LEGO Dimensions and its crossover potential

Eurogamer.net

LEGO Games aren't anything new, and neither are toys-to-life games.

Combine the two together, though, and you have an idea that carries so much potential.



LEGO Dimensions was announced last Thursday, aiming to merge the accessible gameplay style that developer Traveller's Tales has made synonymous with the LEGO titles in the last decade, with the actual bricks when the game launches on Sept. 27.

Think Skylanders, Disney Infinity or Nintendo's Amiibo, except with LEGO pieces and minifigures.

The game will be sold in a starter pack that comes bundled with a pad used to import characters and vehicles into the game, along with minifigures for Gandalf from Lord of the Rings, Wyldstyle from The LEGO Movie, and Batman along with a mini version of the Batmobile.

Additional packs containing different characters, vehicles and levels will be sold as well, and bring other franchises into the mix. Already confirmed to be on the way are Back to the Future, more characters from DC Comics, and The Wizard of Oz (yeah, I honestly don't get that one either).

And from the looks of it, neither does Marty (Gamers.vg)

It's a small sample size to start with, which is understandable, considering this is new territory for Traveller's Tales. However, if handled right, this game has a chance to be something really special.

Ever since 2005, when the original LEGO Star Wars game released, few in the gaming industry have been better at handling licensed properties than Traveller's Tales.

Putting a LEGO spin on any franchise it's been tasked with, the developer has made games based on all six Stars Wars films, and the animated Clone Wars series, Indiana Jones, Batman and the rest of the DC Universe, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Rock Band and the Marvel Universe.

There is even a game that will run through the four films in the Jurassic Park franchise, and is set to come out in June to coincide with the release of Jurassic World.

Although some are better than others, these games are generally well-received. But Dimensions, even though just a little of the game has been shown so far, stands out among them all. Yes, because this game comes along with actual LEGO sets and figures, but also because this is the first game where well-known properties like DC Comics and Back to the Future can cross over.

Batman and Marty McFly are in a game...together...this really is a thing (GeekDad.com)

The LEGO Movie pulled it off on the silver screen last year, and crossovers have been done in games plenty of times before, too. Disney Infinity already brings much of its iconic characters under one roof, provided you're willing to pay $15 for a figurine of, say, Stitch, for example (this will be a problem Dimensions could face with its LEGO sets as well, but we'll have to see how that plays out), and Nintendo assembles its roster into a single game with each new console.

LEGO games, however, are different, because almost any well-known property is susceptible to the LEGO treatment, and it doesn't seem to matter who owns what. 

Despite the games currently being published by Warner Bros., which owns DC Comics, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes was still able to happen. The same can be said for LEGO Jurassic World, as the Jurassic Park franchise is owned by Universal.

That opens up the possibility for just about anything to show up in LEGO Dimensions down the line, which is why the game has tons of potential. I mean just imagine having the Justice League and the Avengers in the same game together, and having the ability to put Jedi, wizards, Ninja Turtles, Morgan Freeman and a DeLorean all into the same world. How cool would that be?

Since it has a toys-to-life game of its own, Disney probably isn't too found of the idea of having Star Wars or Marvel sets for LEGO Dimensions, but the possibility is still there. So is the possibility of assembling an army of characters played by Chris Pratt.

The dude has three LEGO figures. That has to be some sort of record.

There is so much that LEGO Dimensions could do, and so many franchises that Traveller's Tales could bring into the fold for the game.

Basically, LEGO Dimensions could be the game that lets you see through everything your imagination conjured up back when you were playing with LEGO sets as a kid.

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I just want to go back to the announcement trailer for a second...

So...LEGO Ghostbusters?