Tis the season for toy-based video games. Disney Interactive has its hands full with the Star Wars universe (and others) in Disney Infinity 3.0, Activision hit top speed by adding cars to its Skylanders franchise with the new SuperChargers and now Warner Bros. got into the act, introducing a number of memorable characters and worlds with Lego Dimensions.
This new entry shares many similarities to previous Lego games – you still build items to solve puzzles and occasionally use specific characters to complete objectives (like with The Lego Movie’s WyldStyle and her double jump). However, there are plenty of new features to check out, including a number of features with the tri-divided portal, and a variety of playsets to buy, including ones based on Portal, Back To the Future and coming soon, Doctor Who and Ghostbusters. You can find more information about these playsets in this feature.
With this in mind, these Lego Dimensions tips will help you get the most from the game.
Using the Portal
The portal in Lego Dimensions is more than a stage to set your characters on – it also plays a pivotal role in puzzle solving. There are occasions where you’ll need to have characters in the right place, such as Gandalf on a yellow platform and WyldStyle on a pink one.
Don’t worry if you get overwhelmed at first. The portal can take some getting used to. As puzzles appear, you’ll see on-screen prompts to provide some guidance, so you’ll know where to place characters. In some situations you’ll need to move one character around to other parts of the portal, as they’re building a super-item or trying to find a proper spot in a level.
You’ll get used to it over time. The portal lights up with the in-game action, so you have a better idea where characters are supposed to go. Just follow those prompts and you’ll eventually unlock the puzzle you’re currently on and move to the next stage.
One thing – the portal proves useful during boss battles. There are times where the enemy (the Wicked Witch of the West, for example) can freeze a character, and the only way to get him or her unstuck is to move them off the section of the portal. It’ll light up red, so you’ll be able to see which characters need to be moved. Once they’re off, the boss will become dazed, and you should be able to hit it and do some damage. If they freeze you again, repeat the process.
The right character for the job
The game’s Starter Kit provides you with enough characters – Gandalf, Batman and WyldStyle – to accomplish quite a bit. Each one has special abilities that come in handy, like Gandalf’s magic, the Dark Knight’s Batarangs and WyldStyle’s double jump. You’ll see prompts that indicate when you need to use these characters in-game, so keep an eye out for these and then switch, either with a quick tap of the Y/Triangle button (depending on your version) or by holding down the button and highlighting the character you want.
However, as with previous Lego games, you’ll come across sections only certain characters can access. For instance, silver walls that only someone with the strength of Superman can bust through. On this occasion, you will need to buy the play set to access it. It’s expensive, but you’ll open up more of the game this way – as well as that character’s Adventure World area, where you can play around and use whoever you wish.
It never hurts to experiment with new characters in older levels, either. As you may notice from the first level, Batman can do quite a bit of damage in the Batmobile, driving through the open fields in The Wizard of Oz and knocking down plenty of obstacles, which in turn earns you more bits for the stage (getting you that much closer to gaining 100 percent bits collected in the level). Seeing what other characters can do is a neat way of finding secrets you may have missed, while at the same time opening up those inaccessible areas. Give them a try.
Bring a friend
Finally, as with previous Lego games, Dimensions supports two players, so you can ask a buddy to come along. It helps that you’re on the same team when it comes to building objects and battling enemies, but the game also gives you ample room to explore. This lets you cover more of the stage in a shorter amount of time, so don’t hesitate to break away and take a look around.
Want more Lego Dimensions goodness? Check out what’s inside the Starter Pack, as well as our breakdown of the game’s Fun Packs.
Published: Oct 7, 2015 04:41 pm