Lego Bricktales
Review
Brick by Brick
by Camrin Santchi
reviewed on PC
A Pastime of the Ages
LEGO has been a part of childhood for decades, and has become very prevalent thanks in part to touching several avenues of culture- from the infamous 'step on a LEGO' meme to movies (The aptly named 'The LEGO Movie' for one), and most appropriate to today's discussion, video games. LEGO: Bricktales is a puzzle game where the core gameplay involves the usage of the titular blocks in order to progress, typically through the construction of objects like stairs or a bridge at the beginning but building in complexity as time goes on to include vehicles and more
Built on Happiness
The story of LEGO: Bricktales is surprisingly complex, starting with your character visiting their grandfather at a rundown amusement park, where the senior is busy in his lab. Helping him out reveals that he has constructed a functional portal- but that he had gotten distracted and let the amusement park get to such a state that the city would shut it down if it wasn’t cleaned immediately. Rusty, a robot constructed by the player’s grandfather, suggests the usage of Happiness Crystals, crystallized joy and gratitude that are apparently an incredibly powerful resource that could aid in the cleaning process. With this abstract goal in mind, the player sets off into the portal to either a different world or a different part of the world to help people out and earn Happiness Crystals. There the customizable LEGO protagonist will encounter characters and help them as best they can in order to receive the crystals.
LEGO Rome Wasn't Built in a Day
The main gameplay of LEGO: Bricktales is split into exploring the worlds that the player is sent to, and finding spots in the world to construct objects that either aid in further exploration or act as a more direct means of helping out the people that you meet along the way. This reviewer found it particularly charming that while in motion the LEGO character's movements are actually articulated as if they are the figures from the Danish building sets (Well, those with separately articulated legs rather than one ‘pants’ section anyway) instead of a more natural or fluid movement- it goes a long way in constructing the universe even though it's such a small detail.
The worlds themselves continue this theme, operating as best they can on using LEGO pieces, even in place of waterfalls and the subsequent splashes, which is particularly impressive. The commitment to the LEGO 'realism' cannot be overstated, and it does a lot to bring this plastic world to life. This is further emphasized by more populous parts of the world, filled with characters going about their tasks in a stiff yet charming fashion.
Meanwhile the actual LEGO construction takes place in a plane of grey that almost seems to be emulating blueprints and design paper, where gamers will drag and drop the titular bricks in order to complete the specified task. During the tutorial there are highlights that show where to place bricks and allow players to get a feel for the mechanics, but these highlights vanish the moment they cross through the first portal into the game itself. These tasks can be simple or complicated, but all operate on some form of physics. For example, if making a bridge the bridge needs to be able to actually remain standing when gravity is applied, particularly with the weight of someone crossing over. Fortunately, rather than risking the life and blocky limb of your character, tests are run initially that star robots that simulate the action, such as crossing a bridge, to see if it will collapse.
The design menu itself is relatively smooth, but the controls and camera can leave something to be desired- particularly if one considers the slow pacing of placing one solitary brick at a time. It can be controller operated, but gamers will have better luck with a mouse and keyboard this reviewer finds.
Capstone
In all LEGO: Bricktales is a charming foray into a plastic moulded world. Creativity is encouraged, but players are more than free to blitz through with whatever roughshod constructions that they are able to make, allowing for some hilarity when people either question the quality of a painstakingly built bridge or compliment the artistry in a hastily constructed helicopter. For anyone that is a fan of LEGO, character creation, or questionable engineering, this isn’t a game to miss despite its few flaws.
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7.8
fun score
Pros
Charming and Satisfying
Cons
Build Controls/Camera aren’t the Best
