Our LEGO 2K Drive PS5 Review

This is my LEGO 2K Drive PlayStation 5 review, an arcade-style racer, that does have its good points, but ultimately is a big missed opportunity due to greed with its monetisation. This game, designed for all ages but mainly aimed at kids, prioritises fun over technical racing skills. It’s a racing title that’s as easy to pick up as it is to enjoy, with four unique biomes, each offering a decently sized open-world map.

These maps are filled with a variety of environments, from sandy desert plains to lush green valleys, providing a visual feast for the players.

The vibrancy and colourful graphics are a testament to the developers’ attention to detail and commitment to creating an immersive gaming experience. The title’s soundtrack, filled with upbeat and energetic tunes, complements the visuals perfectly, creating an atmosphere that’s both exciting and relaxing.

In my opinion, LEGO 2K Drive is a racer that truly captures the spirit of LEGO, combining creativity, fun, and adventure in a beautifully designed package.

Gameplay Mechanics Are Easy & Fun

The gameplay mechanics of LEGO 2K Drive are simple yet deep. The driving experience is seamless, with straightforward inputs that belie the complexity beneath. This offers a great degree of control over vehicle manoeuvres, making it a joy to play.

The ability to use the jump button when you’re about to drive off the edge of closed road is really cool. There’s also the ability to perform sharp e-brake turns and and floaty drifting to help you get around a corner exactly as you see fit. This isn’t no Gran Turismo high-level stuff, it is simple, good old-fashioned arcade style racing that’s made for kids.

The controls are responsive and intuitive, making it easy for players of all skill levels to pick up and play. The game also offers a variety of vehicles to choose from, each with its unique handling and performance characteristics.

This variety adds an extra layer of strategy to the racer, as players must choose the right vehicle for each race. In my view, the gameplay mechanics of LEGO 2K Drive are one of its strongest points, offering a driving experience that’s both accessible and satisfying.

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The Joy of Uninterrupted Driving

One of the standout features of LEGO 2K Drive is the uninterrupted driving experience. The game ensures that there’s very little to break your momentum. The vast majority of objects in the environments are completely smashable, adding to the fun. Your vehicle also automatically transforms into a street racing car, an off-roading vehicle, or a boat, depending on the terrain or water you’re driving on.

This feature adds a layer of unpredictability and excitement to the title, as players must adapt their driving strategies on the fly. In my opinion, this feature is a testament to the devs commitment to providing a fun and engaging driving experience.

The Challenge of Races

While the driving is fun, the races in LEGO 2K Drive are a challenge. The AI competitors fiercely compete against you throughout the race, often becoming surprisingly easy to catch up with and overtake in the latter stages of a race.

This adds an element of unpredictability and excitement to each race. The game offers a variety of race types, including circuit races, sprint races, and time trials, each offering its unique challenges and rewards. The AI competitors are aggressive and unpredictable, making each race a thrilling and challenging experience. In my view, the races in this entry are a highlight of the game, offering a level of challenge and excitement that keeps players coming back for more.

The Delight of Vehicle Customisation

LEGO 2K Drive shines in its creation and customisation toolset. This allows you to build entire vehicles from scratch, offering a vast selection of pieces to choose from. This feature is a triumph, allowing players to spend hours playing around with different designs and configurations.

The customisation options are extensive and varied, allowing players to create a vehicle that truly reflects their personality and playstyle.

In my opinion, the vehicle customisation feature is one of the standout features of LEGO 2K Drive, offering a level of depth and creativity that sets it apart from other racing games in the genre. There’s literally infinite ideas you could come up with and no barriers to what type of vehicle you want to build which is amazing.

An Exciting Open World Design

The open-world design of LEGO 2K Drive is a sight to behold. Each area is colourful, full of charm and personality. The game fills the map with a variety of racing-related side activities and side quests, keeping the player engaged and entertained.

