Following the example set by Skylanders and Disney Infinity and joining a market recently invigorated by Nintendo’s Amiibos, LEGO will be leaping onto the interactive-toy-game scene. Their upcoming LEGO Dimensions has a lot of interesting qualities that set it apart from its competitors. If you haven’t already, watch the announcement trailer.
If that trailer sparked any interest, you may be pleased to hear there will be a playable version of the game available at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. Besides that opportunity, “all attendees will receive a LEGO Dimensions poster. Those who play the demo will receive a Limited Edition LEGO Dimensions art print,” and “any attendee who pre-orders a LEGO Dimensions product from the GameStop kiosk at our event will receive an exclusive LEGO Dimensions t-shirt.” There will also be photo ops and a first look at Doctor Who game content.
The Doctor is just one of a stunningly vast list of intellectual property LEGO is pulling from for the game. An impressive and seemingly patternless amalgamation of television, film, toy and video game characters see screen time in the game, and they may collectively be the game’s strongest asset. Batman, Gandalf, and Wyldstyle are simply the headliners. Players can look forward to see their respective universes, which includes all of the DC and Lord of the Rings universes, not to mention Doctor Who. The trailer above shows us Ninjago, The Wizard of Oz, and their website lists The Simpsons, Scooby Doo, Jurassic World, Ghostbuster, Midway Arcade, and LEGO’s Legends of Chima line. There’s even more in development and being revealed as the weeks pass. There are already two solid examples.
Check out the trailers for the Portal universe…
…and the Back to the Future universe!
It’s almost dizzying to stare up toward the top of the pile of licensed franchises LEGO is sitting on, and all of them popular. The possibilities are mind-blowing. They’ve got Star Wars, Harry Potter, Marvel, Bionicle, and many many more, and it’s all potential content for the game.
Within the game, all the “universes” are set in a context involving the portal the player has where they can use all their figures and LEGOs they collect for the game. The LEGO Toy Pad reader that comes in the starter kit features 6 ports for characters to rest on and a seventh specifically for vehicles. Depending on which expansion pack figures are placed on the reader, different features are made available to the player. Some will unlock new areas and some new play styles. Be sure to read up before purchasing so you know what you’re getting. Allow me to quote the helpful and concise words of Andy Robertson of Forbes:
Level Packs ($29.99) contain new mission-based game levels unlocked by placing their minifigure, vehicle and gadget toys on the Lego Pad. Fun Packs ($14.99) extend the line up of character but add no levels. Each one contains one minifigure and a related vehicle or gadget. Team Packs ($29.99) are for those after an expanded collection but again doesn’t expand the levels. They offer both a pair of minifigures and a vehicle or gadget for each with unique in-game abilities.
Also important is that the figures must be present on the reader for every play session in order to access the respective content. Check out this tweet.
And of course, it all comes at the cost one could expect of game/toy combos such as this. The starter pack will set consumers back about $100 according Amazon.com. Expansion sets will cost anywhere from $15-30 depending on which you want.
Whether or not this crazy mashup is worth the investment or not will be a difficult choice for some. If you happen to be at the San Diego Comic-Con, maybe a playable version will be the thing to finally coax you down off the fence.