LEGO The Incredibles video game preview

The LEGO The Incredibles video game features an emphasis on co-op play, a vast open world hub, and an exclusive Edna Mode minifigure

Gameplay for the latest TT Games LEGO video game was presented to attendees at a panel during MCM Comic Con London on Friday. As the now 14-year-old Incredible franchise returns to cinemas this summer, Head of Design Arthur Parsons described its transition into a video game as ‘the perfect fit for a TT Games title’.

Speaking on the main stage at the ExCeL event, Arthur teased some of the upcoming game’s features, which include a focus on the ‘family relatonship’, a story mode across both films, a fully playable hub world based on Municiberg, and more than 100 playable characters.

Players will run through at least the opening levels of the story mode switching between members of the eponymous Incredibles family. That story mode ties into both films, mirroring storyline from the 2004 original release and this summer’s sequel. Interestingly, players will begin with the 2018 movie’s story, before completion will allow them to tackle ‘The Golden Years’ levels based on the 2004 film.

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The various members of the Incredibles’ abilities are captured in playable LEGO form once more in TT Games’ trademark approach to attention to detail and humour. For instance, Bob’s super strength includes not only the ability to pummel bad guys into oblivion, and not only the ability to lift objects on a scale larger than any other previous LEGO playable character – including the likes of Hulk – but also the character’s natural clumsiness to bump into objects, as you run towards them.

Elastigirl’s unique abilities are captured in playable form through being able to transform into various objects such as a dinghy for other members of the family to ride when on water, and being able to stretch to a seemingly unlimited length in any direction, so as to access areas in levels no other characters can.

Baby Jack-Jack gameplay wasn’t shown as it is deemed too much of a spoiler, but, Arthur did promise his abilities in game are ‘amazing’.

Violet and Dash’s gameplay witnessed at Comic Con best highlighted TT Games’ even heavier focus this time around on co-op features – Violet can generate a force shield that can hover, gather loose bricks and generate momentum on mechanised platforms, but add Dash into that shield and Violet’s abilities are increased to super speed. Co-op between members of the family is required to progress through various stages of each level, including ‘family builds’ which are best described as spinning plates. The example shown had Bob, Violet and Dash all building one large object, but through a single player’s control, with the build diminishing if the ‘build level’ of any of them dropped too low.

Arthur confirmed during his hour-long panel that there will be 113 playable characters within the game, made up of 100 characters from the Incredibles films, and 13 from other Pixar titles, unlockable through particular ‘Pixar builds’ – an example of the types of Easter eggs to expect in the game.

Meanwhile, the 100 Incredibles characters include the older super heroes who were alluded to but never shown in action in the 2004 film. Arthur commented that this presented a particular development challenge to the TT Games team in determining abilities and actions based just initially on written biographies. The game developers worked closely with Pixar though, to the extent that the two companies developed original characters together that will appear in the game, designed in the way they would be if they were in an Incredibles film.

Dialogue for the video game’s characters is provided by a mix of film cast – director Brad Bird recorded as Edna Mode, for example – and new voice actors.

Notable during the gameplay demonstration was the open world hub based on the film universe’s city Municiberg. Unlocked after the first level is completed, this links the movies together, and is fully playable as an active and crime-ridden city. Various super villains will take turns taking over areas of the city via ‘crimewaves’. Introduced (and concluded) with news reports, these crimewaves are signaled through a number of cues – the map pulses red, lights flare into the sky, fires burn, and vignettes appear themed to the lead villain in question – as henchmen run riot. Players have the option to solve any of the multiple crimes in the area under attack, and solving all of them will rid it of the particular super villain’s scheme. Solving a crime results in the award of a gold brick, of which there are more than 200 to collect.

LEGO The Incredibles was worked on by a team of approximately 200 at TT Games, including 12 character artists. Gameplay to complete the story mode is roughly 10 to 12 hours long, whilst anyone looking to achieve 100% best prepare to set aside between 25 and 30 hours. It will be released in the UK on July 13 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Switch, and out earlier in the US.

Available through the usual channels in purchasing the game will be an exclusive minifigure, Edna Mode, as previously reported.

The LEGO Juniors Incredibles 2 sets are available now from shop.LEGO.com. The Incredibles 2 arrives in cinemas on 13th July 2018

Author Profile

Rob Paton
As one half of Tiro Media Ltd, I mix a passion for print and digital media production with a deep love of LEGO and can often be found on these pages eulogising about LEGO Batman, digging deeper into the LEGO Group’s inner workings, or just complaining about the price of the latest LEGO Star Wars set. Make a great impression when you meet me in person by praising EXO-FORCE as the greatest LEGO theme of all time. Follow me on Twitter @RobPaton or drop me an email at [email protected].

Rob Paton

As one half of Tiro Media Ltd, I mix a passion for print and digital media production with a deep love of LEGO and can often be found on these pages eulogising about LEGO Batman, digging deeper into the LEGO Group’s inner workings, or just complaining about the price of the latest LEGO Star Wars set. Make a great impression when you meet me in person by praising EXO-FORCE as the greatest LEGO theme of all time. Follow me on Twitter @RobPaton or drop me an email at [email protected].

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