Traveller's Tales has been creating LEGO Games for a while, but not all of them have been fun experiences. In 2019, LEGO was gearing up to release The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, and Traveller's Tales was prepping to launch a movie tie-in called The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame. Much like with the first LEGO Movie, Traveller's Tales wanted to get its LEGO game out right around the release of the film. However, many decisions were made behind the scenes that resulted in a title far from what fans have come to expect.
Movie tie-in games are typically never acclaimed, but Traveller's Tales has consistently proven it can produce quality ones. The LEGO Movie Videogame let players experience the first film through a traditional LEGO formula, and it received decent reviews, meanwhile The LEGO Batman Movie got an expansion pack in LEGO Dimensions that also proved to be a lot of fun. Much like the LEGO Ninjago Movie, its own adaptation was very hit-or-miss. However, something happened with The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame that made it feel nothing like the film it was based on, and that needs to be rectified.
The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame Was Not Great
The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame launched two weeks after the film, and felt nothing like other Traveller's Tales games. The movie took The LEGO Movie characters on an interstellar ride filled with musical numbers and wild humor, but the game did not include musical numbers, and various elements of the narrative were changed. For the first LEGO Movie game, Traveller's Tales kept to the film's feel, but it took a very different route for the second.
For The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame, Traveller's Tales chose to change the core gameplay that players had come to expect. This title did away with standard levels altogether, instead taking inspiration from the gameplay of LEGO Worlds while putting a heavy emphasis on building objects. Players would have to travel around explorable worlds to progress through the story and unlock characters, which could be a lot of fun for a LEGO game, but took away from the narrative.
While it is nice to see a developer take risks, The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame deviated too much from the core LEGO formula. The game was not received well by critics or fans, and many LEGO fans cite it as the worst in Traveller's Tales' catalog so far. While The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part also received a mixed reception, many LEGO fans enjoyed it more than the game adaptation.
The LEGO Movie 2 Should Get a Second Shot
Traveller's Tales made odd choices that significantly hurt the game. However, the film provides a decent amount of musical fun that would have translated well to a video game. While the first LEGO Movie got a decent adaptation, the second is left with one that many have chosen to skip.
It is unlikely Traveller's Tales will return to The LEGO Movie franchise, but it should. The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame is not a good representation of its movie, and fans of the film should be able to boot up a game version like they can with the first movie. The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame is a blemish on a franchise that tends to be good at making movie adaptations. Whatever happened behind the scenes led to a disappointing title, and if Traveller's Tales is willing, it should revisit the film and deliver a LEGO Game that is worthy of the franchise.
The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.