LEGO Dimensions review, Xbox One - Faultless; the most fun I've had in a long time

by Daniel Falconer | 6 October 2015

Released at the end of September, LEGO Dimensions had a whole lot of hype to live up to, promising to break all the rules in favour of one of the most exciting gaming experiences fans of the franchise - and those that LEGO have accessibility to - could ever go through. Fortunately the content that delivered is all that and more.

Female First got to grips with the Dimensions Starter Pack following the title's launch, which immediately introduces an ancient planet at the centre of the LEGO Multiverse, ruled over by evil mastermind Lord Vortech. Knowing that the person who controls the Foundational Elements that the planet is built upon will control the entire Multiverse, he sets a chaotic plan into action which summons characters from a variety of LEGO worlds to help him find the building blocks of LEGO civilisation.

Though villains rush to his aid, the heroes we've all come to know and love rebel against his wishes, hoping to stop him in his tracks and return the Multiverse to some sense of normality. With his plan already in motion however, Lord Vortech opens up a powerful vortex in various LEGO worlds, bringing different characters from franchises such as The LEGO Movie, DC Comics and The Lord of The Rings together.

It is three characters from those three franchises which you get to grips with in the Dimensions Starter Pack, with Batman, Gandalf and Wyldstyle teaming up to travel across worlds they've never stepped foot in before in a bid to stop Lord Vortech from gaining control and ultimate power.

Following the introductory cinematic, things start to get a little different to the usual toys-to-life games we've grown accustomed to, through Disney Infinity and Skylanders, as players will have to put a couple of hours aside to build the figures, vehicles and objects they'll be playing with.

Personally it took around 90 minutes for me to complete the LEGO Gateway which sits atop the revolutionary LEGO Toy Pad controller, and not a single minute of that felt like wasted time. Instead, it added a whole new element to a genre of gaming which is constantly evolving. The characters themselves take only a couple of minutes each to piece together, and the vehicles - in the Starter Pack's case the Batmobile - took 5 to 10 minutes before it was up and running. When everything's built and you're ready to step into the vortex itself, you'll already feel a sense of accomplishment without having played much of the game at all.

So, back to the Toy Pad. It houses LED lights under each section which flash and change colour to alert you depending on the actions which are happening on-screen. This isn't just a platform for your LEGO toys to sit on, but instead another controller which you will need to use in many stages of the game to solve and complete puzzles essential to your progression.

For example, if Wyldstyle needs to use her Relic Detector in part of the game to unearth three objects, she will have to be placed on each section of the Toy Pad in a specific order to do so.

Certain areas may be shrouded in darkness during gameplay, which is where Gandalf's magic will come in handy, lighting the way after being placed in the flash white section of the LEGO Toy Pad.

And then there's Batman, who can manipulate certain objects using his array of 'toys' from his utility belt, such as his grappling hook. The Toy Pad comes in handy when flashing blue, with the Caped Crusader having to step into Stealth mode to allow he and his newfound friends to move on.

The first world you'll enter whilst travelling through the vortex is Oz, and what's more exciting than bringing characters from one world to another in swift and unprecendented style? Brilliant humour from the writers of the game means there are real laugh out loud moments, such as Batman's 'We're not in Gotham anymore' after landing on the Yellow Brick Road, and his insisting that the Scarecrow from Oz is the same man involved in villainy and treachery back in Gotham. It's not just humour for the kids - in fact, some of it may fly right over their heads and instead have the adults in fits of laughter.

But it's not just the Wicked Witch you'll have to battle, with players also able to step right into Springfield, the world of Ninjago, Doctor Who's Tardis and many more weird and wonderful combinations which will undoubtedly leave smiles on the faces of consumers.

Honestly, the game itself is faultless. I've not had so much fun playing a title for quite some time. There's the family friendly quality which meant my brother and sister could also get involved (especially embarrassing when one of them tells you how to get past a certain part which you've been stuck on for 15 minutes), and the fact you can continuously add on to your adventure and play time with the additional expansion packs available. Sure, they're a little pricey, but if they deliver a few hours more gameplay for half the price of a regular game, the price COULD be warranted. That being said, I would like to see the packs a little cheaper. £19.99 seems a fair price, but perhaps LEGO are simply testing the waters with their higher prices, and who can blame them?

Those packs will allow players to travel to additional Adventure Worlds - self-contained free play areas which are based on each universe within the LEGO Dimensions game. Gamers will need at least one figure from each world to access it, and so with the Starter Pack are allowed access to DC Comics, The LEGO Movie and The Lord of The Rings.

Minimaps are useful in navigating through the Adventure Worlds, with secrets and 'points of interest' adding another layer to the already brilliant stuff on offer. Citizens of individual worlds will give your player a quest, whilst races are also available in certain places, and renovations can even be made to unlock more exciting content.

LEGO Dimensions is not just a solid offering, but a stellar one. Personally I cannot wait to see what the title has in store going forward. With packs being added to the collection in the coming months, it's going to be an expensive but worthwhile adventure.