Like a mad aunt who sends birthday cards at Easter, we’re a bit late with this festive game, but hey, it’s the thought that counts, right? Disney’s A Christmas Carol (we always thought it was Dickens’, but what do we know?) accompanies the film, and, as the classic story doesn’t lend itself to platforming, it’s a mish-mash of minigames and point ’n’ click puzzles.
This puzzler is a modified version of PC point ’n’ clicker The Scorpio Ritual. The plot (religious artifacts, untold powers, sinister cover-up) remains, as do most characters (feisty lady archaeologist, crusty professor), but a lot of the pointing ’n’ clicking has been excised in favor of seeking ’n’ solving, followed by yawning ’n’ wishing you’d bought something else.
Even though we adore Street Fighter IV, it didn’t make many concessions to gamers who were new or just returning to the fist-meet-face genre; complicated combos demanded perfect timing and spacing, and we dare you to find anyone on your friend list who actually completed all of the excruciating trial challenges.
There’s something not quite right about being underwhelmed by a LEGO game, particularly one based on your favorite film series. Everything’s here that should make this splendid: charming LEGO-ized characters (and lots of ’em), amusing presentation, locations from the movies, and a wide range of tasks from minigames to the broader Story mode.
Fans of the fictional encyclopedia of the same name will be familiar with what’s on offer here. As a rookie ‘dragonologist’ you’re tasked with locating the beasts via a repetitive routine of finding and examining clues, such as making footprint moulds or inspecting claws. Then you must catch a scaly giant, take its picture or sneak up on it to steal its treasure.