Spoiler Alert: Lego City Undercover (Wii U)

A lot of people tend to think that Lego games are the “same old thing” these days but one look at Lego City Undercover and you’re likely to change your mind.  That’s because this is Travellers Tales’ most original Lego game to date, a savvy combination of an original universe and gameplay reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto (without the carnage since it is a game for all ages).  The formula works quite well and gives you hours’ worth of content, though there’s also a pretty interesting story to follow.

For our latest Spoiler Alert we’re diving head first into Lego City, where we explain the happening surrounding the city and detail Chase’s run-ins with his adversary Rex Fury.  How does this saga play out?  Read on and find out, but do so at your own risk – there are spoilers about…

Chase had been away from Lego City for some time after he accidentally revealed the identity of his girlfriend, a hospital worker named Natalia Kowalski, live on television.  She had given information that led to the arrest of Rex, though she’s had to be in house arrest since.  Mayor Gleeson, who runs the city, has called Chase back in because of a recent crime wave that she believes Rex is behind – since he’s managed to escape from prison.

Following the resolution of a bank robbery, Chase bumps into Natalia, who explains that she actually had to change her identity since the accidental reveal and she’s considering leaving him for good just to make sure she stays safe.  Chase is obviously crushed, but still sets out to do his job, stopping a few more robbers near the TV tower and learning tha Rex is behind the crime wave, just as the mayor feared.

Chase heads to Albatross Prison to look for clues.  He meets Blue Whittaker while there, who talks about Rex.  Chase also finds the hammer that Rex used to escape, digging through blocks to escape from his cell.  He heads deep into the Bluebell Mine to look for more evidence, where he finds Rex who knocks him out cold and manages to get away.

Seeing as how he’s a little out-matched for the strengthened criminal, Chase learns some kung fu with the help of his friend Barry Smith.  It’s here he formulates a plan to work his way up Rex’s criminal empire, posing undercover and eventually getting to a position where he can lock him up for good.

This starts with an assignment working for Chan Chuang, who owns a chop shop and assigns Chase to steal cars.  He also does work for Vinnie Pappalardo, who wants him to steal the Bell Pepper Emerald along with a moon buggy.  But then Chase goes back to cop duty to help cohort Ellie Phillips to rescue Forrest Blackwell, who had been kidnapped by criminals.  (The game goes back and forth between undercover assignments and cop duties, as you can chase uniforms with ease with the left shoulder button.)

Following the theft of a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton (for Rex, of course) Chase learns that Rex and Vinnie are on the outs of their partnership, and convinces Vinnie to team up with him to bring Rex down.  They head to Blackwell Tower to find a hidden vault of gold, where Vinnie talks about Forrest planning to build an apartment building with a mall in the nearby Bluebell Park but couldn’t due to the existence of a rare squirrel on the grounds.  The two are ambushed later by guards, but Chase manages to escape.  Vinnie later finds himself in trouble at the nearby Pappalardo’s Ice Cream Parlor, where Chase has to save him from being frozen in a cooler in the back.

After that, Chase finds out that Natalia’s father Henrik Kowalski is being held in Blackwell’s hidden base under Rex’s control.  He learns that Blackwell wanted to build his own special empire on the moon, and he was forced to work with him on it.  (Blackwell wanted to continue his project since the original one in Bluebell Park was cancelled.)  It’s here that it’s revealed that Blackwell’s tower isn’t really a tower at all – it’s a rocket and he’s ready to take it to the moon.  The only problem is that it has enough ignition thrust in its boosters to wipe out the city.

Thinking quickly, Chase activates force fields that are surrounding the tower, preventing the incinerators from going off.  He saves the city just in time, and with Henrik’s help gets access to another rocket.  He travels to the moon empire, where Forrest is refusing to leave his little utopia, still bitter about the city turning against him.  Rex pops back up again with a T. Rex robot in tow, threatening to destroy Chase.  He manages to shut it down, forcing Rex to flee in an escape pod.

Chase catches up to him and the two have a final showdown.  Chase has the advantage this time around, and with the help of his kung fu skills, he puts a stop to Rex.  Along the way, he also prevents Henrik’s incoming rocket (from the moon trip) from crashing into the city, saving it yet again.

Despite all the confusion, Chase is seen as a hero, and Rex is locked up back in jail – hopefully for good this time.  There’s also a good chance for a reunion with Natalia, so it’s a happy ending for all.

The story can be a bit confusing at times (especially with Blackwell’s actions – who builds a colony on the moon?!), but this is still one of the more entertaining Lego games out there.  It also takes advantage of the Wii U GamePad in various ways, from communicating with characters to finding hidden goodies throughout Lego City.  Check it out when you get a chance!

Lego City Undercover is available now exclusively for Wii U.