In the third guide to LEGO Dimensions open worlds we take a trip Back to the Future.
In these levels we discover what is included within this extra level pack and how it sits with the main Starter Pack! And as we explore the open world of Hill Valley we look at what extra fun, level or team packs you may require such as Dr Who or Portal 2 so that you can track down those important GOLD bricks allowing you to unlock those important extra builds and red brick power ups!

We also find out how the three different time zones of Hill Valley are connected allowing for more interesting puzzles for you to solve along the way!

We find out how they have combined the different worlds of DC Comics: Gotham and Metropolis in one open world of Lego Dimensions.

As well as looking at how characters from the different brands such as Simpsons, Lord of the Rings and the Lego Movie allow you to unlock extra areas and rewards within this open world we also consider how many expansions packs you require.

We also look at some of the challenges and puzzles that can be found within the open world hopefully without spoiling too many of the secrets for you.

Full unboxing of the New Nintendo 3DS Happy Home Designer Special Edition pack. We look at what’s in the pack, open some amiibo cards as well as the NFC reader for original 3DS and 3DS XL.

The faceplates in the Limited Edition are not available separately although there are some other Crossing Faceplates available.

Quick guide for Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain.

1. Genre
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is an action stealth game set in an open world.

The protagonist travels through 1980s Afghanistan and can choose to enact his revenge-based goals through combat or stealth methods, though the latter is more encouraged. He has access to a range of tools, vehicles, and AI companions, all of which can be upgraded with money collected throughout the game. His base, where he can develop further tech, can also be upgraded.

Multiplayer modes are due later this year.

Other recent games that offer stealth approaches include the Dishonored and Assassin’s Creed series.

2. Story
Despite being the second part of the fifth entry in the Metal Gear Solid series, The Phantom Pain is set 21 years before the original Metal Gear Solid, in 1984. The protagonist is Big Boss, codenamed “Punished Snake” and “Venom Snake”, who has been in a coma for nine years since the events of the prologue to Metal Gear Solid V, Ground Zeroes. In The Phantom Pain he leads a mercenary group into Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan War on a quest for revenge.

3. Developer
Developer Kojima Productions, led by Hideo Kojima, was also responsible for the previous Metal Gear Solid games.

4. Format
The Phantom Pain is available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360 for between £46/$60 and £58/$60 depending on platform.

5. Duration and Difficulty
It’ll take most players at least 30 hours to complete The Phantom Pain, if not much longer. Some players may also replay missions to try approaching them in a different way.

Difficulty varies according to what approaches and items the player uses, but The Phantom Pain is a generally challenging game.

6. UK Rating
In the UK and Europe, PEGI rates Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain as only suitable for those aged 18 and older for “extreme violence”, “multiple, motiveless killing”, “violence towards defenceless people”, and “strong language”.
http://www.pegi.info/en/index/global_id/505/?searchString=metal+gear+solid+v&agecategories=&genre=&organisations=&platforms=&countries=&submit=Search#searchresults

The GRA expands on its PEGI rating by highlighting the “frequent moderate to strong violence including scenes of torture and some strong language throughout”. The stronger violence “includes multiple civilians and those considered to be vulnerable or defenceless being executed in cold blood, scenes of torture involving the use of jump cables, and a graphic scene of a young woman reopening a wound on her abdomen and plunging her hand into her own viscera”. Language includes the “f” word, and there’s also a scene with implied imminent sexual assault.
http://gamesratingauthority.org/GRA/

7. Other Ratings
ESRB rates Metal Gear Solid V a Mature, with descriptors of Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes

“Firefights are highlighted by realistic gunfire, slow-motion effects, and large blood-splatter effects. Players have the ability to kill non-adversary characters, though this may negatively affect players’ progress; child soldiers appear in some sequences, though fatal shots to these enemies result in mission failure.

Cutscenes include intense acts of violence and/or instances of gore: patients gunned down in a hospital; a character’s exposed intestines; torture/interrogation scenes (e.g., a man’s leg bent backwards; a character stabbed in the teeth with a knife; a woman strangled and drowned by a soldier; a character electrocuted with rods).

During the course of the game some female characters wear revealing outfits that expose large amounts of cleavage; camera angles sometimes focus and linger on a character’s buttocks and cleavage. One sequence depicts a female character showering (with a bikini top and bottom) inside a cage as male characters watch. The words “f**k” and “sh*t” are heard in the dialogue.

