LEGO Voyagers Review – Takes Two To Build

Co-op games are back, and I couldn’t be happier. It felt like, for a while, the gaming industry stopped caring about the communal aspect and shared journeys of video games. Major hits like It Takes Two and the recent Split Fiction are proof that people enjoy playing games together, especially games with a strict co-op requirement. LEGO Voyagers is another game that continues this renaissance, and it’s a charming, approachable, and consistently joyful experience worth a few sittings.

Together Forever and Never To Part

In LEGO Voyagers, you play as two 1×1 bricks, each with a cute childlike voice that conveys a wide range of emotions and an inquisitive eye. They don’t really speak a decipherable language, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t expressive. Their journey begins when they witness a failed rocket launch, parts of which crash near their tiny island, setting them off on a voyage across different biomes to investigate the rocket, its origin, and how they can leave their mark.

It’s a simple premise, but your shared discoveries and triumphs throughout the voyage are memorable. The game carries a constant cheerful tone that you can appreciate whether you’re a kid or an adult. It’s not overly cartoonish, nor does it do anything subversive to put you off. It’s a short but perfectly paced adventure, great for a few sittings and shared enjoyment.

I am surprised by how much these two bricks made me smile, chuckle, and get excited myself. Not being burdened by a comprehensible language means that their reactions are all I need to know how they feel about any given moment in the story.

One Brick at a Time

Gameplay in LEGO Voyagers is fairly approachable, but there’s considerable effort put into selling this LEGO adventure. You can interact with several attachable points in the world. Unlike games from TT Games, where the LEGO theme is more of a backdrop, here you’re required to connect bricks, create platforms, and use mechanical structures to make real progress.

Most of the puzzles are fairly simple, and I’d wager the game is largely aimed at a younger audience. That doesn’t stop you from having a good time, though, because the joy of using LEGO is translated into the game in an engaging way, even if you can’t just build whatever you want. It’s always situational, but you’re given a reasonable amount of freedom to complete puzzles and overcome traversal challenges.

Puzzles can be solved with some experimentation, and there aren’t any unreasonable difficulty spikes. While the game encourages teamwork, it doesn’t always go as far as something like It Takes Two, where both players share a role in nearly every puzzle and platforming section.

Here, one player can sometimes do most of the work, which means the puzzles, while fun, aren’t always as complex or primarily designed with co-op in mind. That’s not to say you won’t need to work together, but it isn’t always a necessity. That said, the majority of puzzles still require both of you to contribute in some way.

Like a Lego Set Come Alive Digitally

It’s hard to believe this game was developed on Unity, given how impressive it looks. The reflections are especially striking, and at times, it almost feels like the game has ray tracing even though it does not. The entirely physics-based world and brick interactions make everything believable, while the accurate rendering brings the world to life in a way that is both realistic and artistically pleasing.

There are several different biomes to explore, from forests to deserts, and the world feels dynamic thanks to random events, high-quality animations, and again, that physics-based interaction with plenty of small details you can manipulate. All of this is made even more convincing by the excellent sound design, which makes every connection feel pleasant and snappy.

Verdict

LEGO Voyagers is a joyous, endlessly charming, and approachable co-op adventure that’s hard to put down and guaranteed to make you smile at least once. It looks and sounds gorgeous thanks to its believable world, snappy animations, and excellent sound design, and by the end, you’ll remember these bricks for everything they achieved in a short yet memorable journey.

8

LEGO Voyagers

LEGO Voyagers is a consistently fun and endlessly charming adventure that brings the world of LEGO to digital life.

Pros

• Approachable puzzles with decent variety.
• Snappy and believable animation work thanks to physics-based interaction.
• Fun little characters to follow throughout a short but memorable adventure.

Cons

• Lack of challenge can make things feel a bit too easy.

A copy of this game was provided by the publisher for review. Reviewed on PC.