LEGO Ninjago Movie: The Video Game review: Another genuinely enjoyable LEGO title

PS4/Xbox One/Nintendo Switch/ PC (reviewed) - Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment - £39.99

It won’t surprise you to learn that Lego Ninjago Movie: The Video Game is a video game based on the Lego Ninjago Movie. If that does come as something of a revelation, then you might want to turn elsewhere. What may come as something of a shock is that, far from being a quick cash-in, the Lego Ninjago Movie: The Video Game (LNM:TVG from here on for the sake of brevity and sanity) is actually pretty decent, refreshing the Lego game formula and introducing some new concepts.

LNM:TVG follows the plot of its namesake film, so much so in fact, that large chunks of cutscenes are simply ripped from the movie itself. It follows a group of trainee ninja’s in the city of Ninjago, which is facing an impending threat from the evil Garmadon and his gang of nautical henchmen. I won’t spoil the rest of the plot, but needless to say, it’s a good excuse for some martial arts based action, Lego building (natch), and maybe even some bonding along the way (ahhh).

If you’ve played any of the numerous Lego games in the past decade, you’ll know broadly what to expect - fight and build your way through stages while collecting studs, bricks and characters, some of which you’ll have to get later once you’ve learned some new abilities. LNM:TVG mixes things up slightly by leaning into the ninja aspect, and your characters actually have a suite of moves available to them, and in no time at all you’ll be juggling foes in the air and unleashing special attacks. It’s basic, but it does add a layer of strategy to the combat that is rarely seen in the Lego games.

In addition there is also an upgrade tree for your skills, another novelty for a Lego game. As you play, you’re awarded tokens to select new additions to you moves, such as greater damage, a bigger area of effect or more studs. Again, it’s hardly a new concept, but somewhat surprising to see in a Lego title. The good news is that the game is generous doling these out, and by the end of the game your little plastic guys will be fully upgraded.

As with other games in the series, getting to the end isn’t so much the stopping point, as an excuse to revisit earlier levels with all your new abilities, and gather up the remaining collectables, of which there are plenty. With each stage acting as a mini-hub once completed, with extra missions, fighting arenas and stuff to collect, there’s plenty to do. With a run through of the story taking around six to eight hours, this is a welcome addition for those looking for more content.

One of the collectables, naturally, is Lego minifigures, which this time are found in the stages or earned through battles, rather than being purchased with studs as previously. These are presented in blind bags, complete with an animation of the bag being opened and the mystery character falling out. Anyone with children will attest that blind bags are a serious addiction, and presenting them in this way has upped the ante more than any other Lego game for collecting the characters. I expect kids will be jonesing until they get all of them (that’s over 100).

The game is playable in local co-op, with a second player able to drop in and out at any time. As well as this, there is also a battle mode accessible from the map, which offers up to four player co-op, incorporating capture the flag, team battles etc. It’s a good example of where the game goes above and beyond.

Technically, the game is smooth for the most part, although the loading times are a little longer than you’d like (at least, for the PS4 version we played). Also, I did run into some crashes, some of which were repeatable. Hopefully, these will be addressed in a patch down the line, because experiencing a hard lock in the game, and then patiently waiting while you load it up again and the progress bar crawls along the screen is frustrating to say the least.

Difficulty-wise, it’s on a par with other Lego games. You have unlimited lives, and there’s no consequence for dying. The stages themselves are straightforward and an onscreen arrow always points to your next objective, so getting lost isn’t an issue. The building puzzles adopt the concept of using the same bricks for multiple builds, which was introduced in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Lego game, which does require a small degree of thought. The game shouldn’t pose any big issues for younger players.

Another Lego game, another genuinely enjoyable title. If you’re feeling fatigued by the numerous games in this series, then LNM:TVG should do just enough to pull you back in. It’s commendable that Warner Bros has made a genuine effort with this movie tie-in rather than dumping out a quick cash grab. It’s not without issues - the game is on the short side, loading times are poor and crashes are never a good look - but there is still a lot to merit here. The best Lego game remains Lego City Undercover, but if you’ve already exhausted that, this is a good second option.