Character and vehicle tokens are sprinkled generously across the landscape, while dozens of cheat-enabling and race-unlocking red power bricks can also be found by eagle-eyed players. The super bricks return, spilled by destroyed scenery and used to build landmarks, ramps and vehicle spawn points. The main quests are always clearly marked on your touch-screen map, but there are plenty of other distractions should you choose to wander. Helipads can be used to fast-travel around the city, but the loading times remain a problem.

Each new costume is fun enough in its own right that you'll look forward to finding them, and they're introduced in a different order - and offer new features - so while the basics are repeated from the Wii U game, it plays differently. Wear a spacesuit and you get to launch yourself on a jetpack. The farmer can perform a 'chicken jump' to glide across wide spaces. In each new location, Chase gains a new disguise, bringing with it some new ability that increases your interaction options.ĭress as a robber and you can jimmy open certain doors.

The story missions are instead designed to lead you through the city, starting from the downtown police headquarters and taking in a prison, construction sites, docks, farms and even a rocket facility complete with space shuttle. They're also shorter and simpler, making them ideal for bite-sized play but at the cost of the interlocking puzzles and replay depth that give the Lego series its longevity. Missions in the 3DS game take place in the city, not as separate self-contained stages, so there's a more fluid structure as you progress naturally from one incident to another. The game paces this escalation well, helped along by ditching the level hub concept from the other Lego titles. And behind them? Rex Fury, the true villain of the piece.

Very quickly, you find yourself on the trail of local gangs, which in turn lead to crime bosses pulling the strings. Then it's off to track down a missing dog. So your first task is to fetch some donuts.

In the Wii U game, Dunby is the city's blustering police chief, but here he's still an opportunistic bully, looking to advance his career at the expense of rookie McCain. You'll start your adventure from pretty much the same point, with McCain arriving in town and being introduced to the brusque Officer Dunby.

Lego city undercover construction yard