LEGO Dimensions: Wave 7 Launch

After the launch of the LEGO Dimensions action-adventure video game in September last year, now the game is expanding with a whole new wave of family favourite characters being introduced to the line-up. To mark the launch, The Upcoming were invited to a special day of interactive experiences.

We were treated to hands-on gameplay time with the LEGO Dimensions expansion content in an immersive environment, playing the game within the iconic locations from the blockbuster film and TV titles that are featured. We climbed down into a suitcase from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, were in a cinema crawling with Gremlins, hung horizontally from a harness Mission: Impossible style, played fancy dress in the characters of Adventure Time and crawled into the cupboard under the stairs in Harry Potter’s neglected hovel – each time to play the game in its unique setting. Visitors were also introduced to life-size versions of The LEGO Movie characters, with Wonder Woman making a particular song and dance for the audience and Mr T from the A-Team could be found casually playing at one of the game stands.

The day was set to demonstrate the new mash-up multiverse LEGO have sought to create, with famed characters from DC Comics, The Lord of the Rings, and The Lego Movie all in one game. Each of the brands in the LEGO Dimensions has its own adventure world where players can explore, go on quests, race and collect studs and tickets. Each one is unlocked by placing the relevant minifigure on a LEGO Toy Pad, bringing the company’s physical toy sets and the virtual gaming world together in one combined game. Players can go it alone, team-up with unlikely allies on the quest to defeat the “evil Lord Vortech” or get competitive with up to four friends in a split-screen battle mode.

The game itself perhaps doesn’t break boundaries in terms of graphics but the look and feel are certainly engaging. For those coming to LEGO Dimensions new, the user experience could be improved through more obvious onboarding as some of the quests and platforms are not so intuitive to master. But if you are already familiar with the game mechanics, the introduction of new themes and a brilliant mish-mash of characters opens up fresh new adventures to explore and introduces minifigures that are instantly collectable. What they’ve done fabulously well is use character favourites from the 80s and 90s: Sonic the Hedgehog, ET, the Gremlins, Batman, plus more modern classics such as Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, to appeal to parent and kid generations alike. The innovative use of the figurines and the Toy Pad “gateway” as interactive with the videogame, crosses that threshold between retro and modern technology in a seamless and fun way. The characters and their vehicles and gadgets can be endlessly mixed and matched: there’s something irresistible about going into battle with Batman against Gandalf, or on an adventure with Wonder Woman and Gizmo, or to set off with ET driving the DeLorean Time Machine…

With LEGO’s new flagship store opening in central London (with the Mayor of London present no less) and Christmas around the corner, the launch is well timed and the ability to #BreaktheRules and mix up all your favourite characters in one new universe will no doubt have wide appeal.

Sarah Bradbury
Photos: Matthew Pull

For further information about LEGO Dimensions visit here.

Watch the trailer for LEGO Dimensions: Battle Arena here: