The LEGO Ninjago Movie Videogame [Xbox One]
As I've said many a time before - LEGO games are always a big success in this house. With every game, there are improvements and new innovations to keep things fresh and interesting for old and new players alike. LEGO Ninjago is no different there - it plays like the other LEGO games and was fun enough to keep us going, but it just didn't grab either of us as much as LEGO's previous titles.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie Videogame (...sheesh) is a tie-in game to the recently released movie. It follows the same story, throwing in cut-scenes from the movie (similarly to what the LEGO Movie Videogame did), and having only been announced a few short months before the movie's release, this game was a surprise to say the least.
The combat is different to previous LEGO releases, adding in a newly designed Combo Meter which ramps up the speed in which your stud count will increase, providing you get the hits in. This is an enjoyable addition, and encourages you to see what ways you can get in the combos to get those studs counting. As with previous LEGO games, there are studs everywhere, so you'll always have access to them even if you suck at the combat - however the stud counter has been completely ravamped and now goes up in ranks as the game goes on, meaning you don't have to be as stressed out trying to get enough studs each level. Completionists rejoice.
You can use "Ninjanuity Tokens" to purchase skill upgrades to increase your effectiveness in combat, which is certainly not a bad things to have incorporated - especially when you have Dojos to compete in, against waves of enemies in order to gain the highest score.
As always, there are a bunch of different playable characters and a massive improvement to this is that now you don't need to use your studs to be able to "purchase" the character after you unlock it: it's just instantly there! This was definitely something we wished had been around for previous games as it was often a cause of frustration when you needed a character with "x" ability and you didn't have enough to bloody buy them yet.
And breathe.
A variety of side missions are available, which can give you a little break from the story, or even just to allow you to go wandering off for a while. The basic LEGO game formula is here, even if things have been tweaked and improved. The game did have a few glitchy moments, and load screens were sometimes quite long, however these were a minor inconvenience.
If you know and love the LEGO Ninjago characters and their universe, then this game is for you. Unfortunately for us, something just felt missing when we played - even though we enjoyed the things that have been changed up since previous titles, this one just didn't grab us as much as it could have, and I think that mostly boils down to the fact that every other LEGO game we've played has been from a franchise we love (DC, Marvel, Star Wars, etc), or from the LEGO Movie, which we hugely enjoyed.
In the end, we decided that we would give The LEGO Ninjago Movie Videogame a 7/10. It was still an enjoyable game with good improvements from the previous LEGO games, but a few technical issues and the fact it just couldn't grab us like the others prevents it from a higher score.
Have you played it yet? What are your thoughts?
Let us know in the comments below!
- V x
Thank you to Warner. Bros Games for The LEGO Ninjago Movie Videogame Xbox One review copy!