8. Themes
One of the female characters, Quiet, has a very sexualised appearance, which some may feel undermines her character for the sake of appealing to certain players.

The game touches on a lot of themes like revenge, torture, and even child soldiers.

9. Why people play:
Because of the open world and multiple ways to approach missions, players enjoy setting their own pace and style, making plans and carrying them out, and maybe changing their approach if things don’t go as expected. The Metal Gear Solid games are perhaps most well known for their complicated plots, which even long-time fans of the series can find overwhelming, and The Phantom Pain continues that tradition. But overall, the game is expansive and mechanically interesting enough to appeal even to those who haven’t played Metal Gear Solid before.

Parents guide to Dishonored Definitive Edition.

1. Genre
Dishonored is a first-person stealth action game. You play as an assassin with targets you can either kill or deal with non-lethally.

The focus on stealth means each mission can be approached in different ways: sneaking around guards or killing them silently (or loudly); using unlockable magical abilities to teleport short distances or possess rats and travel in their bodies. The world responds to whether you use lethal force, for instance with more rats running around if you leave a lot of corpses, and you also get a different ending depending on how you played.

With its different ways to approach each mission, Dishonored is similar to games like Thief and Deus Ex.

2. Story
Dishonored is set in a fictional city called Dunwall, which is similar to industrial cities in Britain in the late 19th century, albeit with some magical elements. At the start of the game the Empress is assassinated and the protagonist, Corvo, is framed. Corvo must escape prison, rescue the Empress’ kidnapped daughter Emily, and take on those responsible.

3. Developer
Developer Arkane Studios also made RPGs Arx Fatalis and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, and helped out with level design on BioShock 2.

4. Format
Dishonored was originally released on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. A version with improved graphics and all the DLC included, called Dishonored: The Definitive Edition, is available on PS4 and Xbox One for around £25/$40.

5. Duration and Difficulty
It takes around 12 hours to finish the main story in Dishonored, though longer for players who want to collect everything, and four or five hours for each piece of DLC.

There are multiple difficulty settings and the difficulty can be changed at any time, so players of different skill levels should be able to find a level that suits them.

6. UK Rating
In the UK and Europe, PEGI rates Dishonored as only suitable for those aged 18 and older for extreme violence; multiple, motiveless killing; violence towards defenceless people; and strong language.
http://www.pegi.info/en/index/global_id/505/?searchString=dishonored

The GRA expands on its PEGI rating by elaborating on the “frequent strong violence and strong bad language”, which includes “strong bloody violence including decapitation, dismemberment and torture, and violence towards multiple innocent civilians”, and use of the “f” word.
http://gamesratingauthority.org/GRA/

7. Other Ratings
In the US, the ESRB rates Dishonored: The Definitive Edition as M for Mature, with content descriptors for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, and Strong Language. It specifies that “players use pistols, crossbows, swords/knives, and grenades to kill human enemies in frenetic combat. Certain weapon attacks result in dismembered limbs, and some environments depict corpses on the ground or hanging from the ceiling.” Stealth kills have Corvo “sneak up on enemies and choke them or cut their throats; these sequences are sometimes depicted in slow-motion with blood-splatter effects.” The ESRB also mentions “sexual references in the dialogue”, as well as use of the “f” and “s” words.
http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=34026&Title=Dishonored%20Definitive%20Edition

Lobby group Common Sense Media rates Dishonored as only suitable for those aged 18 and older, for “violent moments”, “foul language”, and “some sexuality”.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews/dishonored

8. Themes
Dishonored is set in a world beset by a plague that makes its victims act similar to zombies, and there are rats everywhere, which might be frightening for some people.

The ability to choose whether or not to kill, and the alternative ways Corvo can deal with his targets, raises ethical questions, and the consequences of the path the player takes are clear for them to see.

9. Why people play:
Aside from the world, its history and its characters, what people like most about Dishonored is the ability to choose how they play. Those who enjoy the combat can take a lethal approach, and those who don’t want to kill anyone can play the whole game stealthily and take no victims. Players who like to have choice in their games particularly appreciate that Dishonored shows actual consequences for these choices, both in the state of the world throughout and in how the story concludes.

