Lego Dimensions: Mission Impossible Level Pack

[TMC]

https://lebeauleblog.com/2016/10/26/...le-level-pack/

Posted by lebeau



A couple of months back I dove into the world of Lego Dimensions with my kids. We all enjoyed the game itself and the element of building and collecting Lego figures appealed to us as well. Since then, I have been taking advantage of sales when I can find them and storing Lego packs away for Christmas presents for the kids.

But frankly, I like Lego Dimensions too and some of the packs don’t appeal to my kids at all. Case in point: The Mission Impossible Level Pack. While franchises like Harry Potter, The Simpsons and Ghostbusters are popular with my girls, they don’t know who the heck Ethan Hunt is nor do they have any interest in finding out. I picked up the new level pack anyway because Target had all their Lego Dimensions product on sale 40%. Since the kids aren’t interested, I figured I’d break this one out of the box and play it now rather than wrap it up and put it under the tree in December.

Since this is a level pack, it retails for around $30. As always, sales are not hard to find if you look for them. With the Target discount, I got this pack for $18 which is arguably about what it is worth. As the name implies, level packs add a new level to your Lego Dimensions game. That’s the main selling point here, but it isn’t all you get. The Mission Impossible Lego Pack comes with an Ethan Hunt mini-figure, two buildable vehicles and it is currently the only way to unlock the MI adventure world.

The new level recreates the story from the original MI movie released twenty years ago. As with the movie, the story is kind of besides the point. Archived audio provides all the exposition while the game concerns itself with recreating the impressive action set-pieces. I haven’t watched Mission Impossible since it was in theaters, but I found myself remembering scenes as I played through them.

It should be stated up front that the new level is lots of fun. Depending on your skill level and play style, it should take an hour or two to play through the new content. If you’re the kind of player who wants to explore all the hidden goodies, you could spend a lot longer.

The gameplay is the familiar Lego style with a few MI touches. There are some nods made to being a stealthy spy. If a guard spots Ethan snooping around, he will call for back-up. If this happens, you will have to fight through two or three additional guards which isn’t much of a penalty. If you want to just fight your way through, you can easily ignore all the sneaking around.

Like any good spy, Ethan has a couple of tricks up his sleeve. He can climb walls, has X-ray vision goggles, and he can disguise himself as any other character. While not dramatically different from any of the other things Lego characters do in these games, they combine to give this pack a little espionage flavor. Add in a liberal use of the famous Mission Impossible theme song and lots of chaotic explosions and the pack becomes a must for any Lego player who enjoys a little international intrigue.



Speaking of explosions, Ethan hurls explosive devices around casually blowing up everything in his path. Wanton destruction has always been part of the appeal of Lego games and Mission Impossible delivers on that in a big way. The set comes with a motorcycle and sports car which Ethan uses to crash through things. There’s an undeniable thrill to letting loose in an exotic locale and just blowing everything around you to pieces. It’s all Lego, so there’s no need for guilt.

One way to judge the value of a Lego Dimensions pack is to look at all the skills that come with it. Ethan ranks highly when compared with other Lego characters. Some of his abilities duplicate those already found in the Starter Pack. Players already have access to acrobatics through Wildstyle and Batman comes with a grappling hook and stealth. But the overlapping abilities make sense for a spy like Ethan Hunt.

In addition to the aforementioned explosives, climbing, X-ray vision and disguises, Ethan can swim underwater and target objects. He also has a flying drone in the shape of a mini helicopter and a unique ability to blow up fuse boxes. The fuse boxes are a mini-game in which players navigate a maze. You have no control of the speed, so you have to be prepared to make twists and turns at the appropriate time. The kid-friendly game is typically forgiving of mistakes. There’s no penalty for running into a wall aside from starting over at the beginning of the maze.

Ethan’s vehicles are less essential. Most vehicles in Lego games do a lot of the same things. Ethan’s vehicles can be turned into a tank, a submarine and a jet so he can get where he is going in style. But if you have purchased more than a couple of packs, you probably already have vehicles that will do everything that the IMF scrambler and sports car can do.

When I first heard about the Mission Impossible pack, I thought it was an odd choice for inclusion in Lego Dimensions. Does anyone have fond memories of the original movie? I know I don’t. But there have been several popular sequels which have built on the popularity of the first movie. While not in the same league as James Bond, the Mission Impossible series is a rich source of material. That comes into play in the Adventure World which allows players to explore locations from the sequels.

The open world includes Prague, Rome, Sydney and Shanghai in addition to the IMF Headquarters in Langley and other locations. Even after you have played through the level several times, the adventure world offers lots of additional activities to complete. As with all the other packs offered in the second year of Dimensions, there is also a Mission Impossible arena where players can compete against one another if that’s your kind of thing. (I have yet to wade into those waters.)

All in all, the Mission Impossible Level Pack is a worthwhile addition to the game. It includes a versatile character, a fun new level to play, a rich adventure world to explore and a couple of vehicles to add to your collection. If you can find it at a reasonable price, I recommend accepting this mission.