Back in February 2022, a VideoGamesChronicle-exclusive report came out stating that 2K had secured the LEGO license, and that it was going to be used to create three new LEGO sports games. The report claimed that the first of these games would be a LEGO soccer game, being developed by Sumo Digital and intended to release at the end of 2022 tocoincide with the FIFA World Cup. The second game slated for release was said to be an open-world racing game developed by Visual Concepts. Of course, schedules must have been changed, asLEGO 2K Drivewould launch first, releasing in May of this year.
That leaves2K’s leaked LEGO soccer gamefloating in the wind, but just a few weeks ago, a South Korean rating board listed a game calledLEGO 2K Goooal!, and the industry is taking that as a near-confirmation that the game is definitely still in the works, likely to be announced sometime soon. And although it wasn’t the plan,LEGO 2K Drivearriving on the scene first might not have been a bad thing, as nowLEGO 2K Goooal!can learn from its mistakes.
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What LEGO 2K Goooal! Can Learn From LEGO 2K Drive
Announced back in March of this year, and then released a few months later in May,LEGO 2K Drivereceive a bit of a mixed reception on launch, from both critics and fans. On one end of the spectrum,LEGO 2K Drivewas praised heavily by outlets like IGN, who gave it an 8/10 and cited the game’s vehicle-swapping mechanic as a highlight along with its in-depth LEGO vehicle builder. But on the other end of the spectrum,LEGO 2K Drivereceived some more scathing reviews, such as the one by PC Gamer, scoring the game a 59/100 and condemning its monetization. Regardless of its scores, there are plenty of lessonsLEGO 2K Drivecould teach the leakedLEGO 2K Goooal!.
One of the biggest lessonsLEGO 2K Goooal!should learn fromLEGO 2K Driveis to not rely too heavily on an open-world formula. WhileLEGO 2K Drive’s open-world hubswere varied enough and fairly fun to explore, the side missions in them weren’t as enjoyable, with most of them boiling down to the same old fetch quests gamers have been completing for decades. An open-world formula doesn’t fit a soccer game all too well anyway, andLEGO 2K Goooal!should instead focus all of its efforts on its campaign mode and its multiplayer tournaments and exhibition matches, ensuring that they’re of the highest quality.
Another big takeawayLEGO 2K Goooal!should have fromLEGO 2K Driverevolves around its pricing model. WhenLEGO 2K Drivefirst released, it retailed for the full $70. In the current market, the $70 price tag is usually reserved for giganticAAA first-party titles likeZelda: Tears of the KingdomorStarfield, and thoughLEGO 2K Driveclearly had some real effort put into it, it wasn’t on the same level as a first-party exclusive, and that $70 price tag only served to turn away fans who would’ve wanted a cheaper hit of nostalgia.
But by far the biggest lessonLEGO 2K Goooal!needs to learn fromLEGO 2K Driveis that microtransactions can kill a game before it’s even stepped out of the gate. Despite being a $70 game,LEGO 2K Drivelaunched with both a Season Pass and a store page. ThoughLEGO 2K Drive’s vehicle creatorwas almost universally praised, its microtransactions ruined the experience for many, with most of the game’s best parts being locked behind a paywall. Though it’s probably tempting to giveLEGO 2K Goooal!its own FIFA Packs, Sumo Digital really shouldn’t.
LEGO 2K Driveis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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