"Building a brighter future"

I have completely played through this game twice now. I originally bought it several years ago and played it on a computer that ran the game with a lot of graphical oddities. Fortunately, I was able to recently play it again as it is supposed to be. While Lego Racers certainly can't compete against fancier kart racers, it's still a fun diversion for anyone who's a cheap PC owner.

Graphics:
It would have been really cool if every course was built entirely of Legos. While there are plenty of familiar-looking Lego buildings, the land itself is real land. Well, I wouldn't call it "real" as Lego Racers has a very cartoonish look. The textures and effects are kept to a minimum, which means the game can run smoothly on slower computers. It requires a very specific video card to play this without the graphical oddities, however.

Sound:
Games are beginning to veer away from the childishly happy music, and those that still embrace it usually overdo it. Lego Racers features a fun-filled, zany soundtrack that barely misses being annoying. It is something that brings a smile and unexplainably captures the joy of playing with Legos, too. Too bad the sound effects don't really fit into the Lego universe, but I guess it would be kind of hard to accurately reproduce the snapping of blocks, the squeaking of plastic tires, and the crash of something heavy falling on a pile of Legos.

Gameplay:
It wouldn't be a Lego game if you didn't get to build something. In this game, what you build, you drive. With a huge selection of custom parts for your vehicle and driver, the possibilities are endless. Ideally, anyway. Build Mode is set up rather awkwardly, and it can sometimes be a very tedious process to bring your dream to life. Even then, your dream may never come to life. The car frames are very limited too how much they can hold and how far out the blocks can protrude. I don't want you to be discourage, though, because you can still make some wacky and cool cars. At the same time, you'll have to consider that a lop-sided or top-heavy car may not perform the way you want it. A great idea, really, and I can only hope that Build Mode gets better from here on out.

The race tracks are fairly standard, but still manage to be fun. Part of this is because the game flows so smoothly, but then there are also some fun shortcuts and weapons. The power-up system, though not revolutionary, is rather intuitive. Power-ups are categorized by four types: shield, projectile, speed boost, and backwards attack. They are obtained by picking up colored Lego blocks and can only be used once. The race courses are also littered with neutral white blocks. These white blocks "attach" to whatever power-up you have on hand, making them slightly better. For instance, the projectile starts out as a wimpy cannon, but with three white blocks, it becomes a multi-seeking missile. So while there are only four different power-ups, each has four sub-levels under it. Using this system involves a little strategy and give-and-take.

Controls:
Controlling a vehicle on a keyboard sounds like a difficult process, but Lego Racers pulls it off very well with a responsive setup that falls under "just right." Also, holding down the power-slide button allows you to skid around corners. This, too, is handled with finesse. I'm quite picky about how car games control, so I'm saying great things about this game when I claim it plays very smoothly.

Frustration:
The computer opponents in the game can be quite challenging, but they border on ridiculous when they always peg you with cannon balls. You may have to play some of the circuits several times before you finally master them. What makes Lego Racers unfairly easy -- yes, I said unfairly easy -- is the fourth mutation of the speed boost power-up. It actually warps you to a spot on the track several seconds ahead of where you were. If all you do is save up blocks to get this warp power-up every time, you'll pass each level without having put up any kind of fight at all. That's no way to play.

Lasting Appeal:
Winning every circuit can take a long time if you don't get carried away with the warp power-up. In fact, I encourage you to forget all about it, because Lego Racers can be a delightful and challenging experience. The game boasts 25 courses, but many of these are just mirrored versions of earlier levels. What's left is a disappointing selection, but it is still fun to create new vehicles and race them on old tracks. One of my biggest issues with this game, though, is its seemingly broken two-player mode. I know for a fact that my copy is not the only one that doesn't work. Perhaps a few bad versions slipped through the production line. In any case, though Versus Mode is listed in the main menu, I can't access it, and that is a major letdown. If you aren't worried about playing this game with a friend, then it's no big deal, but it still irks me that such a problem would exist.

Overall:
I'm not saying Lego Racers is perfect. It's actually somewhat standard and generic, but it is still a fun experience. I may be a little biased towards it, however, since this game did fill a great void for me at college. If you're a fan of kart racers, but you don't own a home console, may I suggest looking into Lego Racers. It is certainly bested by other franchises like Mario Kart and Diddy Kong Racing, but those games aren't available for PC.

Points:
+ Smooth racing
+ Great weapon system
+ Build your own car!
-- Rather tediously, that is
-- Disappointing courses
-- Broken 2-player mode?

Score: 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/13/04