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LEGO City Undercover Review for Switch

LEGO City Undercover Review for Switch

Classic Cops and Robbers

When first released back in 2013, LEGO City Undercover was a giant revolutionary step for the LEGO video game series. It helped usher in open-world environments and fully voiced dialogue. It broke away from the shackles of movie franchises to create an original, compelling story. It was oozing with clever puzzles, cool costumes, and hilarious antics. I still regard it as the best LEGO game I ever played. The problem – I was one in a small group who actually played the game, thanks to it being released exclusively on the Wii U. Now the game has been given a second chance, available to a much bigger crowd thanks to it being released on the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The remastered version also includes a cooperative mode, a lacking feature from the original which ended up being one of its biggest criticisms. So what has everybody been missing all this time?

Well, a fantastically scripted story, for one. Taking on the role of Chase McCain, a cop with a blundered past but heroic attitude, you return to LEGO City with a singular mission, to put criminal Rex Fury behind bars for good. However, this is far from your typical cops and robbers scenario. Chase must go deep undercover, hence the title, and commit some questionable acts to infiltrate several nefarious organizations to track down Rex. He’ll end up in prison, working on a farm, digging in mines, checking out castles, and launching into space to get his man. There’s even a romantic plot with Chase’s ex-girlfriend Natalia that weaves itself into a jumbled mess throughout the course of the campaign. The finale is nothing short of epic and wholly satisfying, because unlike Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter , and other movie juggernauts, in LEGO City Undercover every plot twist yields an unexpected surprise.

Of course, pop culture still invades many scenes, with moments from Titanic, The Shawshank Redemption, The Matrix , and many other film and TV nods adding loads of parodying chuckles. However, these references seemed a little out of time when the original game released and now seem too far removed from their small and silver screen heydays to appeal to the game’s younger generation.

LEGO City Undercover Screenshot

But there’s still plenty for all ages to enjoy, thanks to the freedom that LEGO City Undercover offers. After breaking through your police officer orientation, you can bask in the glorious views of a skyscraper lined metropolis, piers, suburbs, and forested rural areas, all teaming with studs to collect and collectible bricks to sniff out. You’re given the authority to pop in and out of any vehicle and cruise around the city looking for your next objective or just simply something fun to do. This gameplay feels reminiscent of a Grand Theft Auto game, just without the murdering, swearing, and other mature shenanigans. LEGO City Undercover entices you to explore every nook, with locked interaction points coaxing you to advance the story in order to access new costumes and claim the secured prize. The freedom is offered, but it’s almost as if the game is telling you to finish the story, then come back and do everything else.

LEGO City Undercover Screenshot

Undoubtedly the biggest addition to this remastered version is the cooperative mode. I personally had a blast wandering through the vast urban and rural jungles with my 4-year-old son. The difficulty scale is unquestionably light. LEGO City Undercover would rather fill you up with easily acquired collectibles, rather than stump you with mind-bending puzzles and an intricate combat system, opting for mashing a singular button in most cases. The humor spans a wide age spectrum, following almost every animated movie release in the past few decades, where adults will chuckle at some jokes as children bust out to others. It was also refreshing not to feel tied down to another player when free-roaming, as I could be riding pigs at one end of the map while my son was scaling tall buildings at the other. This does, however, bring into question the true validity of it being a “cooperative” multiplayer. The original game was single-player only, which meant every problem could be solved by swapping costumes from your own personal radial wheeled disguise closet. Most LEGO video games nowadays require multiple characters with unique skills to work in tandem. This remaster does nothing to change the formula, instead simply replicating a doppelganger Chase McCain wearing different colored threads for player two to use.

LEGO City Undercover is bustling with activity, and every corner displays a unique setting. Each frame is dotted with spinning studs, smashable objects, and interactive spots housing a tasty brick reward. Along with subtle environmental animations and quirky NPCs roaming around, your eyes likely won’t get bored. Everything gleams like it was pulled fresh from a LEGO box then dunked in a tub of polyurethane. When there isn’t a whole lot going on, the frame rate runs smoothly. However, when bricks start exploding, things take a noticeable dip. This is virtually doubled with the split screen multiplayer, displaying perpetually sluggish movements during co-op no matter what either of you are doing. The cinematics are also pretty sad looking, foggy and choppy, like they were pulled directly from the original game without any touch up work.

LEGO City Undercover Screenshot

Few criticisms can be made about the sound though, and despite LEGO City Undercover not sporting any John Williams symphonies or other iconic theme songs, the Starsky & Hutch inspired music full of 70s funk guitar riffs and heavy pressure on the wah pedal play perfectly with this classic cop campaign. Even more delightful is when the soundtrack is muted and the ambient noises of the bustling city and tucked away natural corners deliver authenticity and serenity through your speakers. The voice acting is also top notch, with every humorous punchline nailed from start to finish.

LEGO City Undercover is an original, hilarious, and action-packed adventure that provides ample freedom and endless activities. It is apparent, however, that despite its revolutionary features back in 2013, the remastered version shows that many elements need retooling to be on par with current LEGO video games. It’s simple fun for one or two players, but the $60 price tag is a little steep to warrant a day one purchase. I’m rooting for its success, however, as I would love to see strong support that would get Warner Bros. and TT Games pondering a sequel.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.0 Graphics
Everything looks literally polished in Lego City, but framerate dips and untouched cinematics show how little was done to modernize the graphics. 3.5 Control
By today’s LEGO video game standards, the controls and puzzles are rudimentary. However, the world is easy to navigate and the camera does a decent job staying in line. 4.5 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Familiar LEGO sound effects, but a fun and original music score, authentic ambience, and well delivered fully voiced script give LEGO CITY Undercover high audio marks. 4.0 Play Value
There are dozens of hours of open-world exploring, with hundreds of collectibles alongside an entertainment campaign. It’s just too overpriced for a remaster. 4.0 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • BECOME LEGO CITY’S FINEST – Assume the identity of undercover police officer, Chase McCain, and track down the fiendish Rex Fury to finally put an end to his city-wide crime wave.
  • EXPLORE THE CITY – With more than 20 distinct districts to investigate, LEGO City is a bustling metropolis that is ripe for exploration and filled to the brim with people on the streets to interact with, criminals to take down and hundreds of collectibles.
  • BE A MASTER OF DISGUISE – As a man of many talents, Chase McCain has eight disguises to choose from, each with unique skills and abilities to infiltrate every corner of the city, allowing him to access places a regular old officer can’t.
  • OVER 100 VEHICLES – In LEGO City, every vehicle on the street can be commandeered with more than 100 to choose from so players can get behind the wheel of sports cars, motorcycles, helicopters and more to chase down criminals or take a leisurely ride through the urban jungle to check out the sights.

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