LEGO Bricktales for Nintendo Switch is the latest in a long series of LEGO games. But wait, there’s something different about this. This isn’t a journey into the world of cinematic tie-ins with typical stallion collecting and cutscenes. This is a puzzle-adventure game focused on using bricks to build things as nature intended. And it works perfectly.
You take on the role of a random Lego kid tasked with helping his grandfather recreate a desolate amusement park. There are five healing vehicles, each powered by a Happiness Crystal. These friendly-sounding crystals are earned by stepping into five separate worlds to solve problems and make people happy.
If this premise sounds innocent and sweet, it is. This game is intended to be a fun and relaxing experience that tests your brain. The atmosphere is calm and serene, with soothing music twinkling in the background while you explore. There are no big bad guys to talk about. Instead, he helps the average LEGO people with simple tasks. You may be trapped high up and need help. Maybe they need a certain object to complete the job. Whatever it is, you’re here to help.
Architectural elements come into play here. Missions are displayed via small exclamation points on the path. These switch you into sandbox mode where you are tasked with putting something together to help someone in need. Various. A limited amount of bricks will appear, but there will always be enough. This means there are many ways to complete each task, depending on how creative you want to be. You can either run away from the simple things or spend your time on the more complicated ones.
Part of the process involves checking off a few goals from your list. For example, you may need to use a specific brick. Or maybe the object needs to fly for a set number of seconds. Whatever your goal, building, testing, rebuilding, retesting until you get it right is fun and creative.
The time is ripe to explore the five worlds. Different areas take you to jungle, desert, city and other locations. It helps keep things interesting and maintain a steady pace. There are also many collectibles along the way, giving you plenty of reasons to revisit each world to achieve a 100% completion rate.
As I mentioned earlier, music is very relaxing. I like how it slides into the background to match the build. This is a far cry from the dramatic presentation of his other LEGO games, such as LEGO City Undercover and his entries in Myriad Superheroes. This is a game made for his LEGO enthusiast who loves to build.
Customization is a big part of LEGO and Bricktales is no exception. Use your collection to unlock new faces and outfits to change your avatar as often as you like. Entering the jungle wearing an Egyptian Pharaoh costume will be an interesting journey. This is the creative world of Lego.
Overall, LEGO Bricktales takes the simple concept of the building blocks we know and love and wraps them up in a cute puzzle world. The build is satisfying, the music is perfect for a relaxing mood, and the end result is a trip to every child’s dream: living in a world made out of Lego.
