The LEGO NINJAGO Movie Video Game is an action title developed around the 2017 film. Players control members of the ninja team to protect the island of Ninjago from Lord Garmadon and his Shark Army forces. The experience centers on traversal, combat, and light progression systems that reward repeated play in the campaign levels.
Gameplay
Core movement relies on Ninjagility techniques that let characters wall-run along surfaces and perform high jumps to reach new areas. These abilities open paths through the eight main locations drawn from the movie. Combat mixes basic attacks with special moves, including Spinjitzu spins that clear groups of enemies. Each ninja brings distinct combat feel, and defeating foes contributes to ranking up individual characters.
Progression happens through a skill system that improves combat effectiveness as players advance. Exploration in the levels rewards additional collectibles and secrets that become accessible after the main story path is cleared. The game supports local co-op so two players can tackle the campaign together on the same screen, with camera adjustments needed during tighter platforming sections.
Platforming sections combine the traversal moves with simple environmental puzzles. Levels remain largely linear during the first playthrough but open into more free-form navigation once story completion unlocks full access.
Game Modes
The primary experience follows the movie story across the eight locations. Each area contains a dedicated Challenge Dojo that presents focused combat or traversal trials separate from the main path.
Battle Maps provide competitive options for up to four players in local split-screen matches. These maps support versus play where participants compete directly using the available ninja characters and abilities.
After finishing the campaign, players gain access to free-roam exploration in the completed locations. This mode encourages returning to earlier areas with upgraded skills to find missed items and complete remaining dojo challenges.
Characters and Progression
The playable roster includes Lloyd, Jay, Kai, Cole, Zane, Nya, and Master Wu. Each character starts with baseline abilities that improve through the ranking system tied to combat performance. Upgrades focus on damage output, special move duration, and movement speed rather than entirely new powers.
Enemies consist mainly of Shark Army units that appear in increasing numbers and varieties as the story progresses. Boss encounters against Lord Garmadon and other threats punctuate the eight locations and require use of the full movement and attack toolkit.
Is It Worth Playing?
Steam user reviews sit at Very Positive based on thousands of ratings, with recent feedback remaining in the same range. The game delivers a compact campaign that finishes in a few hours for the story alone, plus additional time spent on exploration and multiplayer matches. Local co-op and split-screen versus options make it suitable for family or small-group sessions on PC.
Players who enjoy straightforward action-adventure structure with traversal mechanics and character upgrades will find the most value here. Those seeking long-term content or frequent updates will note that the title received no post-launch seasons or expansions after its 2017 release. The positive reception stems from the responsive combat and the faithful recreation of the movie setting rather than from depth or replay systems beyond the core loop.
