Status:
Complete and Play Tested
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Lego City Undercover (Xbox One) Review
🕵 Gameplay & Mechanics
Lego City Undercover takes the familiar Lego formula and places it in a fully open-world setting, letting players step into the role of Chase McCain, an undercover cop on a mission to stop criminal mastermind Rex Fury. Unlike traditional Lego games tied to franchises like Star Wars or Marvel, this title is a wholly original narrative within a sprawling city.
Gameplay blends third-person action, puzzle-solving, platforming, and vehicular traversal. As Chase, players switch between various disguises, each granting different abilitiessuch as breaking into safes, scanning for clues, or using acrobatic movesto progress through missions and uncover collectibles. The mechanics are simple yet effective, offering satisfying progression and plenty of variety.
🌆 Open World & Exploration
Lego City itself is the real starimpressively large, bustling with activity, and filled with secrets. From downtown skyscrapers to rural farms and docks, each district feels distinct and encourages exploration. The map is packed with side objectives: races, puzzles, collectibles, and hidden vehicles.
Traversal is enjoyable with a wide range of drivable cars, motorcycles, helicopters, and boats. Though theres no fast travel early on, movement remains fluid thanks to parkour and vehicle access.
🎮 Controls & Combat
Controls are tight and responsive, with intuitive platforming and context-sensitive interactions. Combat is basic and non-lethalmore comedic than intensecentered around counterattacks and takedowns rather than weapons. Younger players will find it easy to grasp, though older gamers might crave more depth.
🧩 Missions & Variety
Main story missions are diverse and entertaining, with some creative level design and plenty of humorous set-pieces. From infiltrating a prison to going undercover on a movie set, the variety keeps things interesting. The game rarely takes itself seriously, leaning into Legos signature charm and slapstick comedy.
Some missions feel padded with fetch quests or backtracking, but the pace generally stays lively.
🎨 Graphics & Presentation
The Xbox One version benefits from higher resolution and smoother performance compared to its Wii U origins. The visuals are colorful, polished, and clean, with charming Lego aesthetics blended into a realistic city backdrop. While not graphically groundbreaking, the world feels vibrant and thoughtfully designed.
Character animations and facial expressions are exaggerated for comedic effect, and loading times are reasonable.
🔊 Sound & Voice Acting
Lego City Undercover features full voice actinga rarity in early Lego titles. The voice cast is strong, delivering genuinely funny lines with perfect timing. The writing spoofs everything from cop dramas to buddy movies, with plenty of family-friendly humor and pop culture references.
Music is upbeat and cinematic, adding energy to chases and emotional punch to cutscenes. Sound effects are crisp, and environmental audio helps the city feel alive.
Pros
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Large, vibrant open world with lots to explore
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Genuinely funny writing and voice acting
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Disguise system adds variety to gameplay
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Tons of collectibles and replay value
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Family-friendly but enjoyable for all ages
Cons
Combat is overly simplistic
Some repetitive mission structures
Occasional camera issues indoors
No online multiplayer, only local co-op
🏁 Final Verdict
Lego City Undercover is a standout Lego title, offering a compelling open-world adventure thats both accessible and rewarding. While it may not have the depth of traditional crime games, its charm, humor, and sheer content make it a great option for fans of Lego, platformers, or sandbox games alike.
Score: 8 / 10
Recommendation:
Ideal for younger gamers, Lego fans, and anyone craving a lighthearted, open-world romp
Skip if you're looking for serious action or advanced mechanics
