8 /10 9

LEGO City Undercover emerged as an unexpected franchise highlight following its 2013 Wii U debut. The 2017 remaster distributed across PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC revitalized this charming original property through modernized graphics and expanded local co-op functionality. The game serves as genuine LEGO alternative to Grand Theft Auto, substituting mature crime narratives with wholesome comedy built upon police procedural tropes and movie references.

Critical reception praised inventive humor, character development, and evolved sandbox design, though technical concerns regarding loading times and co-op limitations tempered enthusiasm. The Wii U version remains somewhat superior due to GamePad integration advantages, yet the 2017 remaster introduced split-screen multiplayer absent from the original release.

How to Play LEGO City Undercover

Gameplay centers on Chase McCain’s detective work as he pursues escaped villain Rex Fury across a sprawling open world. Players engage in story missions, side activities, and open-world exploration through both structured campaign progression and organic open-world discovery. Combat combines lighthearted physical humor with environmental puzzle-solving. Character costumes grant context-specific abilities essential for accessing restricted areas and solving specialized challenges. The campaign requires approximately 10-15 hours for primary story completion, though 100% achievement hunting extends engagement to 40-50 hours.

1. Controls – Intuitive controller layout emphasizing exploration; minimal combat complexity; motion controls optional on Switch version
2. Progression – Complete main story missions; unlock character costumes expanding interaction possibilities; collect studs and minikit pieces
3. Combat/Mechanics – Light-hearted brawling with environmental interaction; costume-specific abilities unlock progression; vehicle driving mechanics including police pursuits
4. Tips – Experiment with all character costumes for story mission advantages; explore open world thoroughly for hidden collectibles; utilize the map marker system for objective clarity

Who Should Play LEGO City Undercover

This title targets family audiences and casual gamers seeking wholesome entertainment over hardcore challenge. Original property setting removes licensing restrictions, enabling creative storytelling unbound by source material constraints. Players appreciating parody humor and movie references find rich content throughout. Cooperative experiences through split-screen multiplayer appeal to social gamers seeking shared entertainment.

• Family gamers – All-ages humor; cooperative local play; no licensed restrictions enabling creative narrative flexibility
• Parody enthusiasts – Extensive movie and television references; police procedural comedy; clever dialogue writing appeals to genre-savvy audiences
• Sandbox explorers – Large open world encouraging experimentation; diverse side missions; extensive collectible hunting
• Skip if – You prioritize cutting-edge graphics; demand online multiplayer functionality; seek challenging mechanics over lighthearted gameplay

LEGO City Undercover Platform Performance

Performance across platforms proves surprisingly consistent considering the 2013 Wii U origin. The 2017 remaster introduced physically-based rendering and improved lighting systems. Console versions implement frame rate variations—interior scenes push toward 60fps while open world locks to 30fps. Switch achieves impressive 1080p docked performance matching PlayStation 4 pixel count despite hardware advantages favoring Sony’s system. PC performance scales effectively across modest to high-end configurations.

LEGO City Undercover System Requirements

PC version maintains modest hardware demands reflecting LEGO engine maturity. Minimum specifications target 1080p 30fps gameplay through legacy GPU support. Recommended specifications deliver consistent 1080p 60fps performance on modern mid-range hardware. Storage footprint of approximately 25-30GB proves reasonable for the scope offered. Installation on solid-state drives significantly improves loading performance versus mechanical storage.

Similar Games to LEGO City Undercover

Open-world sandbox games provide comparable gameplay experiences through different thematic lenses. LEGO titles offer varying licenses alongside comparable accessibility. Non-LEGO alternatives deliver mature narratives trading wholesome humor for adult-oriented storytelling. Players comparing these titles should consider whether LEGO brand integration and family-friendly design matter to their preferences.

• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – Licensed property implementation; significantly larger scope; similar puzzle-centric design
• Grand Theft Auto Series – Mature sandbox alternative; removed humor and family-friendly design; sophisticated crime narratives
• Saints Row Reboot – Humor-focused sandbox gameplay; lighter tone than GTA; younger audience lean
• The LEGO Movie Video Game – LEGO property sandbox; similar accessibility; smaller scope than Undercover

LEGO City Undercover vs Competitors

Direct competition emerges from broader sandbox franchises and alternative LEGO properties. The Undercover title distinguishes itself through original property creation enabling narrative freedom. Value proposition strengthens during holiday season sales and across secondhand markets. Current asking prices on console versions exceed typical base game costs due to delisting from major digital storefronts on some platforms.

LEGO City Undercover Story and World

The narrative follows Chase McCain’s return to LEGO City to apprehend escaped villain Rex Fury through undercover operations. Story construction riffs extensively on police procedurals and action cinema with reference-heavy humor. The open world radiates personality through environmental storytelling and NPC interactions. Character development proves surprisingly strong for a LEGO title, with McCain displaying genuine growth throughout his investigation. Environmental destruction mechanics serve both comedic and functional purposes, enabling puzzle solutions while satisfying destructive impulses. The 2017 remaster enhanced visual fidelity significantly while preserving the original game’s narrative integrity and comedic timing.

LEGO City Undercover Multiplayer and Online

The 2017 remaster introduced split-screen cooperative play absent from the original Wii U version, enabling two-player campaign progression. Online multiplayer remains absent across all platforms and versions. The second player assumes control of Officer Cain with limited character progression synchronization. Co-op performance suffers on Switch particularly in portable mode and during resource-intensive open-world sequences. Frame rate consistency noticeably declines during split-screen gameplay across most platforms.

• Story co-op – Two-player split-screen campaign progression; primary player (McCain) controls story priority
• Free play mode – Replay completed missions with costume selection; co-op support identical to story mode
• Character unlock – Officer Cain controllable during co-op; costume variety limited compared to story mode
• Cross-play – Not supported; local play only across all platforms

LEGO City Undercover DLC and Expansions

The 2017 remaster included split-screen multiplayer as primary addition versus 2013 Wii U original but provided minimal post-launch DLC content. Character packs released minimally compared to concurrent LEGO titles. The game’s lower commercial performance than franchise expectations limited ongoing development support. Free updates addressed technical stability and occasional balance adjustments. Physical Nintendo Switch version includes enhanced cartridge optimization versus initial launch builds.

• Character packs – Minimal DLC availability; some additional costumes released in early months post-launch
• Story content – No substantial narrative expansions; base game campaign remains the primary content
• Free updates – Occasional balance patches and performance improvements; monthly updates concluded by late 2017
• Season pass – No season pass available; DLC pricing remained à la carte on available content

LEGO City Undercover Community and Support

Community engagement remains moderate compared to major LEGO franchise entries. Fan communities persist across Reddit and Discord despite the game’s niche positioning within the LEGO catalog. Content creation activity focuses on speedruns and 100% completion documentation. Developer communication effectively concluded post-2017 with no active development announcements. The game experienced partial digital delisting from some storefronts though physical versions remain available through secondhand markets.

• Official support – LEGO Games support site provides basic technical guidance; developer engagement concluded post-launch period
• Fan communities – Dedicated subreddits and Discord servers maintain active user bases; speedrun documentation available
• Content resources – YouTube completionist guides; achievement tracking sites; fan-maintained databases catalog collectibles
• Patch support – Concluded post-2017; final stability updates addressed critical issues only