Month: July 2023

LEGO Bricktales, Solving Physics Puzzles to Save Grandpa’s Amusement Park

Games · Purchased July 9, 2023 · $19.99 via PSN

LEGO Bricktales
Photo: ClockStone / Steam

The Setup

A LEGO puzzle-adventure where you help your grandfather restore his failing amusement park by solving physics-based building puzzles across five diorama-style biomes. It also includes a Sandbox Mode for free-form LEGO building.

The Review

The building puzzles are genuinely clever and reward creative solutions rather than one "correct" answer most of the time, and Sandbox Mode is a nice bonus if you just want to build. It’s a wholesome, family-friendly game that doesn’t overstay its welcome, though on console the puzzle mechanics can feel a bit rigid and I hit a couple of performance dips.

What I Liked

  • Clever, varied building puzzles
  • Sandbox Mode is a great bonus
  • Wholesome, family-friendly tone
  • Good length for the price

What I Didn’t

  • Some console performance hiccups
  • Puzzle mechanics can feel rigid
  • Fairly short main campaign

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

Where to Buy

Hot Wheels Unleashed: Game of the Year Edition, a Year of DLC for the Price of One Game

Games · Purchased July 8, 2023 · $23.99 via PSN

Hot Wheels Unleashed - Game of the Year Edition
Photo: Milestone / Steam

The Setup

An arcade-style racing game where you race scaled-down Hot Wheels cars through everyday environments turned into elaborate tracks. The Game of the Year Edition bundles the base game with every DLC car and track pack, plus a full year of season content.

The Review

Excellent sense of speed for an arcade racer, and the track editor is deep enough that I’ve lost hours just building instead of racing. The huge, varied car roster is a genuine nostalgia trip. The GOTY bundle is great value for what you get. AI rubber-banding can make the higher difficulties feel unfair, and the environments start to repeat after enough play.

What I Liked

  • Excellent sense of speed and momentum
  • Deep, satisfying track editor
  • Huge, nostalgic car roster
  • GOTY Edition bundles a full year of DLC affordably

What I Didn’t

  • AI rubber-banding at higher difficulty
  • Progression grind without buying packs separately
  • Environments repeat with extended play

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

Where to Buy