Rating: NNN
In one of the most unlikely matches ever made, Lego building blocks have joined up with Hollywood movies and become a gaming franchise that’s been successful and innovative for years. Films from Indiana Jones to Harry Potter have received the coloured brick treatment. The combination of fun action gameplay, smart humour and adorable characters makes the Lego games big hits with gamers young and old.
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With the release of Lego Universe, the simple toy we all grew up with is going after a piece of the giant pie that massively multi-player games like World Of Warcraft enjoy. More specifically, it’s following in the footsteps of online children’s successes like Club Penguin. Lego Universe is an online, subscription-based game that adds a social and creative element to the formula. Clearly aimed at kids – though fun for the young at heart, too – it puts players into a world in turmoil as evil forces invade. You play as a mini-fig, the name given to the blocky little people found in every Lego set.
A wide variety of challenges, tasks and mini-games provide endless fun. You’ll encounter, among other things, variations on racing, fighting off never-ending hordes of evil mini-figs and puzzle-solving. Players can design and even build their own content into the game, a creative element that will be familiar to fans of Little Big Planet.
Universe gives parents controls over who their children interact with and how long they spend playing the game. A comprehensive web portal lets you manage friends and game time, so children only play with others whom they know in real life. This is a solid way to prevent them from encountering content not meant for them and to keep unscrupulous people away.
With monthly updates to the game planned for the next five years, and a game world full of players already, it seems Lego Universe is here to stay. While some children’s online games tend not to attract older gamers, Lego Universe is a winning game your kids won’t have to beg you to play with them. Gather up your blocks and get building!
