For about two decades now, LEGO games have stuck to a very particular formula, and though that formula has obviously seen some changes and evolutions over the years, usually, you know exactly what you’re in for when it comes to a LEGO game. That, however, looks like it’s going to change in the future- starting with LEGO 2K Drive. Developed by Visual Concepts of NBA 2K and WWE 2K fame, LEGO 2K Drive will see the developer combining the beloved license with a racing experience, and ahead of its launch not long from now, here, we’ll be going over a few key details that you should know about the game.
ARCADE RACING
You wouldn’t expect a a game carrying the LEGO license to opt for an approach that prioritizes authenticity and realism above all else, and sure enough, LEGO 2K Drive is embracing the wackiness that comes with the license. The game will be focusing on arcade racing mechanics above all else, which means players will be jumping, drifting, and boosting as they’re driving their cars- and yes, you’ll also be able to use items against your opponents in order to win races.
OPEN WORLD
LEGO 2K Drive is set in the world of Bricklandia, and it’s promising a fully open world experience. How exactly will the world be structured though? Well, it’s not going to be a fully seamless world – which makes sense, given the fact that it also has to be optimized for the significantly weaker hardware of the Nintendo Switch – and will instead feature five distinct biomes, including deserts, lush fields, waterways, and more. While players won’t be able to drive from one biome to another, you will be able to fast travel from one to another at anytime.
MODES
LEGO 2K Drive is looking to be a packed experience, and in more ways than one. For instance, the game will have several modes for players to dive into. In addition to being able to jump into single races or Cup Series tournaments, there will also be a full-fledged story mode to race through, while a number of multiplayer options will also be available.
STORY MODE
LEGO 2K Drive’s story mode is likely going to be the game’s main attraction for a great many people, but what exactly can be expected from it. Story mode will be set in the aforementioned Bricklandia, and will see players setting their sights on the Sky Trophy. To win that ultimate prize, you’ll be gradually climbing through the ranks by winning races and beating a series of rivals, with your final goal being to take on Shadow Z.
MULTIPLAYER
For those who want to move beyond LEGO 2K Drive’s single player offerings and experience what it has to offer with friends or other players, the game will, of course, have multiplayer options as well. Competitive multiplayer will see you racing in six player races, while on the co-op front, the game will also feature both multiplayer co-op and two player splitscreen.
DESTRUCTIBLE ENVIRONMENTS
One area where LEGO 2K Drive is going to take cues from the many LEGO games of the last several years – in spite of how different it will be in all other respects – will be the destructibility of its environments- it’s still a LEGO game, after all. Destroying things in the environment and watching them explode into showers of tiny little LEGO bricks has always been a big part of these games, and in LEGO 2K Drive, you’ll be able to wreak all kinds of havoc with your car.
LAND AND WATER RACING
LEGO 2K Drive is a racer, but it’s not just about cars. We mentioned earlier that the game is embracing the wackiness that goes hand-in-hand with a LEGO game, and this is a perfect example of that. Races will take place over both land and water, which means that in addition to cars, you’ll also be driving boats. What’s more, driving from land into water will be completely seamless and see your car instantly transforming into a boat, and vice versa.
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
Being an open world game (and a LEGO game) you’d expect LEGO 2K Drive to have plenty of optional content on offer, and developer Visual Concepts is certainly making that promise. The open world exploration itself is bound to add plenty of hours to your play time, while optional activities like side quests and various different kinds of minigames will also be scattered throughout all the biomes.
CREATING AND CUSTOMIZING VEHICLES
This is likely going to be LEGO 2K Drive’s biggest draw bar none. Rather than featuring a defined roster of vehicles, the game is instead putting customization and creation at the forefront. In LEGO 2K Drive’s Garage, players will be able to tinker, experiment, and play around with thousands of different LEGO bricks and pieces to build whatever kind of car you can dream up. Of course, not every piece will be available to you off the bat, but expanding your creation toolset and range of options to build better and better vehicles will be a big part of the experience.
MCLAREN LICENSE
Though building your own vehicles will obviously be a core component of LEGO 2K Drive, the game will also feature readymade vehicles for players to hope behind the wheel of and hit the road with. For instance, courtesy of a license collaboration with McLaren, the game will also feature a couple of vehicles from the manufacturer- namely, the McLaren Solus GT and McLaren F1 LM.
MICROTRANSACTIONS
As much as there is to be excited about when it comes to LEGO 2K Drive, the game is also doing some things that warrant a little bit of caution. It’s been confirmed that the racer will have microtransactions, with players being able to spend real money to purchase in-game items. While microtransactions don’t exactly come as a surprise for a licensed game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K, their implementation could be cause for concern.
YEAR 1 DRIVE PASS
It won’t surprise you to learn that Visual Concepts and 2K plan on keeping up plenty of support for LEGO 2K Drive following its release, but exactly what can we expect from its post-launch support? While the concrete details have yet to be revealed, we do know that the game’s Year 1 Drive Pass will cover four seasons’ worth of content, which presumably means each season will last three months. What will each new season bring? That remains to be seen.
POST-LAUNCH COLLABORATIONS
LEGO is a brand that has built its identity around collaborations with major IP from across all media, and LEGO games, in turn, have done that as well. LEGO 2K Drive will also be following in those footsteps with its post-launch support. Speaking in an interview with VGC, when asked about post-launch IP collaborations, executive producer Mark Pierce said, “There’s no announcements about that at the moment, but I wouldn’t be shocked. [LEGO 2K Drive] is truly a AAA effort and we’re at the pinnacle of all of these different brands and everything, and the commitment from these large companies is very high. We have a lot of stuff I can’t really talk about now… But there are collaborations that are coming down the line, as we get to post-launch, that are very impressive. I think LEGO fans are gonna love them.”
SWITCH VERSION
Though it’s not a terribly common occurrence, there have been a a few games in the past that have had half-hearted so-called physical releases on the Switch, with their physical versions coming with download codes instead of game cards- which defeats the purpose of buying a physical copy. Unfortunately, LEGO 2K Drive will be doing that as well. Given the fact that its file size on the Switch eShop is listed as 4.5 GB, the decision was to go with download codes instead of cartridges is a particularly baffling one.
PRICE
2K is one of several publishers that has consistently been releasing its new PS5 and Xbox Series X/S titles for higher prices these last couple of years, and it’ll be doing that with LEGO 2K Drive as well. On the current-gen consoles, the game’s standard edition will be sold for $69.99. Meanwhile, on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, it’ll be sold for $59.99.
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