LEGO 2K Drive could sound prefer it was named at 5:40 on a Friday afternoon – critically, if mixing the writer’s identify and a five-letter verb describing what you’ll be doing most is all it takes today, I look ahead to the following Name of Responsibility being christened Activision Shoot – however hey, don’t maintain that in opposition to it. Extremely charming and imaginative, 2K Drive fuses assured kart racing with a just about limitless customized storage, making it a spot the place you’ll be able to spend simply as a lot time fastidiously constructing automobiles as you do frantically racing them.
LEGO 2K Drive cribs from loads of present racers, which makes it pretty simple to elucidate. Forza Horizon 4’s dearly-loved LEGO growth charges as an computerized point out as a fellow open-world, LEGO-themed racer (they usually actually each share the thought of getting races and challenges unfold out throughout the map to organically uncover as we discover). Nonetheless, regardless of that apparent LEGO hyperlink, 2K Drive is arguably extra in-line with Ubisoft’s The Crew 2 and its hot-swapping system. Automobiles in 2K Drive rework between road rides, offroad racers, and boats because the terrain adjustments, full with a satisfying brick-clicking sound impact.
The power to have a number of totally different trios of automobiles saved in your loadouts could be very helpful, although I might say the system is a bit of overzealous when set to shift routinely. The impact of your journey quickly blinking from road to offroad and again once more, after spending only a split-second on the shoulder, is a bit manic – however you’ll be able to flip computerized switching off when you’d slightly swap manually. When you’re unfamiliar with The Crew 2, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Reworked’s equally mighty tackle morphing motors could provide you with some thought of what to anticipate – their manufacturers of multi-terrain, vehicle-swapping racing round usually loopy programs whereas blasting opponents with weapons are very alike.
There’s an efficient feeling that bucketfuls of LEGO have been assembled inside life-sized environments, with large, non-LEGO objects like instruments, tyres, and tree roots scattered amongst vibrant plastic dioramas.
2K Drive undoubtedly deviates from the Horizon model of LEGO racing when it comes to scale, too; it’s much more akin to Sizzling Wheels Unleashed on this regard. That’s, there’s an efficient feeling that bucketfuls of LEGO have been assembled inside life-sized environments, with large, non-LEGO objects like instruments, tyres, and tree roots scattered amongst vibrant plastic dioramas in every of its 4 separate open worlds. Sadly, 2K Drive doesn’t nail this toy-sized thought fairly as persistently as Sizzling Wheels Unleashed does. The lighting isn’t as convincing, and the phantasm is often disrupted by objects that really feel out-of-place on the scale it’s attempting to recommend – like, say, miniature actual leaf litter that ought to’ve been life-sized. Additionally, not like Sizzling Wheels Unleashed, 2K Drive doesn’t measure distances in centimetres or inches, which is a slight disgrace as a result of it’s these final items of consideration to element that might make a pint-sized toy racer like this actually sing, when you catch my drift.
Toy Surprise
On that word, drifting is executed in a barely peculiar means in 2K Drive, and by default it requires us to carry each the brake and throttle on the similar time all through a complete drift. It’s truly very simple to understand, but it surely does really feel a bit of odd to have the brake squeezed absolutely down for appreciable components of a race. It’s attainable to modify to a extra typical tap-to-drift mechanic however that’s rather less predictable and I’ve discovered my drifts ending prematurely, leaving me to battle understeer or jam down the brake mid-corner to get one other drift going.
That mentioned, the feeling of lengthy, high-speed powerslides is properly translated by 2K Drive’s dealing with mannequin. It’s easy to choose up and play however arguably extra advanced than it first appears – particularly when you begin to exploit the gentle air controls attainable by way of the rocket soar and nitro enhance, or really feel the delicate results of weight as your automobiles lose bricks from collisions and fight (in a intelligent contact, crashing via trackside objects will replenish the LEGO in your individual broken journey). Additionally, the devoted handbrake button – or fast flip, as 2K Drive dubs it – is an important and welcome addition. It’s very helpful for tight switchbacks and an absolute necessity to successfully full a number of the missions – significantly the destruction-based ones that require swift adjustments of course.
