you play casually. If you want to collect every item, you might easily invest sixty hours, if not more. That is how many items you will need to collect. There is not a grand achievement for doing so. Bragging rights mostly.
Extra Content
There are no real side quests in this game, but there are an insane number of challenges to overcome. Most of these challenges also offer rewards that you will need to collect.
Replay value
Once you have completed it 100%, you don’t want to do it again. This was the same problem with Simone, she really tried to push herself to collect everything for the review, but it was too boring and repetitive.
Rating
After thoughtful consideration, I decided to rate the replayability and game length of Lego City Undercover with a 5.0.
The replay value is not very high.
Suggestions and comparisons
Suggestions and feedback
There are pacing issues in the narrative structure. By providing clearer motivations for character actions. Introducing smoother transitions between story beats can mitigate the feeling of dragging or rushed conclusions. Additionally, provide adequate backstory to ground players in the world and the Chase’s journey
Balance the difficulty curve by integrating more challenging puzzles and obstacles throughout the game. Provide sufficient hints or clues to guide players without giving away solutions outright.
Simplify the process of changing costumes to enhance player convenience. Consider implementing a streamlined interface or quick-access menu to facilitate seamless transitions between different costume abilities.
Comparisons
For those interested in a more cohesive Lego gaming experience, titles like Lego Marvel Super Heroes or Lego Harry Potter might be more appealing. These games offer better-integrated storylines, more balanced gameplay mechanics, and a more rewarding collectible system.
Last words
Pros
- The game maintains the signature Lego aesthetic with over-the-top and fun graphics
- The soundtrack sets the tone effectively, providing varied ambiance across different locations
- Despite some issues with costume changes being cumbersome, the controls are generally well-implemented.
- While the difficulty level is low, the gameplay remains enjoyable, with most challenges stemming from the search for collectibles
- Lego City Undercover offers extensive gameplay, especially for completionists
- While voice acting is generally mediocre, Chase's voice actor stands out as particularly impressive
Cons
- The game suffers from an overwhelming number of collectibles scattered throughout the city
- The narrative lacks depth and character development, with events feeling more like excuses to move the plot forward
- The game's balance is inconsistent, with some aspects feeling too easy while others are difficult
- Once the game is completed, there is little incentive for replaying
- Pacing issues in the narrative structure and a lack of backstory contribute to a disjointed storytelling experience
- The puzzles presented in the game are often too easy or feel far-fetched
- The story lacks cohesion and fails to provide adequate explanations for character motivations and plot developments
- While the game features diverse environments, the level design can feel uninspired at times
- Despite the extensive collectible system, the rewards for completing the game 100% are underwhelming
Don’t get me wrong, Simone had a lot of fun and great moments while replaying this game. But all in all, this is not Lego’s greatest game ever. Despite that, it can be fun.
Final Rating
6.2
Please let me know what you think of Lego City Undercover in the comments!
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I guess there is not release for PC. Even easy gameplay, its really fun. Thanks for the review.
Doesn’t look like a bad Lego game, but probably the ones based on some movie are better
hm… thanks for the insight. but still looks fun.
I hope it releases for pc too
Looks alright, but overall Lego games not for me (so far)
I love the Basic Info section at the beginning, very organized review! This is one of the handful of Lego games I don’t own on Steam/Switch and I don’t think it’ll be going on my wishlist! 10 hours for the story and 60 when adding in every collectible is insane! It seems very all over the place in a bunch of ways
The Lego formula can get a bit tiring at times
this one looks fun to me. I must admit that for Lego games the collectives are actually the fun for me, so I don’t mind them being a lot. I’d rly love to try this one at some point. I like the incentive of a Lego game being full open world so much.
Eh, this one cannot redeem itself I guess. Usually either the story or the game play has to drive the game, but neither really worked out here it seems. What you wrote about repetitiveness is what made me give up getting 100% in Saints Row III, for example, so I get you.
I’ve always wanted to try lego city, but lego games tend to collect dust once I do get them 😂 Good review, though!
With this map and the jetpack it just looks like GTA for kids xD. collectibles in games for kids are really a pain. I hate them.
I don’t mind a few collectibles, but there is something as going overboard!