Batman Redesigns the Batmobile Again and Again in New Lego Dimensions Trailer
Apparently, 2015 is going to be the year of Lego --- at least as far as video games are concerned. In previous years, we've gotten one or two different Lego games from TT Games, but this year four different Lego titles are on the docket. In addition to Lego Jurassic World and Lego Worlds (just released on Steam Early Access), quite possibly the most ambitious Lego game ever will arrive later this year in the form of Lego Dimensions.
Taking full advantage of the unstoppable trend in NFC figure video games, Lego Dimensions combines the collectible aspect with its iconic brick building to craft an entirely new spin on the aging (and expensive) formula Skylanders, Disney Infinity and Nintendo have done so well with in recent years. Unlike all those other brands, Lego Dimensions won't just be limited to one particular house of licenses, and will offer players the chance to mix and match heroes like Batman and Gandalf with vehicles like the DeLorean and the Mystery Machine.
The latest trailer for the DIY adventure focuses on the many forms the Batmobile will be able to take thanks to your imagination. Wyldstyle has an eye and talent for improvising incredible vehicles, and the standard Batmobile just won't do it for her anymore. She takes to reworking the iconic car, giving it some new feature Batman and Gandalf don't quite understand, but that's okay; they're not Master Builders like Wyldstyle.
More important than her designs though is the idea that you can take these revamped versions of the Batmobile into the actual game itself. As you can see in the trailer, the various versions whipped together all appear in-game once placed on the NFC plate and the Dimensions portal. What's not really clear is just how much freedom you'll actually have to rework the vehicles, and if these different iterations are offered in the instructions as acceptable models. How the NFC reader understands the format of what you've built is a bit of a mystery, but you can clearly see the virtual manifestation of the physical product appears to work with ease.
Lego Dimensions' competitors don't offer this kind of flexibility, but they're also not based on a franchise that is focused so completely on creative freedom. Still, the biggest thing Lego has going for it is the ability to mix and match the likes of Chima and Scooby-Doo to craft an adventure that's all your own. With licenses like DC Comics, Back to the Future, The Wizard of Oz and The Simpsons, Lego Dimensions is probably going to bankrupt me. But that's okay; it'll give my wife and I something new to do this fall.
Lego Dimensions is due out on Sept. 27 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii U.