Lego 2K Drive keeps essence of 1980s racing games alive

Despite the passing of time, classic video games still hold a special place in the hearts of many and their influence can still be felt in unexpected ways. 2K Games has partnered with Lego to create an open-world racing game called Lego 2K Drive. Developed by experienced studio Visual Concepts, it blends the discovery and exploration of Forza Horizon with the entertaining weapons and power-ups of Mario Kart. Interestingly, the game was inspired by a different set of car games.

Mark Pierce, the game’s executive producer, started his career at Atari in the late 1980s, working on classic racers such as RoadBlasters, Road Riot and San Francisco Rush. Pierce drew on his experience working with some of the original Atari team, including the group responsible for designing the legendary 3D racing sim Hard Drivin’. His vision was to bring the 1980s arcade-style game design mentality to modern open-world racing games.

Lego 2K Drive takes place in the colorful world of Bricklandia, where players unlock races, tasks, and missions as they explore Lego towns, canyons, farms, and castles. The game features mini-figures that offer challenges and cut-scenes that capture the humorous tone of the Lego franchise. Early gameplay demos showcased various activities, including jumping over rocky chasms, finding lost characters, and battling robot invasion forces.

Classic video games may fade away from mainstream popularity, but their influence can still be felt in modern games. 2K Games and Lego have collaborated to produce Lego 2K Drive, an open-world racing game that combines the discoverable challenges and explorable world of Forza Horizon with the playful handling, weapons, and power-ups of Mario Kart. This game is inspired by the classic car games developed by Atari in the late 1980s, such as RoadBlasters, Road Riot, and San Francisco Rush. The game’s executive producer, Mark Pierce, wanted to bring the arcade-style racing games’ design mentality from the 1980s to modern open-world racing games.

Players drive around Bricklandia, which is full of Lego towns with colorful shops and restaurants, Lego farms with cute Lego pigs, and Lego canyons. They can race through gothic castles filled with ghosts and giant spiders. Everywhere you go, mini-figures wander around, often with little challenges to give to you. The game’s handling model is easy to learn, and there is a big emphasis on drifting. You can drive on three different surfaces: street, off-road, and water.

FAQs

Q1. What is Lego 2K Drive?
A driving adventure gameQ2. Who developed Lego 2K Drive?
NBA 2K studio Visual Concepts.