LEGO THE INCREDIBLES
Another superhero game? Are you pulling our Lego?
As a husband and father myself, I see a lot of me in Mr Incredible. Mainly the scene from the first film where he finds his belt no longer fits him. Anyway, it’s unusual in films or on telly to see a family working together to save the world, rather than one or two of them sneaking around behind everybody else’s back. Nice, innit? Now we have the family in a familyfriendly game. Very meta. Lego games have always been forgiving and accessible but, presumably mindful of the likelihood of an overwhelmingly young audience for the Pixar license, things are friendlier to the family than ever here. At the beginning of the game, this translates to just a little too much handholding, which to be honest gets in the way of the fun. Fortunately, that doesn’t last.
Anybody who’s played a Lego game before will know what to expect, right? Well… yes. And this is an issue that’s not as straightforward as you might think. There are 12 story levels in all in this game, six for each movie. The levels based on the latest film, which are the first six (yes, first), feel a little rushed. Too often, the puzzles and assets are overfamiliar, and you’ll find yourself thinking – for example – “Hey, didn’t I already do this as Thor in Lego Marvel Super Heroes?”
VIOLET TENDENCIES
That’s not entirely fair, as there are several fun sequences nothing like any previous game, and the levels based on the first movie are much better overall. There’s plenty to admire across both sets of levels, such as great direction in both cutscenes and gameplay. It’s also quickly obvious, and very impressive, how each member of the Parr family and their friends differ. Mr Incredible feels slightly awkward but packs a heck of a punch; Dash is as fast as he should be; Violet’s shield can get her to otherwise unreachable places; Elastigirl creates ladders and bridges with her body; and everyone’s favourite, Frozone, skates along the ground and through the air in a way that’s just incredibly cool. (Ahem.)
With good-but-not-great story levels that you can complete in six hours or so, there’s a lot of pressure on the city to deliver the goods. And deliver the goods it does. There are plenty of great one-liners from citizens and enemies alike, and – even better – there’s no need to worry about aimlessly wandering around looking for something to do. Each time you complete a Crime Wave (a set of mini missions), the map reveals everything there is to find in that district. While this should prevent you from becoming frustrated, it does nothing to stop activity and mission templates being repeated slightly too soon and perhaps slightly too often. Cameos from (playable!) characters from other Pixar movies are, like the rest of the game, fun and surprising… but far from incredible.
VERDICT
“THERE ARE PLENTY OF GREAT ONE-LINERS FROM CITIZENS AND ENEMIES ALIKE.”
It’s not the best game in the Lego series, but there’s still plenty to enjoy here. A great gift for any fan of The Incredibles, even if some elements are below Parr. Luke Kemp