LEGO 2K Drive

Fun open-world kart racer that excels in chaotic racing but is held back by microtransactions.

Bricklandia is a wonderful setting to explore, and it’s clear that the level designers in particular have gone all out in dreaming up the most playful LEGO world they could imagine. Decent kart racing and an abundance of the goofy sense of humour that’s become a defining aspect of LEGO media bring said world to life, and the car building tools introduce an unexpected amount of depth for dedicated builders. Monetisation and open-world fatigue hold 2K Drive back from greatness, but for kids of all ages with some time to kill, it’s a lot of fun.

Lego 2K Drive is sure fun to play, but paying the full price for a game that doesn't exactly follow industry standards when it comes to season pass content and in-game purchases might not be a very good idea.

LEGO 2K Drive checks off all the right boxes for what a fun cart racing game should be—and its quintessential LEGO charm is there—but it feels like a missed opportunity to really build a world teeming with excitement.

LEGO 2K Drive is an exciting, colourful romp through the endearing world of BrickLandia where everything is breakable, colourful and the good vibes are turned up to 11. The game shows how LEGO is for everyone no matter your age as I was “oohing” and “ahhing” throughout my playthrough at the care that was put into developing a world not made from LEGO but also interesting to explore and race around in. Though the game does have some issues, such as the not-so-enticing Garage vehicle building mechanics, I had a pretty fun time cruising round’ an open world where everything is awesome.

Lego 2K Drive is a neat little racing game with quite possibly the coolest car creation tools I have ever encountered. While I find myself unable to make anything besides the most rudimentary vehicle, there will be some astonishing creations in the game before long. Despite some issues with side activities, this is still a decent game if you want to ditch the realistic racing games for bricks on wheels.

LEGO 2K Drive is an enjoyable racing game, with potential to draw in young and old alike - although LEGO fans will appreciate it the most. It's a shame that the amount of content is limited and the microtransactions strongly encourage you to spend real money.

Whether you're a fan of LEGO, arcade racing, or both, this game comes highly recommended from us, with the unfortunate caveat that it also features pretty aggressive monetisation. Tactile open worlds have a decent amount to discover, the Story mode strikes the perfect tone, and the driving itself is great fun. On top of all that, an impressive build mode lets you make your own crazy cars, though it's a shame you can't share them with your pals. Unfortunately, the microtransactions are hard to ignore, and they drag down what is otherwise a creative and engaging racer.

LEGO 2K Drive has many good things: a story mode, mini-games, online mode for up to 6 friends... but many of these virtues are soiled by a micropayment system reminiscent of NBA 2K, and that makes you have to go through the cashier to unlock some content. Something questionable, in a game so oriented to children.

It’s when I go back into the story mode that I’m reminded these worlds are rather basic, the monetization is questionable, and there just isn’t enough content in it right now.

A highly enjoyable and delightfully chaotic racer is drowned in open-world mush that does little to enhance the core point of Lego 2K Drive. Nothing’s truly awful about that side of it, but it does drag down the fun levels of the racing itself.

LEGO 2K Drive is a terrific addition to the LEGO video game universe, with a bright and breezy atmosphere, super fun races and a fantastic creator mode with classic LEGO jokes aplenty for all ages, sadly tainted by egregious and forced microtransactions which are all too easy to consider thanks to the slow progress of earning in-game currency. For a game at full AAA price of £70, it’s difficult to justify why they were included at all and ultimately brings down the entire experience.

Lego 2K Drive is an interesting experiment that takes just enough from the likes of Burnout Paradise and Forza Horizon to be interesting, but is held back by poor rubberbanding, a downright predatory in-game economy, and a grindy world.

LEGO 2K Drive had crazy potential, and we still believe in it, but this first episode doesn't fully express it yet. The game is beautiful, lively and fun to play even if the circuits are disappointed. But one of the biggest flaw comes from the microtransactions. A promising start.

The offensive microtransactions aren’t a surprise but the tedious open world structure obscures what is a surprisingly nuanced and technical arcade racer.

If you have young children and want to share with them the thrill of driving across a wild, fantastical landscape, crashing into stuff and getting constant positive feedback, this would be a smart investment. It is a game with a lot of heart, made by developers who clearly understand how to make kids smile while they play.

LEGO 2K Drive is an uneven experience. There's fun to be had here, but not without caveats.

The open world format really lets LEGO 2K Drive down. It’s disappointing that all those development resources went into a pointless “story” when the developers could have focused on giving players more awesome tracks and cups to enjoy. The underlying racing mechanics are so very entertaining. Instead, though, we have a familiar story: a massive space to “explore” but no meaningful reason to do so. Developers, if all you’re going to do with open worlds is dump busywork on players and use it to pad out the number of hours it’ll take them to finish the game, then find a different format. Not everything needs an open world, and I would argue that arcade “kart” racers are a good example of that.