This fifteenth video in the new Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series is on LEGO Builder's Journey I Played this as part of my Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series, but the game is out across many other platforms.
I had known of this game for a while and went in knowing how it plays. but there were many other aspects of the game i didn't know about. for example, i had no idea it would take 15 minutes to get to the title screen. the game's tutorial levels are very good and show off a lot of the concepts and play styles in a way that leads the player to discover them organically rather than being told how to do it. But the game also knows when to offer some advice to the player.
The story being told in each level wasn't a big surprise as it had been revealed by many websites and YouTube channels i watch. but it was still nice to see it unfold. the problem i had, and what lead to the frustration in the video title, was controlling the game. whether it was my fingers or with a controller, it never felt precise enough or natural enough.
i would like to be clear that i'm not saying the controls were horrible and that the game is unplayable. i'm not saying that. but i am saying that little issues made it a frustrating experience, especially in comparison to everything else about the game. it is a beautiful game full of style and uniqueness. many of the UI stuff is great, too. but at the end of the video i didn't like that i couldn't work out how to get to the "home screen." it felt like there wasn't one.
Unfortunately, i won't be playing the game again as i have already deleted it from my phone. i found the controls to be too frustrating. there's a chance i might try this on a console, but i doubt it. i feel like i got a lot from this time with the game. the negatives from my experience outweigh the positives, to the point where even the story isn't enough to get me back playing it.
