Lego 2K Drive Hands-On Impressions – Kart Racing Toward a New Horizon

wccftech.com:

Lego video games have been in a comfortable rut for a while now. A handful of mobile games and one-off experiments aside, the various licensed Lego open-world beat ‘em ups from developer TT Games have been the dominant force, but it seems that’s changing. While TT Games will surely continue to make Lego games, they no longer have a monopoly on them, as today 2K Games announced a new “multi-title partnership” with Lego. The first product of this fledgling partnership is Lego 2K Drive, a new racing game coming from NBA 2K and WWE 2K developer Visual Concepts.

I recently had the opportunity to go hands-on with Lego 2K Drive for around three hours, during which I got to experience its races, open-world, and vehicle customization. So, have Visual Concepts assembled the pieces of a successful new racing franchise? Scroll on for my early impressions.

You can’t accuse Lego 2K Drive of a lack of ambition, as it attempts to combine kart racing, a simplified kid-friendly take on Forza-Horizon-style open-world driving, and the requisite building and other trademark Lego touches. The game features a simple story, told in typical Lego tongue-in-cheek style, with your goal being to become the best racer in Bricklandia by overcoming your rivals and winning the Sky Cup. Initially, you’re dumped into Turbo Acres, where you’re taught the tricks of the trade by grizzled veteran Clutch Racington, but soon enough, you’re set free to explore other parts of the world.

The game’s driving mechanics are relatively straightforward. Cars are easy to maneuver and drifting is a simple matter of holding down a single button, making it even more accessible than something like Mario Kart. The game’s core gimmick is that your ride will change from a regular