Some people may even play twice to try the vastly different approaches, so it’s almost like two games in one.

Family guide to Yoshi’s Woolly WOrld

1. Genre
Yoshi’s Woolly World is a side-scrolling platformer for the Wii U. Players are Yoshi, leading him left and right, up and down through various levels made of woolly material. Yoshi can use his tongue to swallow enemies, which then enables him to produce balls of yarn (instead of eggs as in other games) that can be used for things like tying up enemies and filling in platforms.

The world is soft, reacting to Yoshi’s presence, with squidgy platforms and doors that peel back like cloth.

A second player can join locally as a second Yoshi to play cooperatively.

The game is compatible with Amiibo that enable a second computer-controlled Yoshi to join instead of a second player. Three Yoshi Amiibo made of yarn are available, in pink, blue, and green, but players can also use other Amiibo like Mario and Princess Peach to unlock new Yoshi designs.

Yoshi’s Woolly World is perhaps most similar aesthetically to Kirby’s Epic Yarn, but plays like other Yoshi games, like Yoshi’s New Island.

2. Story
Yoshi’s enemy in the game is Kamek, who has turned his friends into yarn. Yoshi must make his way through several stages, defeating enemies, collecting yarn, and rescuing his friends.

3. Developer
Yoshi’s Woolly World was developed by Good-Feel, a Japanese developer that also made Kirby’s Epic Yarn.

4. Format
Yoshi’s Woolly World is only available for Wii U and costs £/$ on the Nintendo eShop.

5. Duration and Difficulty
Yoshi’s Woolly World shouldn’t be too difficult for players with experience with platformers, but for younger or novice players it features a “Mellow Mode” that gives Yoshi wings to propel him through the level out of harm’s way. The mode can be turned on at any time.

6. UK Rating
In the UK and Europe, PEGI rates Yoshi’s Woolly World as appropriate for those aged 3 and older, with no content descriptors.
http://www.pegi.info/en/index/

7. Other Ratings
Use this section to highlight details of the game not already covered by PEGI.

“In the US, the ESRB rates [the game] [rating] (http://www.esrb.org/ratings/ratings_guide.jsp), with content descriptors for [content descriptors, e.g. Violence]…”
http://www.esrb.org/ratings/search.jsp (Include a link to details.)

“Lobby group Common Sense Media…”
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ (Include a link to details.)

8. Themes
The woolly theme will appeal to those who like craft activities like knitting and stitching, even those who don’t play many games.

9. Why people play:
Yoshi’s Woolly World immediately appeals because of its colourful woolly look, but its simple but satisfying platforming keeps players interested, especially if playing with a friend.

Family guide to Batman Arkham Knight

1. Genre and Story
Arkham Knight is an action game in which you play as Batman from a third person perspective, fighting criminals and solving puzzles in a Gotham City ravaged by two opposing forces: Batman’s rogues gallery of super-villains, and the forces of paramilitary vigilante the Arkham Knight. This is the third and final part of developer Rocksteady’s Arkham trilogy, and the first to be developed for the current generation of consoles.

Gameplay promises the beloved Arkham combination of fluid, counter-based combat, in which you turn enemies’ attacks against them, and exploration in which you glide around Gotham City solving puzzles and investigating mysteries. New gameplay innovations include the first chance to control the Batmobile, allowing for explosive vehicular combat as well as more rapid navigation of a much larger Gotham City map than previous games, and a Dual Play feature where Batman’s allies can be seamlessly brought into a fight and controlled by the player.

The Arkham series’ counter-based combat has been influential on the fighting in Shadow of Mordor and later installments in the Assassin’s Creed series, but there remains nothing quite as empowering as the feeling of being Batman.

3. Developer

British developer Rocksteady have made their name on the Arkham games.

4. Format
Arkham Knight is available for Playstation 4, XBox One and PC. The game costs around £55/$60, with a season pass prepurchasing story DLC and costumes costing an additional £30/$40.

5. Duration and Difficulty
Arkham games boast a solid central campaign of around 11 to 12 hours play, but offer considerable replay value in terms of sidequests, hidden secrets and open world play that can at least double that play time, with further extensions in the form of downloadable content and challenge maps.

