Rather scarily readers, I can recall playing some of the first Lego video games. It was on the PlayStation 1 that I remember skateboarding around Lego Island to stop the evil Brickster. It is one of my earliest gaming memories, but if you told my 90's self that over twenty years later I'd still be playing Lego games on a PlayStation 5 then I wouldn't have believed you. I guess you never do grow up, just older.
Well, my latest brick-based obsession is Lego 2K Drive a kart racer that Sony actually gave away for free for Christmas 2023. But as of last week, it is now also on Xbox Game Pass, giving those on Microsoft's console or one of the best gaming laptops, the chance to join in too.
It's a fun kart racer in the Mario Kart mould with some gorgeous open worlds to explore, but that's not the main reason you should check it out. This game features by far the most impressive interpretation of digital Lego building that I have seen.
Players can create their dream car, boat and off-road vehicle (that morphs effortlessly mid-race) in the game's Garage mode, but it should really be called the Toy Box. That's because it gives you an incredible number of individual Lego bricks to create your dream ride from.
You can make something simple or follow along with preset designs to get the sensation of following a manual, but the real fun is in getting nerdy about the construction process. There are 1000 different real-life pieces to build with and they go right down to individual bricks. You don't me to say that you're pretty much able to make anything imaginable. I of course immediately set myself the challenge of trying to make the Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo.
If you're looking for a more serious racer on Xbox Game Pass, there are of course a plethora of options. The service has just added the most recent official F1 game, F1 23 (via EA Play)n and also features a number of titles from the Forza franchise.
