We build, we demolish and the shiny cup.
I’m not a fan of racing games. I have a driver’s license, but I’m one of those sad people who took the test as a child at the insistence of their parents and never developed a taste for driving. I don’t understand the “guts” of cars, and when a game asks me to consider replacing the brakes, I sigh and turn them off. However, LEGO 2K Drive is easy to understand, has nice controls, and will appeal to more than just lost people like me.
There have been countless licensed LEGO games released over the years, often set in some superhero or space world. TT Games isn’t planning on stopping there, but 2K has also sniffed the famous cube brand and unveiled its first installment: a racing game. LEGO 2K Drive is due out on May 19 this year, and I had the chance to try it out at the company’s London headquarters.
It only takes a few minutes with a gamepad or mouse in hand, and you will understand the basic principles. The core should be the story campaign, not at all complicated: defeat other racers and get a shiny cup. At the very beginning, you will be joined by experienced racer Clutch Racing, who will explain a few basic rules – how to turn, drift or, perhaps, release traps.
Car – SUV – Boat
However, from the tutorial we quickly got to the first of four worlds (the developers later said that they are planning at least a fifth). A desert area called Big Butte is inhabited by cowboys, but you can also find a modern city or a river flowing through a canyon.
Like the other worlds I never got to after three hours of play, you’ll also encounter a few rivals and side activities. But the main thing is racing. This gives you two great features: first, your car changes depending on where you’re going. You’re racing a regular car on the road, but as soon as you hit a dirt surface, the car naturally transforms into an SUV. Even water is no problem, because dice are thrown around your character and here’s your motorboat.
Secondly, the game rewards hacking. The race route is clearly marked, but if you can’t get around a tree on the side of the road, it’s not a big deal. On the contrary, crashing into various obstacles that break them into LEGO bricks restores health and helps speed up construction. Like other similar games, it has certain limitations, but is generally friendly.
Drifting is also important here, which I found easier than in other arcade racers. And traps. Like in Mario Kart, you collect various perks along the way that, when activated, launch a rocket or shoot a web and slow down the enemy.
However, to challenge another competitor, the player also needs to do a side quest or challenge from time to time, because in this way he gains experience and increases his level. Some are more difficult, such as going through the city, where you can not collide with anything or anyone, otherwise your time will be added. In addition, it is very easy to blow up a car correctly at a target.
I can imagine players spending many hours in the garage.
LEGO 2K Drive features open worlds, allowing the player to choose where they want to go. And if you’re not interested in racing, you can just banter and chat with the supporting characters as they pass by. There are also garages throughout the map, where you can customize the look of your car, or where you can assemble a car or even a boat from parts. This is where the more creative types come into their own, as you can even build a mobile hamburger, as you can see in the attached photo. My situation was more desperate, as I lit the boat up with a weird green flame, only to discover that I’d forgotten about the big hole in the floor. But I can imagine players spending hours in the garage.
You can assemble your car piece by piece. And it can easily look like your favorite burger. Photo: 2K
There are also Unkie’s Emporium shops scattered around the world, but they were not yet finished at the time of testing, so I did not visit them. They will sell various car skins or figurines, which can be exchanged for currency earned during races. The developers did not specify how real-money purchases will be implemented. However, they did indicate that they will be involved in the game in some way. The press release also indicates that there will be some kind of Drive Pass in the future, and if successful, the studio plans to release DLC. But I can’t yet assess this.
Candidate for a family game
In addition to the main story, I also tried the racing itself in different themed environments, such as among ghosts. The stylization and colorful but quite pleasant graphics are clearly aimed more at children, and the game in any case is not very difficult. But I can imagine that among adults, it will be appreciated by fans of LEGO blocks or gamers who are looking for something simple in the evening after work. Or parents with children – the game also offers local co-op on a split screen for two players or online multiplayer for six people.
Visual Concepts, known for its NBA and WWE sports franchises, certainly doesn’t offer a more complex racing game. But it could be a popular family game if you treat it kindly or limit real-money purchases. With meta-humor that teeters on the edge of awkwardness, the LEGO animated film feels like history. And that’s exactly what you might need when you have an hour to spare and just want to relax.
The game will be released for PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), Nintendo Switch, and past and current generations of PlayStation and Xbox consoles. On the current one, the standard version will cost $70, otherwise it will be ten dollars cheaper. There will also be more expensive packages, which will include the aforementioned Drive Pass.
Source :Indian TV
