Parents' Guide to Lego Dimensions

Although it's pricey, the creativity, versatility, and depth of this game taps into the imagination of everyone young and old. Every kid, at some time or another, has mixed and matched their favorite toys in an epic, crossover adventure fueled by their wildest dreams. Lego Dimensions brings that same kind of adventure to life in a huge experience that engages the creativity and fantasy of kids of all ages. After all, where else can Batman and Wonder Woman team up with Shaggy and Scooby to help Marty McFly get Back to the Future? Or Jake the Dog and Beast Boy team with Newt Scamander to track down Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? It's a wildly mixed-up world, but somehow all these diverse properties still manage to fit together as tightly as the Lego bricks they're made of. There's a little something for everyone here, young and old. It's a good thing, too. Since a big part of Lego Dimensions involves building and rebuilding the physical toys before using them in the virtual world, both parents and kids might need to work together to get the most out of the game.

Whether you've played any of the previous Lego games before or are a newcomer to the franchise, you'll be happy to know that the main gameplay is still easy to pick up and play. Each character has certain abilities to help progress through the story, and players can switch out on the fly to make sure they've got the right character for the right job. Unfortunately, this is where the game's biggest weakness also kicks in. The simple fact is that to unlock all the side missions and collectibles, it's going to take a fairly sizable investment. Purchasing additional Story, Level, Team, and Fun Packs can easily start to run hundreds of dollars. But unlike most other games in the "toys to life" genre (Skylanders, Disney Infinity, and so on), nothing you buy now will become obsolete later. Year 1 figures work with Year 2 content and vice versa, with WB Games planning to keep it this way. Regular updates to the base game keep everything compatible without forcing players to buy new versions of the same game. By expanding and evolving the original platform, even new features, like the brand-new four-player Battle Arenas, can be used with any Lego Dimensions character after they've been activated with a Year 2 character. Sure, Lego Dimensions is a potentially hefty investment, but thanks to WB's game plan, it's one you can definitely build on now and in the future.