The fun stacks up in Lego's new video game

The Lego Movie isn’t only a fun film, it’s also a great video game. Lego and TT Games have already taken popular movies and made them into Lego video games. So it’s not surprising they would take this winning formula and apply it to their latest family friendly flick. Each Lego video game has refined the gameplay of the one that came before. Aside from a few random gameplay glitches, The Lego Movie VideoGame is no different.

Unveiled alongside the movie’s theatrical release earlier this month, the new game follows the film’s storyline. (Fair warning: Jumping into the game before seeing the movie can spoil the story if you plan on going to the theater.) The plot revolves around Emmet Brickowski, an average construction worker living in the Lego city of Bricksberg. Emmet is a happy-go-lucky, by-the-book type who lacks creativity. Everything changes for Emmet when he unwittingly discovers the lost “Piece of Resistance.” His new adventure takes him across crazy lands to stop Lord Business and his evil plan to use a devastating weapon called the “Kragle.”

In previous Lego games based on movies, Lego characters would re-enact relevant scenes, usually with goofy slapstick action added in. This game uses actual clips taken directly from the movie. Since the movie has a similar comedic feel, the clips fit right into the game, even if the graphics styles are a little different. While the gameplay sections lack the film’s voice actors, the sound-a-like replacements do a pretty good job. The game content is very family friendly, with a few minor crude jokes.

The gameplay is equal parts construction and destruction. Many objects can be broken with attacks, and sometimes breaking an object leaves loose pieces a character can use to build something new. Whether it’s a crazy machine or a simple staircase, this invokes the feeling of playing with the actual toys.

Lego video games are all about collecting. Players collect coins called “studs” which are used to unlock new playable characters or in-game perks like fast building or invincibility. Each level is really two levels in one, consisting of a story mode and a free play mode. After completing each story level, a player can replay the level with different characters to find collectibles that may have been inaccessible before. The game makers were clever to keep the abilities of each character varied enough not to make the game too easy. Collecting the numerous Lego characters found in the game is necessary to complete each free-play level.

One of the game’s most enjoyable features is playing with another person. These games are a shining example of how to make a great two-player experience. Many parts of the game require using multiple characters to progress and having someone play as another character means a lot less switching back and forth between game modes. The game allows players to drop in and out at any time. This creates a free-flow gameplay without interrupting the fun, making the game perfect for families or even couples to play. The level of difficulty is never too hard but manages to be challenging.

The Lego Movie VideoGame is available for Xbox One, PS4, 360, PS3, Wii U, PS Vita, and 3DS. The Vita and 3DS versions of the game are slightly different than the home console versions. They include the movie clips but the levels are smaller and simpler.