Lego Friends – Review
LEGO, the company that once started with blocks, has quite some games as well. We all know the ones that are meant for the more manly, older public (like LEGO Batman, LEGO Indiana Jones, etc). This isn’t the only genre the company provides. LEGO Friends is a game made for the young girls out there. Read on to find out what this game has to offer.
Story
It’s summertime and you’re going to your niece Olivia to relax and have a blast with her friends. When arriving in Heartlake City, you’ll get a small tour around the house and you even get your own room. After you’ve refreshed yourself for a bit, it is time to set out and get to learn the girls. There is Stephanie, the lovely blonde girl that is full of energy and that loves to work in the local bakery. You’ll get to know Emma, she likes fashion a lot and wants to take you on a shopping spree. The third friend is Mia, this redhead loves animals. You also have Andrea, the muscial brunette. As last BFF, you have your own niece Olivia. She likes science a lot and wants to share this with you.
You’ll have to do several things to earn their love, but this is something that will come with time.
Graphics
The graphics in the game are ok-ish, but could’ve been a lot better. The overall quality is not that great and although there are quite some LEGO elements, the developers could’ve added some more to give that authentic LEGO-feeling. Next to that, you could sometimes see white lines that indicate that the graphics aren’t that well integrated.
The developers chose to use bright colours and this was a great idea. The environment speaks to your imagination and gives you a jolly feeling. The characters aren’t made from LEGO-blocks but have more curvy features.
When you play a game on the 3DS, the 3D is important as well. The 3D-function is implemented but isn’t that visible though. This is probably done because the target group is set on little girls and it is known that 3D isn’t that beneficial for children’s eyes.
Sound
LEGO Friends has some vivid music that gives you quite a nice feeling while playing. Every zone has its main soundtrack, but there are quite some sound effects as well. These can be subtle or quite present, but are never too overwhelming.
Gameplay
LEGO Friends is an adventure game that gives you the opportunity to discover Heartlake City, play minigames and make new friends. You can venture the city by running around with your joystick. The A button has several different functions. You can (re)build broken things, give items to people or pick things up. The B button is used for jumping. The X button lets you switch with your pet and the Y button is for doing a nice pirouette. You can shuffle between the items in your inventory with the left and right trigger.
The main objective of the game is to make new friends. You achieve this by completing several requests. Next to that, you can also play several minigames. Playing these games will give you the chance to earn badges. The minigames all have a three-star rating and get more difficult when you attain the higher levels.
You can earn money by completing some minigames or by gathering the duds spread around Heartlake City. This money can be used to buy food or new clothes and accessories. You can change the way you look by entering the boutique or by finding several fitting rooms. Even your pets can be accessorized! There isn’t much extra to it, although this game will keep you busy if you help your friends.
There are quite some things discover in the menu. You’ll get several invitations or requests and these can be found in the main area of the bottom screen. Clicking on these quests will give you a bit of explanation and an arrow to the right spot in the area.
Firstly, you can access the Heartlake City map. This map gives you the possibility to go to another place in town. This is quite nice, since you don’t have to find the exit to go to another area.
The second button is to examine your backpack. Doing this gives you an overview of all the items you currently have and gives you a short description.
The third one takes you to the possessions of your friends. Gaining their friendship unlocks their most favourite thing they would like to share with you. You can also access your badges. These are unlocked when you advance in the game or when you complete minigames. Next to that, you can also see your collections. These are pictures you collect by venturing the city and advancing in the game.
If you press the fourth one, it shows your pets and gives you the chance to change your current companion. These pets are quite handy and every companion has its own special ability. For example, the bird can fly around and get items on a different height. This is necessary to complete requests, so take good care of them!
The fifth button shows your cell phone and the text messages your girlfriends send you, while the last one takes you to your own music area, where you can choose which songs you want to hear.
There is something that needs to be mentioned as well. The game tend to lag quite a lot after the loading screen or when there are a lot of people on the scene. Another thing is that the loading screens are rather long and occur quite often, and with “often” I mean all the time. Every time you enter a building or you go to another area, you’ll have a nice loading screen that pops up, but tend to get annoying after a while.
Conclusion
LEGO Friends is a nice game that offers nice features for all the little girls out there. The graphics are ok for this target group and the music fits the game completely. The main objective is to make friends, but there are quite some extras you can obtain as well. This game will keep your loved one happy for quite some time, if they can cope with the loading screens!
Lego Friends - Review,
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