[ad_1]
On this job, you spend a number of the time on the finish of the 12 months in a retrospective mind set, reconsidering all the things that’s crossed your desk. What are the highlights, the lowlights, and the memorable moments? We’ve coated a number of that in our Alternate Recreation Awards and in our extra severe GOTY write-ups – however clearly, my life isn’t simply video video games.
Common VG247 readers will know that I’m an enormous previous Lego nerd, and I’ve handled the events when Lego has crossed over with video video games with glee – it’s two of my loves colliding in methods which might be usually thrilling, or simply merely enjoyable. This has been a superb 12 months for that, too, with Lego Sonic making a barnstorming debut, Mario units persevering with, and a wonderful Pac-Man Arcade which I like. There was additionally an ideal Lego online game within the type of Lego 2K Drive. So: all-in-all, a stable 12 months.
It’s been a superb 12 months for Lego typically. I’ve loved a large number of non-Gaming units this 12 months – together with an ideal Indiana Jones diorama, a beautiful area tribute from fan-designed vary Lego Concepts, and the fabulous Viking Settlement that actually scratched an itch of mine that was established by beloved citadel and pirates units in my childhood.
One set does stand above all others for me this 12 months, although – and quelle shock, it’s Lego’s newest modular constructing, set 10326, the Pure Historical past Museum.
The humorous factor about this being the very best set of the 12 months is that we’re solely meant to get one modular constructing a 12 months. However in 2023, we bought two, as Lego moved the schedule up – these units that beforehand used to reach in January will now arrive each December. That is the second modular of the 12 months after the Jazz membership, then – however when it comes to high quality and worth, it’s completely primary.
If you happen to’re unfamiliar with the vary, what I seek advice from as ‘modulars’ are principally an off-the-cuff identify for Lego Metropolis buildings for grown-ups. Now categorized as a part of Lego’s black-boxed “Adults Welcome” vary, Lego has launched modular buildings yearly since 2007. The buildings stay as much as the modular moniker in two methods: to begin with, every set is made up of various ‘modules’ which compromise completely different flooring or sections of a street-facing constructing, full with interiors and cute storytelling particulars. Second, and most essential, the buildings kind a versatile metropolis road, with connections in-built to connect them collectively to create road or block formations. The buildings may be organized in any order you want, making a {custom} road scene.
By releasing one set a 12 months (and retiring older ones at an analogous charge), Lego all the time retains a small road’s value of modular buildings in manufacturing at anyone time. It’s created a spread of high-end, high-price, large-scale units that really have a very collectible factor. Full disclosure – I’ve been a goblin for these fashions for some time, and I can see 12 of them, together with a number of custom-designed ones, from the very desk the place I write this text.
Anyway, with that clarification and disclosure in thoughts, let me simply briefly heap reward on the 2023/4 modular, the Pure Historical past Museum. Lengthy story quick: it’s fantastic.
That includes a wider footprint that has solely been utilized in a number of units earlier than this, you’ve bought a beautiful constructing with a historic air to it – a museum unfold throughout two flooring with nice large vaulted ceilings. From a design perspective, you’ll be able to see shades of Britain’s Pure Historical past Museum and different world-famous establishments. Inside you’ll discover a vary of reveals, plus a tiny rooftop workplace the place the museum’s curator is supposed to be endeavor his analysis.
The centerpiece of the museum is a beautiful brick-built dinosaur skeleton, which stretches throughout each flooring as a essential attraction. Elsewhere, there’s fantastic easter eggs – like historical past exhibitions that nod to the citadel and pirate units of previous, and a little bit room that appears to the celebs, with mini mannequin rockets and a superb however tiny mannequin of the photo voltaic system.
As is par for the course with this vary the set is stuffed with tiny particulars that delight, plus fascinating elements utilization and constructing strategies that make it a Lego nerd’s dream. Lego solely retains a restricted variety of bricks and items in manufacturing at any given time, and every in a restricted vary of colours – so designers each fan and official must make intelligent use of accessible elements to craft their worlds. On this set, a favourite contact of mine is the curled-up whip, normally present in Indiana Jones units, which right here varieties a part of the form of an ammonite fossil. It’s simply bloody intelligent.
For me, the modular buildings usually symbolize a cross-section of the very best of ‘grown-up’ Lego. That’s to say, they’re beautiful-looking sufficient that an grownup can have them on a shelf of their research with none main diploma of embarrassment – but additionally, they’re thoughtfully constructed and introduced. Constructing strategies will go away you slack-jawed, or higher nonetheless go away your mind abuzz with concepts on your personal {custom} builds.
With that mentioned, the modulars not often are prime of my best-of-the-year lists for Lego, just because they’re a recognized amount. Often some shock finally ends up taking all of the marbles. 2022’s modular got here behind issues like an astonishing Lighthouse, a large Bowser, and an unimaginable Fortress throwback. 2023 had simply as many pretty surprises – however the Pure Historical past Museum nonetheless stands above all of them.
And now, the wait begins for 2024’s modular constructing. May or not it’s a hospital finally? Pop that on my 2024 most anticipated listing, proper subsequent to Dragon’s Dogma 2 and FF7 Rebirth…
[ad_2]