8 LEGO Video Games That Launched at the Wrong Time

Something notable about gaming today is that most franchises are releasing new entries at a much smaller rate. Fortunately, LEGO doesn’t have much of a problem with this as they continue to find new games, both of their own creation and from licensed properties.

There’s a huge catalogue of LEGO games from the last three decades, most of which I’ve personally played. But some didn’t receive the same level of attention upon release that they might if they came out for the first time today. We’re currently in a golden era of gaming, with new releases being coveted and examined more closely than ever before. Are there LEGO games that simply came out at the wrong time?

8 LEGO Dimensions

An Ambitious Crossover, A Decade Too Early

One of the most massive crossovers between various franchises ever seen, LEGO Dimensions should have been released like the massive event it was. Instead, it came out in 2015, attempting to capitalise on the toys-to-life style of other games, and jammed in between many major LEGO releases.

It is easy to imagine a release right now, ahead of Avengers: Doomsday, capturing the scope of so many franchises, right before one of the largest and most ambitious films in the history of pop culture could have been incredible.

While LEGO Dimensions performed modestly well on release, it could have been bigger if it hadn’t rushed to steal the thunder of Skylanders and other, similar games. I personally found this to be hugely enjoyable, and filled with Easter Eggs referencing everything from The Matrix to Half-Life and even the Bible!

7 LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues

The difficulty with capturing franchises at any particular point by LEGO games is that major franchises always have more to come. LEGO Indiana Jones 2 came out just one year after the first game in the series, which was unfortunate timing. The extra film, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, was included, but the scope and small amount of additional content didn’t add much.

With a fifth film in the franchise, and nostalgia always being high for Indiana Jones, it feels a shame there hasn’t been a modern entry in a similar vein to The Skywalker Saga for Star Wars. More than that, this was truly one of the best and most underrated LEGO games.

I was personally blown away, expecting a very similar feel to the first game, and getting a hugely upgraded world and the addition of amazing vehicle levels and mechanics, which helped this surpass the first.

6 LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4

Bigger Sales Could Come From Rebuilt Fan Hype

When this first foray into the LEGO version of Hogwarts came around, it didn’t do as well as might have been expected. It came out in 2010, when fans were excited about the conclusion of the films, not revisiting the early years. If the same game, with everything that we fans loved about it then and still yearn for in Harry Potter games now, came out today as the new Harry Potter series builds hype over the early years of the story, it might have seen a much bigger reception as a classic of the licensed game genre.

The excitement of journeying through classes, learning and using spells, and exploring a wide-open world in this franchise is still there. Hogwarts Legacy gave us Harry Potter fans a lot of what we wanted, but without the stories and characters so familiar to us as fans of Harry Potter himself. This game, released today, removed from the rush of LEGO games coming out around 2010, would likely be a much bigger success.

5 LEGO Lord Of The Rings

Huge Scope That Would Have Been Bigger Today

If The Skywalker Saga did anything, it showed the massive potential that LEGO can unlock for games today. While their games have always been amazing, the scope has just gotten larger over time. While LEGO Lord of the Rings was a triumphant journey through many famous Middle-earth locations, the world could have been larger and more open if it came out today.

I didn’t feel disappointed, as a huge Middle-earth fan, playing through this one for the first time. But I definitely saw where improvements could be made; the loading times between open areas slowed the pace down, and they wouldn’t be so necessary today.

Lord of the Rings franchise fans are always ready for content around the series, but with the influx of new games, films, and TV series recently, a major game release traversing the story of the Lord of the Rings trilogy might just have been a massive success now, where it lacked a little of the performance it deserved in 2012.

4 LEGO City Undercover

Grand Theft Auto Hype Is Maxed Out

Although there has never been a LEGO-themed adaptation of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, this is the next best thing. LEGO City Undercover featured many similarities in style and mechanics to GTA. Released in 2013, hype was still high following Grand Theft Auto 5, but that was nothing compared to the current hype around the upcoming, and oft-delayed, release of Grand Theft Auto 6.

Although it wasn’t unsuccessful, LEGO City Undercover didn’t get the level of sales that many LEGO games have been able to garner. Coming out today instead could have allowed this game to capitalise on the hunger GTA fans are feeling right now, and maybe gotten more eyes on a well-loved game. Of course, the biggest problem is that when this game was first released, it was a Wii U exclusive, which made it even more challenging to garner a huge fan base.

3 LEGO Worlds

A Bigger & Better Minecraft Alternative Could Have Been Huge

Long before Minecraft, LEGO was the fun way for kids to play with blocks. When LEGO Worlds was released in 2017, marketed as an alternative to that very game, it was tricky for it to gain huge traction. However, the success of LEGO Fortnite has shown us just how great the response can be to a LEGO game with similarities to another one.

If LEGO Worlds were released now, with even more scope and possibilities behind it, then it could have gained hype on a level with Minecraft. LEGO is such a well-known IP, and many players feel Minecraft hasn't continued to improve and develop in the ways it needs to over the years, meaning this could have been an opportunity to have one of the biggest games in the world for a decade or more.

Playing LEGO Worlds for myself, I definitely saw the potential and could imagine a slightly grander form of the game being the one to finally dethrone Minecraft.

2 LEGO Jurassic World

Could Have Summed Up Two Full Generations

Although the Jurassic World films haven’t always been the most well-received, there would have been a certain completeness to having all six, or even all seven, films that are currently in the franchise in one massive game. Instead, this truly excellent LEGO game only covered four films, which deserved better than it got at the time.

The early, golden era of LEGO licensed games was coming to an end by 2015. Fans weren’t really expecting an incredible take on a beloved franchise at that moment. If a definitive game, covering a wide expanse of films from the series, had come out today, before LEGO had ever explored Jurassic Park before in a game, it could have been one of LEGO’s biggest releases ever.

1 LEGO Avengers

Poorly Chosen Timing Reduced Impact

A LEGO Avengers game sounds like an excellent idea. However, releasing in 2015, only two years after LEGO Marvel Super-Heroes became one of LEGO’s all-time biggest hits, wasn’t an excellent idea. We were all surprised when this was released to see an MCU take on iconic Marvel characters, instead of a follow-up to the story and world of the previous game.

LEGO was forced to pivot back to that world in LEGO Marvel Super-Heroes 2 later, showing what a mistake this was. However, if they had utilised the idea of an MCU-focused LEGO game later, we’d have loved it immensely. The MCU is the biggest cinematic entity in history.

If this were released today, covering at least the entirety of the Infinity Saga, it would blow our collective minds as fans. While I loved this game on initial release, it felt like a bullet fired from LEGO’s gun too early, as a snap reaction to the MCU’s rising success, instead of the immense level of game it should have been. Still, with another LEGO Batman on the way, hopefully ready to show the clamouring excitement fans still have for superhero LEGO games, another MCU entry is not out of the question.