The rubber-banding is likely to be a fraction too flagrant at instances, but it surely does a minimum of hold the racing chaotic and shut, and it not often feels unfair. The monitor design can be typically sturdy, with loads of technical segments, environmental hazards, and rewarding shortcuts. 2K Drive performs easily on Xbox Collection X, however I’ve had a pal lose hours of save sport progress on PS5 with out warning, which seems to be a recognized subject.
2K Drive might be responsible of leaning a bit of too closely on a few of its non-racing mission varieties, a few of that are riffed upon a number of instances all through the profession mode. The gathering missions are essentially the most egregious they usually’re primarily simply padding to stretch out proceedings. The story itself lasted me round 10 hours sticking at it, however I’ve been left with loads of uncompleted aspect aims. It does a barely poor job of spelling out why sure later missions are unavailable till you unlock the following batch of races, particularly since youthful gamers could stumble throughout them and assume they’re damaged, however the story could be very cute. I completely discovered myself smiling together with the cutscenes, which emulate the identical photoreal stop-motion type nailed by The LEGO Film. My children liked the villain, who’s frankly far funnier than the token dangerous man in a licensed racing sport most likely had any proper to be.
Underneath Building
Now, the final LEGO racing sport I performed – past Forza Horizon’s tackle it – was LEGO Racers again in 1999, which is fondly remembered by avid gamers of a specific classic for its rudimentary customized automotive constructing. 2K Drive pays homage to that sport with a customisation instrument of its personal that might’ve appeared like witchcraft within the late ’90s. Severely, when you can dream it – and it suits within the allotted house – you’ll be able to construct it. It’s actually fairly exceptional. Actually, my stats inform me I’ve spent extra time constructing than I’ve driving. The quantity of choices and controls was a bit of intimidating at first however after a couple of hours I felt fairly snug enjoyable and piecing collectively my first mission – which turned a chunky caricature of Mad Max’s iconic Interceptor.
Snapping items collectively is often finicky, however typically it’s very cooperative. Items will be painted any color you need, whether or not they’re formally accessible in the true world that means or not. You may group items, duplicate them, mirror them, and make wonderful angle changes. You may even delete and add items with out pulling whole segments aside, such as you’d should do in actual life. A variety of items are held in reserve as rewards or accessible to buy for credit from the in-game retailer – which means you could not be capable of good your construct instantly upon booting up – however the customisation system in 2K Drive is nothing in need of glorious.
It’s not necessary to spend a bunch of time right here, although – when you don’t wish to begin from scratch, you’ll be able to edit the present fashions for a head begin on builds. Don’t really feel it’s a must to put collectively giant initiatives like mine, both. If you wish to hold it easy, you’ll be able to seize a palm-sized chassis and easily whack collectively a fast little kart with a handful of bricks. You’ll be again in 1999 very quickly.
If you wish to hold it easy, you’ll be able to seize a palm-sized chassis and easily whack collectively a fast little kart with a handful of bricks.
Furthermore, if a meathead like me is ready to put one thing like this collectively after simply a number of years of driving shotgun on my children’ LEGO constructing, think about what true LEGO specialists are going to have the ability to assemble. Discovering that out is the place 2K Drive stumbles, although, as the flexibility to share creations isn’t accessible presently. It’s been clarified that customized automobile sharing is a characteristic that will probably be included in a post-launch replace, however what type that takes is a thriller. Will it’s restricted to associates? Or will there be an in-game browser to see the most effective fashions from anyone? I hope it’s the latter.
One half The Crew 2, one half Mario Kart, and one thousand components… LEGO components, LEGO 2K Drive is a wild and kooky all-ages kart racer that’s buried itself below my pores and skin just like the pointed fringe of rogue plastic brick underfoot in a messy child’s bed room. Higher nonetheless, it’s one which embraces the whole inventive freedom actual LEGO affords like few video games earlier than it, with an unimaginable customized automobile creation instrument that’s nearly well worth the value of admission alone. The present incapacity to share these designs with others is disappointing – significantly within the shadow of one other tedious microtransaction retailer – however LEGO 2K Drive is actually the quickest and funniest approach to rock out along with your blocks out in latest reminiscence.
