‘The LEGO NINJAGO Movie Video Game’ Review: A Surprising LEGO Evolution

The LEGO NINJAGO Movie Video Game wasn’t even on my radar, but it actually hit me like a ton of bricks. It’s more fun than I would have expected from a movie game, and further proof that the team at TT Games have this LEGO video game formula down to a science.

The game follows Lloyd (or as his dad may call him, “La-lloyd”), who lead a group of Ninjago soldiers in defending his beautiful city from the clutches of Garmadon, an evil warlord who — surprise! — is actually his father. But the adventure isn’t just about following the same steps as the film, as you’ll soon be exploring other areas, finding gold bricks, enhancing your characters and stopping evil forces at every turn.

Granted, the general design of LEGO NINJAGO will be very familiar to anyone who’s ever played such a game from TT Games. You’ll build items to help you solve puzzles, switch between characters that are relevant to activating switches or defeating certain enemies, and looking for hidden goodies.

Combat Crazy

Where Lego Ninjago Movie stands apart from other countless entries in the genre — and with more popular licenses, no doubt — is with its gameplay. Instead of just getting into bland combat until you literally break someone into breaks, The Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game goes the extra mile with its system, introducing some awesome moves with multi-hits that really deliver the gusto.

For instance, there are air launch moves where you can strike someone up high before bringing them crashing down to the Earth; finishers that actually let you finish off an opponent stylishly; and even upgrades that you can earn to power up your many characters, and unlock a few new ones along the way. You’d be surprised how much versatility a character like Master Chicken has on the battlefield.

And this is all introduced through a well-done tutorial that lays down the basics pretty nicely, while at the same time pacing out so players can learn everything in a good way. Even younglings should have no problem delivering ninja justice as smoothly as their older kin.

On top of that, the upgrade wall is pretty cool, allowing you to power up your character in a number of ways. By the time you complete the game, you’ll have enough mastery ninja skills to motivate you to run through the game again, just to see how effortlessly everyone falls to your feet. Especially that evil Chicken…man, he deserves it.

A Whole Lot Of Depth

First off, the hidden goodies, like the gold bricks and other little surprises, are really something, and some of them can’t even be accessed until you get certain characters within the game. You’d be really surprised what kind of purpose the sushi chef serves here.

Secondly, you can unlock bonus missions that really open up the environments within the game, so you can explore more and find even more stuff and characters. This really adds some replay value to the game, outside of the missions that are based on the film.

Finally, it’s quite accessible with multiple players. Up to two can take part in the general campaign and exploration areas, but there’s also a four player battle arena that’s a lot of fun, especially if you’re looking for a combat game that’s a bit light on the violence – something that you can play with the kids. This fits that requirement, and how.

Not The Most Beautiful LEGO Game, But A Highly Entertaining One

The presentation isn’t really TT Games’ best, but it’s not bad. The environments come alive with great detail, and set up some great puzzles that you’ll have to work on along the way. The animations can be a bit hodgepodge, and slowdown does occur when the screen gets too flooded with enemies, but the action moves along at a brisk pace.

Also, the music is pretty good, taken straight from the film (more or less), and the sound effects are sweet as well, especially the weapon effects. That said, the voice acting – which actually doesn’t feature the actors from the film – left a little bit to be desired, especially compared to stuff like The EGO Movie Video Game and LEGO Marvel Super Heroes.

While the quality isn’t quite up to snuff with other games, there’s more than enough in the LEGO NINJAGO Movie Video Game to recommend it. Its combat is wildly fun, and offers up some creativity outside of the usual “punch everything” mantra; and the replay value is off the charts with the bonus levels and four-player combat. I’m definitely glad I found time to squeeze it in.

RATING: Four out of five stars.

Disclaimer: A PlayStation 4 review copy was provided by the publisher.