Back at the start of August, we mentioned how Xbox was getting a Mario Party clone in the form of LEGO Party! in late September, and now we've finally reached that point - and perhaps surprisingly, the first reviews are very good!
As things stand, LEGO Party! is sitting on an impressive Metacritic average rating of 80, although that's only based on a few reviews. Still, this is a superb start - it's a whole 10 points higher than the beloved Fuzion Frenzy on the OG Xbox!
Here's what some of the reviews are saying about LEGO Party! so far:
DualShockers (8.5/10)
"LEGO Party! stands tall as one of the best games ever in the competitive board game-style genre. Sure, it's derivative of Mario Party, but it also improves on many games in that series in a multitude of ways. Almost all of the 60 mini-games here are truly great, the game boards are creative, and the player customization options feel endless. I do wish it had a couple additional modes and maybe another game board or two, but that's really just because I want more of this awesome title."
CGM (8.5/10)
"LEGO Party doesn’t just borrow the formula; it builds something new out of it. Brick by brick, joke by joke, it proves that there is room for more than one board-based party game. It’s the party game I didn’t realize I wanted, and now it’s the one I can’t stop thinking about."
GamingBible (8/10)
"Ultimately, LEGO Party has a lot going for it. It was never going to be the superior party game, Nintendo and its red plumber have thrown far too many epic shindigs to be overtaken in that regard, but what LEGO Party offers is an alternative with a different aesthetic and overall vibe, as well as one playable on all platforms, not just Nintendo ones."
GamingBible (8/10)
"Ultimately, LEGO Party has a lot going for it. It was never going to be the superior party game, Nintendo and its red plumber have thrown far too many epic shindigs to be overtaken in that regard, but what LEGO Party offers is an alternative with a different aesthetic and overall vibe, as well as one playable on all platforms, not just Nintendo ones."
Stevivor (7.5/10)
"All up, LEGO Party is a worthy contender to Mario Party; you’ll need to decide if its strengths and weaknesses appeal to you. With noticeable framerate drops during fly-throughs, even on PS5 Pro, I’m also a bit concerned about how this will actually play on a Switch."
ComicBook (7/10)
"Overall, LEGO Party! impressed me by delivering a solid party game experience with robust and entertaining character customization options. I did find myself wishing for more variety from the announcers and the controls in certain mini-games, and the lagginess certainly held a few games back from their full potential. Even so, it’s a game that feels well worth its $40 price tag, especially when compared to pricier competition."
If you're interested in checking out LEGO Party! for yourself, it's available to pre-order right now on the Xbox Store for £31.49 / $35.99 ahead of its launch later today (September 30th). For those who are curious, the release time for LEGO Party! is 10am PDT / 12pm EDT / 5pm BST.
We'll also leave you with a few screenshots from the game down below.