6. UK Rating
In the UK and Europe, PEGI rates Arkham Knight PEGI 18 for infrequent violence towards defenceless persons.
http://www.pegi.info/en/index/ (Include a link of the PEGI rating.)

The GRA expand on their PEGI details by saying that the game includes ‘infrequent scenes of violence towards defenceless persons’ including one where ‘a man is tied and beaten across the face by an armed thug’ and another where ‘the player is able to shoot a hostage’. There’s also an interrogation scene where Batman ‘threatens to roll over the man’s head with his Batmobile’. The GRA go on to say that ‘the majority of the game features milder, though still mature, violence with Batman’s reasonably realistic take downs of whole crowds of enemies with powerful hands-on combat. There are also some realistic shootings.’

Gianni Zamo, Communication Officer for GRA, clarified the change from 16 to 18 rating. “The first involves Commissioner Gordon being tied up and beaten across the face by an armed thug. The second moment involves a police sergeant being held hostage by the Riddler.  She is held and grasped around the neck with the gun being held to her head.  Both characters can ultimately be shot.”

http://gamesratingauthority.org/pegi/search_aci.html

7. Other Ratings
In the US, the ESRB rates M for Mature, suitable for ages 17 and up, with descriptors for Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, and Violence. The ESRB goes on to say that ‘players engage in melee combat using punches, kicks and gadgets’. Additionally, ‘During the course of the game, players can shoot unarmed characters and a hostage,’ while ‘Neon signs in a red-light district read “live nude girls” and “XXX.”’ The ESRB adds that the words “b*tch,” “gobsh*te,” and “a*s” appear in dialogue.
http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=33870&Title=Batman%3A%20Arkham%20Knight&searchkeyword=arkham%20knight

8. Themes
The Arkham series has always explored the necessity of a vigilante like Batman in a city like Gotham, plagued by supervillains and corrupt authorities. Batman’s ethical distaste for guns and lethal violence is challenged by the brutal methods of the Arkham Knight, and that character’s secret identity is key to the game’s plot.

9. Why people play:
Arkham Asylum demonstrated that a licensed videogame could provide an authentic Batman experience, giving players the opportunity to wield Batman’s gadgets and extraordinary fighting skills in fluid, empowering action scenes. While the dark, often nihilistic tones of the Arkham games have been criticised in the past, the games undoubtedly provide a compelling version of the Dark Knight and his world tailored to the potential of games. There can be few players who won’t want to see how Rocksteady round out their trilogy of games, if only to be Batman one more time… and get behind the wheel of the Batmobile too.

Family guide to Lego Jurassic World.

1. Genre
Lego Jurassic World is a new entry in the popular series of Lego adaptations of existing franchises. Like the others, it’s an action-adventure game with themed levels, objectives, and enemies, and players can collect and play as many different characters from the franchise.

As in the other Lego games, players solve puzzles, fight enemies, destroy environments to collect studs, build new objects out of piles of Lego they come across, and explore to collect characters and hidden objects.

New in this game, players can collect and customize dinosaurs to then use in the hub world and to progress the story.

A local co-op mode allows two people to play through the adventure together on a divided screen.

Other recent games in the Lego series include Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham and Lego The Hobbit. There is also a Jurassic World expansion pack planned for upcoming toys-to-life game Lego Dimensions.

2. Story
Lego Jurassic World follows the stories of the four Jurassic Park films, including the new film Jurassic World, with five levels based on each film making 20 levels in total. Players will be able to play as more than 100 characters from these films, including more than 20 dinosaurs.

3.Developer
As with other Lego adaptations of existing franchises, Lego Jurassic World was developed by Traveller’s Tales.

4. Format
Lego Jurassic World is available for PC, PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, PS3, Xbox 360, Vita, and 3DS. With no online multiplayer, there’s no need to have a subscription to PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live.

5. Duration and Difficulty
With 20 levels and a free-play mode, the game should keep players occupied for a long time.

As with the other Lego games, when characters “die” they just collapse into a pile of Lego bricks and soon reappear. Any difficulty in the game will come from working out how to solve the puzzles.

