LEGO: The Incredibles

My first instinct with any new LEGO game is to check whether TT Games has done anything interesting with the license or whether they've just swapped the minifigs and called it a day. With LEGO: The Incredibles, the answer is mostly the latter, but the source material is strong enough that it still holds up as a low-pressure afternoon well spent. The structure covers both Incredibles films across twelve story levels, split evenly six-and-six. There is one wrinkle worth knowing before you start: the game forces you through Incredibles 2 first, locking the original film behind completion of the sequel. It is a strange call that slightly deflates some of the first movie's surprises, since Jack-Jack's powers are no mystery by the time you reach them. Once you accept that quirk, the level design does a decent job translating key action sequences into brickable moments. Mr. Incredible smashes through orange-handle walls with super strength, Elastigirl transforms into a boat or a parachute to navigate hazards, Violet toggles invisibility and force fields to sneak past security, and Dash sprints treadmill pads to manipulate the environment. Jack-Jack's chaotic grab-bag of powers (fire form, telekinesis, teleportation) makes him genuinely fun to use in Free Play runs. The open-world side of things, set across the fictional cities of Municiberg and New Urbem, is where the game earns a bit of its keep. Crime Waves break the map into manageable district-clearing missions: show up to a villain-controlled zone, complete a short run of quests, beat a boss, and the area opens up. There are ten Crime Waves in total, including bouts against Syndrome, Bomb Voyage, the Underminer, and two game-original villains, Brainfreezer and Anchor-Man. Clearing a district also unlocks Pixar Family Builds, which are little construction minigames that reward guest characters from other Pixar properties, including Woody, Dory, Wall-E, Sully, Flik, and Bing Bong, among others. It is a genuinely warm touch for anyone raised on those films. The collectible haul is substantial: 210 gold bricks, 12 red bricks, 120 minikits, 40 vehicles, and over 100 playable characters unlocked through in-game Mystery Bags. The negatives are the usual TT Games baggage. Driving controls feel clunky and most vehicles are skippable outside of the 25 Dash races scattered around the map. Camera weirdness and context-sensitive prompts occasionally fire the wrong action, which is irritating in a game this relaxed. Load times on PC at launch were notably long; players in more recent reviews report the experience is smoother, but it is worth keeping in mind. The campaign itself is short, and the obligatory Free Play revisits to mop up collectibles start to feel like homework if you push past casual completion. Critics called the game rushed and formula-tired at launch, which is fair, though the 90-percent-positive Steam rating suggests the audience it was made for remains pretty happy with it. What LEGO: The Incredibles does well is atmosphere. The humor lands, the character powers are genuinely matched to the puzzles, and local co-op makes the whole thing significantly more enjoyable. It is not a game that asks much of you, and that is entirely by design. If you are a LEGO series veteran hoping for something that shakes up the formula, you will be satisfied but not surprised. If you are playing with someone younger, or just want to spend a weekend with the Parrs without any stress attached, this delivers on those terms cleanly. Alex, Scout Team