In LEGO Bricktales, players are tasked with assisting their grandfather by overcoming a series of challenges. A small robot companion is available to provide tips, advice, and assistance in clearing obstacles. Each level presents itself as a compact LEGO diorama, featuring various puzzles to solve. The initial building tasks are relatively straightforward, but complexity increases quickly as the game progresses. Players can collect items and purchase LEGO bricks for use in sandbox mode, or acquire cosmetic items such as jackets. Customize your LEGO figure and embark on an adventure filled with fresh challenges within a vibrant LEGO world.
LEGO Bricktales diverges from the typical LEGO game formula, placing its primary emphasis on the act of building with LEGO bricks. This contrasts with other titles that often involve destruction followed by automated construction sequences. Another notable difference is the absence of voice acting; dialogue is presented entirely through text, and character animations are deliberately stylized to evoke the feel of physical LEGO figures. The narrative is relatively simple, but retains the classic humor characteristic of LEGO games. The game incorporates self-aware and meta-humorous elements, such as a LEGO character’s reluctance to jump off a cliff, prompting the robot to remind them of their plastic composition and inherent durability.
A significant issue in LEGO Bricktales arises from its core focus on LEGO building: the game mechanics in this area are not entirely refined. While initially intuitive, the camera controls become cumbersome when constructing more complex structures, hindering precise brick placement and overall ease of use.
It appears that LEGO Bricktales was designed primarily for mouse and keyboard input, with controller support added as a secondary consideration. Consequently, in addition to camera control issues, the process of building can be unwieldy, leading to frustration as players spend time wrestling with the game mechanics rather than focusing on creative solutions. The inability to select and move multiple LEGO bricks simultaneously further exacerbates this issue, requiring players to dismantle and rebuild entire sections instead of simply repositioning them.
Despite the aforementioned drawbacks, LEGO Bricktales is still a worthwhile experience. The core gameplay loop of creatively building solutions to overcome challenges embodies the essence of LEGO: creativity. A qualified recommendation is therefore warranted. Had the game mechanics been more polished, it would have been an unequivocal must-have title.
Thunderful games provided a review code for this evaluation. The provision of review materials does not influence editorial decisions.
