NEED TO KNOW
What is it? A Lego kart racer where you can build your own vehicles.
Release date May 19, 2023
Expect to pay $70 / £50
Developer Visual Concepts
Publisher 2K
Reviewed on GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, i7-7820X, 64GB RAM
Multiplayer Yes
Steam Deck N/A
Link Official site
$59.99Preorder at GamersGate$59.99View at GameStop$69.99View at AmazonSee all prices (7 found)
Every time I play a new “kart” racing game, I’m always disappointedly surprised at the lack of innovation within the genre—and Lego 2K Drive is nothing new in that respect. Every drift around a corner, every boost off a ramp, I had the same thought: I’ve played this game before. You’ve, undoubtedly, played this game before. This is Mario Kart. This is Crash Team Racing. This is Garfield Kart.
That being said, Lego 2K Drive’s take on kart racing does feel extremely polished. The controls feel weighty and responsive, and there’s plenty of feedback in its turns and drifts based on the size and specifications of your vehicle. The courses themselves are decently varied, even if personally I would have preferred a greater focus on shortcuts and alternate routes, and the open-world maps in the story campaign feel appropriately expansive.
(Image credit: Visual Concepts)
The rapacious nature of the microtransactions in Lego 2K Drive makes it impossible to recommend to anyone within its target demographic.
Performance-wise, Lego 2K Drive ran extremely well on both builds I tested it on. The lower-end build (i7-7820X, GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, 16GB RAM) almost managed to run Lego 2K Drive on its highest settings, although this did have a slightly noticeable yet overall minor effect on the framerate. Even in split-screen, the i7-7820X build managed to perform well with relatively little in the way of performance issues. My higher end build (Ryzen 9 5900X, RTX 4080, 64GB RAM) ran the game with absolutely no issues, at a perfectly consistent framerate. Admittedly, even though Lego 2K Drive looks pretty good and some of the destruction mechanics are impressive enough that you would expect them to impact the frame rate, it’s not exactly pushing the envelope in regards to its graphics—nor is it trying to. Yet, in this day and age, a PC game that looks good and runs well at launch is rare enough to be worth lauding.
There is a lot to love in Lego 2K Drive, especially if you are a fan of kart racers or Lego in general. The game runs well, it’s got a wealth of content to work through, and there is a clear love for the Lego franchise that permeates everything from the game design to the maps themselves. Sure, outside of its build system, Lego 2K Drive isn’t exactly trying to be innovative, but solid, fun gameplay more than makes up for a lack of ambition. This makes it all the more disappointing that the rapacious nature of the microtransactions in Lego 2K Drive makes it impossible to recommend to anyone within its target demographic.
Lego 2K Drive: Price Comparison
$59.99Preorder
$59.99Preorder
$59.99View
$59.99View
$69.99ViewShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best pricespowered by 