The open-world design allows players to explore at their own pace, discovering hidden secrets and challenges along the way. The world of LEGO 2K Drive is a joy to explore, filled with interesting landmarks, beautiful scenery, and a variety of challenges to keep players engaged. In my view, the open-world design of LEGO 2K Drive is one of its strongest points, offering a level of freedom and exploration that adds a great deal of depth to the game.

The Fun of Side Activities

The side activities in LEGO 2K Drive are a mixed bag. While some are inoffensive at best and bland at worst, others are quite fun. These activities range from bite-sized challenges that take you through drifting courses to setting airtime records.

These activities offer a nice break from the main races, providing a variety of challenges that test different aspects of your driving skills. For me, while the side activities in this entry could use a bit more variety, they still add a great deal of value to the game, offering additional challenges and rewards for players to pursue.

Story Mode

The story mode of LEGO 2K Drive adopts a bit of a grindy structure. The game breaks the momentum and forces you to engage in its side activities to progress. However, the story mode may not offer an extensive length, and you’ll likely be devoted to engaging in online races or exploring optional post-game content.

In it, you will start off as a rookie racer who is taken under the wing of a retired racing legend who mentors you along the way. You will be up against a cheater who is obviously the villain (so to speak) in the mode and your goal is to ultimately defeat him.

While the story mode could use a bit more depth and variety, it still offers a fun and engaging experience that keeps players invested in the game. Personally, while the story mode is not its strongest point, it still offers a fun and engaging experience that adds to the overall appeal of the game.

Those Dreaded Words (Microtransactions)

As I drove through the vibrant brick-built world, I was initially impressed by the variety of events and challenges available to earn the main currency, Brickbux. Winning races, discovering new areas, and conquering goals rewarded my efforts with this coin that could be used to unlock new vehicles, characters, and LEGO pieces in the build mode.

However, after extended time playing both offline and online, I realised the rate of earning these Brickbux felt intentionally slowed to a crawl likely in hopes that I would shell out real cash instead through annoying microtransactions.

Even after hours of gameplay spanning different modes, I had only managed to save up around 18,000 Brickbux – not even enough for some of the higher tier unlocks like new vehicles that can cost 10,000 a pop easily!

Yet the option to instantly boost my coffers via purchasing Coins tied to real money and converting them to Brickbux seemed to glare at me from every menu. 500 Coins costing just under £5 transfers to 10K Brickbux – so a single microtransaction equated to hours upon hours of normal progression.

With Drive Pass seasons also ultimately pushing the player towards further real money investments for additional Coins on top of the normal monthly cost, the entire system left a bad taste in my mouth, especially considering the target audience is for kids. Slowing down rewards to the point where microtransactions feel almost mandatory in what should be a fun all-ages experience feels predatory.

The only way I can see this being fixed reasonably is if earning rates for Brickbux are drastically increased through normal gameplay. Lets hope that the devs at some point in the future, address this annoying issue.

Appeal to Younger Audiences

LEGO 2K Drive is a game that caters to younger audiences as i previously mentioned. The game is approachable and charming, making it a great choice for children. However, it does not compromise on the depth of gameplay, making it enjoyable for older players as well.

The game’s colourful graphics, simple controls, and fun gameplay make it a great choice for younger players, while its depth of gameplay and variety of challenges make it appealing to older players as well. In my opinion, LEGO 2K Drive is a game that truly caters to all ages, offering a fun and engaging experience that can be enjoyed by everyone.

The Final Verdict

Ultimately, LEGO 2K Drive is a fun, engaging, and visually appealing game. It offers a seamless driving experience, challenging races, and a vast array of vehicle customisation options. While it has its flaws, the game is undeniably enjoyable and is a great addition to the arcade-style racing genre. The game’s commitment to providing a fun and engaging driving experience, combined with its depth of gameplay and variety of challenges, make it a game that’s worth playing.

In my view, LEGO 2K Drive is a game that delivers on its promise of fun and excitement, offering a gaming experience that’s both satisfying and rewarding. Whether you’re a fan of LEGO, racing games, or just looking for a fun and engaging game to play, LEGO 2K Drive is a game that’s worth checking out. In our review we give it a rating of 7 out of 10.