LEGO City Undercover

LEGO City Undercover is the most ambitious game ever built out of bricks up to that point, and also one of the few major titles that were initially Wii U exclusives. Unlike other entries in the series, it isn't based on a film license but on an entirely original world: the player takes on police officer Chase McCain, who returns to LEGO City to catch an escaped criminal, repeatedly disguising himself as a thief, firefighter, miner, or astronaut along the way. Each disguise brings different abilities, from wall-climbing through smashing obstacles to hovering, and opens up previously inaccessible places.

The city is open and fairly large, divided into districts each with its own character, and the player moves around on foot or in dozens of vehicles that can be summoned at any time. Beyond the story missions, there's a huge number of collectibles, minigames, and hidden references, so getting to one hundred percent completion takes considerably longer than just finishing the main line. The GamePad serves as a communicator and scanner used to find clues and eavesdrop on suspects, one of the few cases where the second screen genuinely adds to the atmosphere.

The humor here is stronger than in other LEGO games, since for the first time the characters have full voice acting, and the script openly pokes fun at police movies and TV shows. Visually it's a fresh, colorful spectacle with great attention to the detail of plastic surfaces; technically, though, the game was plagued by long loading screens, which practically every review complained about. Reception was nonetheless warm, and the title long remained one of the best reasons to own the console. Today it works as a harmless, very generous game for families and collectors alike, one that can fill many evenings. Its later release on other platforms removed the features tied to the second screen, but it showed that there was interest in the LEGO City world beyond Nintendo.