We recently got the chance to sit down and try out the new LEGO Minifigures Online, a genius cross platform branding strategy from LEGO to introduce their LEGO Minifigure physical products into the digital world, where LEGO enthusiasts are able to purchase the collectable minifigures of their favourite characters and professions. Now players can carry on their collection online with the new family friendly MMORPG, with dozens of different minifigure characters to collect and choose from, each with their own different attacks in the game.
For our first foray into the LEGO universe we jumped straight into the game with the Baseball Fielder as our main character, ranged attack are able to throw his baseball at enemies and charge up his attack to hurl a huge flaming fireball that bounces around the screen. Players are able to instantly switch between their available characters, with the push of a button players can line up three characters and switch between them easily, although by accessing the main menu it seems you can switch out these three and replace them whilst in the middle of the game anyway giving you access to all your available minifigures.
The game takes you straight into a tutorial mode, running along the shelves of a Lego store manoeuvring around the various Lego built terrain, destroying any barricades blocking your access as well as shattering chests and crates to pick up experience stars. As well as destroying items we also had to build cannons to fire all is over large gaps and rebuild a ramp to gain access to a higher level, we’re not sure how this will transpire into the later game as it’s not much of a puzzle, but is a quirky element nonetheless.
The game seamlessly links into the actual plot/story arc as you fight past few ghostly Pirates until you reach the end of the tutorial level where you are greeted by two Lego NPC characters telling you that there was supposed to be a party to greet you will all the characters appear to have disappeared to the pirate world! Shock horror. Only one thing for it and we entered a portal to the first of the many worlds that you can explore in the game.
As you play the game there are a variety of ways to acquire new minifigures in your collection, including defeating some quest areas such as a monkey cave that we managed to find. The characters come in foil packs that the player can open and get a random figure, a digital representation of those that you can buy and collect in a physical store. Interestingly if collectors do by a physical version of a Lego Minifigure, they each come with their own card that the player can activate online to gain access to that character on their Lego Minifigure Online account. As you play the game you also earn diamonds, and in game currency that is acquired through gameplay but can also be purchased with real money and used to buy the foil mini figure characters.
Combat is relatively easy, using your left mouse button from your primary attack and you’re right mouse button for your cool down supercharged attack, and your choice of character determines just what these abilities do. As we had access to a few different figures we could check out some of the different abilities such as the Waiter who would spray enemies with a bottle of “grape juice”, the Roller Derby Girl who would punch people in melee of summon her roll the derby team as her power attack where three Roller skaters would appear and push back enemies whilst dealing damage. Our favourite was the Battle Mech who jumped up into the air and peppered the enemy with a number of missiles. Awesome. As you level up individual minifigures they can gain new abilities, powers and upgrades to make them stronger in battle.
The game itself is clearly aimed towards a younger audience, with cute and silly characters and dialogue and more child friendly plot and theme. The more social and friendly, cooperative nature of the players was apparent straight away as we got three group invites in the short time we played, not something that typically happens in an MMORPG unless it is to take down a particularly challenging enemy. For a called baiter the game offers a lot and clearly this is going to be a game that only continues to add to the experience as new minifigures are released each season and new LEGO worlds to explore.