6. UK Rating
In the UK and Europe, PEGI rates Lego Jurassic World as only appropriate for those aged 7 and older for “non realistic looking violence towards fantasy characters – violence that is set in a cartoon, slapstick or child like setting that could be upsetting to very young children” and “pictures or sounds likely to be scary to young children”.
http://www.pegi.info/en/index/global_id/505/?searchString=lego+jurassic+world&send=Search

7. Other Ratings
In the US, the ESRB rates Lego Jurassic World E for Everyone 10+ (http://www.esrb.org/ratings/ratings_guide.jsp), with content descriptors for Cartoon Violence and Crude Humor. The description details the cartoon violence: “Players use punches, kicks, and firearms to cause damage in battle; combat is highlighted by impact sounds and cries of pain.” Examples of crude humour include “characters searching through large piles of dinosaur droppings, accompanied by comical remarks (e.g., “I was wondering where I dropped my ice pop. Uh, I’ll let you keep it” and “But when we drive back, I’m putting a tarp down on your seat.”).”
http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=33941&Title=LEGO%20Jurassic%20World

8. Themes
Some young players may find the dinosaurs scary, as in the films on which the game is based. Beyond this, it’s a story about learning to work with wild animals, not just de-clawing them.

9. Why people play:
People play the Lego games for their humour and simple but enjoyable mechanics, particularly for the satisfying feeling of destroying objects in the game’s environments and collecting the Studs.

Some players may skip Jurassic World as they wait for Lego Dimensions, but as with the other Lego games based on other franchises, fans of the Jurassic Park films will particularly enjoy this game.

Family guide to Splatoon on the Wii U.

1. Genre
Splatoon is a shooting game, viewed from over the shoulder of each hero, in which players control Inklings, creatures that can switch between human and squid forms. In their human forms, the Inklings can shoot coloured ink onto the level. In their squid forms, the Inklings can travel through ink of their own team’s colour. The goal is to have covered more of the world in your own colour of ink than your opponent.

Splatoon supports three amiibo – Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy, and Inkling Squid – each of which comes with a set of missions, equipment, and a bonus mini-game. Although simple to begin with, the game evolves: players can choose from different types of weapons, and add on special attacks and equipment.

While there is a single-player campaign and a local one-on-one multiplayer mode, the focus of the game is its online multiplayer, in which two teams of up to four players compete. Additional multiplayer modes are being added over time.

Squad-based multiplayer shooting games are popular, but usually more mature in theme, like Call of Duty or Battlefield. The colourful ink makes Splatoon seem more similar to De Blob.

2. Story
The single-player campaign has players making their way through levels that feature some platforming and puzzle-solving, as well as battling enemies called Octarians.

3. Developer
Splatoon was developed by Nintendo.

4. Format
Splatoon is only available for the Wii U.

5. Duration and Difficulty
Because of the focus on multiplayer, Splatoon is highly replayable.

Despite the use of a shooting mechanic, Splatoon should be easy enough for even very young players to play.

6. UK Rating
In the UK and Europe, PEGI rates Splatoon as only appropriate for those aged 7 and older for violence and online play.
http://www.pegi.info/en/index/global_id/505/?searchString=splatoon

PEGI expanded on the rating by saying it was due to the “colourful child friendly setting and non-realistic looking violence”, “not specifically due to the type of weapons”. The reason the game was rated PEGI 7 and not PEGI 3 was because of “disturbing elements such as the frenetic violence and some of the boss type characters”, though nothing that “would warrant a PEGI fear descriptor at the 7 level”. Though the violence is towards human-like characters, it’s “of a different nature than the violence aimed at humans we see in the PEGI 12 category”.

7. Other Ratings
ESRB rates this as E for Everyone 10+ stating that “this is a third-person shooter set in a “cartoony” fantasy land called Inkopolis. Players assume the role of squid-like creatures traversing through stages using paint guns, ink bombs, inkzookas, and paint rollers to attack enemy tentacles and boss creatures.”

8. Themes
While Splatoon does focus on online multiplayer, there’s no voice chat, so even young players should be able to play online safely without parents having to worry about what they might hear.

9. Why people play
Splatoon takes a mechanic usually reserved for mature-themed games, shooting, and makes a game that’s appropriate and fun for even very young players. Along with the shooting the real focus is covering the floor and walls with the most ink. The current winner is clear because their ink colour dominates. While Splatoon is competitive, it’s also colourful and charming, providing the kind of family fun Nintendo is known for.