Add another entrant to the Toys-to-Life video game genre. And it just might be the last major media property that could be a legitimate competitor for Skylanders, Disney Infinity and Nintendo's Amiibos.
It's also one that pundits have been expecting to produce a Toys-to-Life game for ages.
It's LEGO.
LEGO Dimensions combines characters and settings from multiple Warner Bros. properties, Infinity style, along with the unique qualities of LEGO building bricks and Minifigures.
The news comes from a leak posted this morning to Reddit of the Starter Pack's cover art and an official description.
The picture posted to Reddit shows a Wii U version of the game, but a Toys R Us page shows that it will also be available for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
As for the rest of the details, there's good news and there's bad news.
The good news is that LEGO Dimensions is being made by Traveler's Tales, the developer behind all of the insanely popular LEGO video games (including LEGO Jurassic Park and LEGO Avengers, both coming later this year). That's a smart move on the part of the LEGO Group, as gamers know that the TT brand guarantees quality and a particular kind of experience.
The bad news is that the Starter Pack is being priced at $100. That's quite a bit higher than the starter packs for Skylanders or Disney Infinity, both of which typically start at $75. For your $100, you'll get the "LEGO Toy Pad" base, a buildable "LEGO Gateway" (that Stargate-looking thing behind the base), three playable Minifigures and one vehicle on NFC (near field communication) stands, and the game.
That doesn't include, of course, the additional playable Minifigures and whatnot that LEGO will make available for purchase. The characters in the Starter Pack are Batman (the DC version, not the LEGO Movie version), Wyldstyle and Gandalf, and the Batmobile is included too. Warner Bros. Interactive promises that you'll be able to play through LEGO worlds based on DC Comics, Middle-Earth, The LEGO Movie and Back to the Future (yes!). You'll be fighting a new villain named "Lord Vortech."
A press release issued shortly after the Reddit Leak explains that the add-on toys you'll be able to buy fall into three categories, and gives examples of what you'll find for each:
• Level Packs (additional levels you can add to your game): Back to the Future pack, comes with Marty McFly Minifig and his Hoverboard.
• Team Packs (multiple characters and objects in a single pack): Ninjago with Kai and Cole Minifigures and two vehicles.
• Fun Packs (single characters with a matching vehicle or item): Jay, Nya and Zane from Ninjago; Wonder Woman and Cyborg from DC Comics; Gollum, Gimli and Legolas from Lord of the Rings; Emmet, Bad Cop, Benny and Unikitty from The LEGO Movie; and the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. This marks the first time ever that The Wizard of Oz has appeared in a LEGO video game.
The press release notes that every character and item can be used "interchangeably, anywhere throughout the game — with no limitations." LEGO has launched a supporting website that (among other things) shows what these packs look like.
Here's the official product description posted to Reddit.
"When a mysterious and powerful vortex suddenly appears in various LEGO worlds, different characters from DC Comics, Lord of the Rings and the LEGO Movie are swept away. To save their friends, Batman, Gandalf and Wyldstyle bravely jump into the vortex to rescue their friends and fight to save all of LEGO humanity.
Let your creativity be your guide as you build the LEGO Gateway to adventure, journeying through unexpected worlds and teaming-up with unlikely allies on the quest to defeat the evil Lord Vortech. Play with characters you never thought you could see in a LEGO game together, using vehicles and weapons you never thought possible. LEGO Bad Cop driving the DeLorean Time Machine: why not?! The Ninjago Masters of Spinjitsu fighting alongside Wonder Woman... yes, please! Get ready to break the rules, because the only rule with LEGO Dimensions is that there are no rules.
The LEGO Dimensions Starter Pack is all you need to begin — build your base and embark on a fantastic quest."
For the last few days, Warner Bros. Interactive and LEGO have been teasing some kind of big reveal across social networks such as this:
Tomorrow, get ready to wing it. #BreakTheRules. pic.twitter.com/1iKgN8R5xW
— DC Comics (@DCComics) April 8, 2015
LEGO Dimensions is scheduled to release on September 29, 2015. We also expect to see LEGO Dimensions playable on the show floor at E3 in June.
As for the competition, Skylanders has yet to announce its new game for this year, its fifth in the series, but it could come at any time. Disney fans may recall that Disney Infinity 2.0 was announced last year in late April, so 3.0 (expected to focus on introducing Star Wars to the platform) is likely to debut sooner than later.
Update: Check out the just-posted official trailer for the game, starring none other than Joel McHale.
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