Honestly, most people think Lego games are just for kids who want to smash plastic bricks for ten hours. They're usually wrong. When Lego City Undercover PS4 finally dropped as a port of the Wii U original, it didn't just bring over a quirky Nintendo title; it brought the closest thing we have to a G-rated Grand Theft Auto. It’s weird. It’s funny. It is massive.
You play as Chase McCain. He’s a legendary cop returning to Lego City to hunt down Rex Fury, a criminal mastermind who escaped from Albatross Prison. If that sounds like a cheesy 80s action movie plot, that’s because it is. On purpose. The game is basically one long parody of Starsky & Hutch, The Matrix, and The Shawshank Redemption. It’s a love letter to cinema wrapped in a primary-colored sandbox.
What makes Lego City Undercover PS4 different?
Most Lego games follow a strict formula: you play through levels based on a movie franchise like Star Wars or Marvel. You follow a linear path. You swap characters to solve puzzles. Lego City Undercover PS4 throws that out the window in favor of a sprawling, seamless open world. There are no licensed movie characters here. Everything is original, which gave the developers at TT Games the freedom to be absolutely ridiculous.
The city itself is a mishmash of San Francisco, New York, and Seattle. You can drive a lawnmower down a busy street. You can ride a pig. You can hijack a helicopter and leap onto the roof of a skyscraper. Because it's an "Undercover" game, the core mechanic revolves around disguises. Instead of switching between 200 different individual characters, Chase McCain switches "abilities" on the fly.
The Robber disguise lets you crack safes with a crowbar. The Astronaut disguise gives you a jetpack and a teleporter. The Farmer disguise lets you glide through the air using a chicken as a parachute. Yes, a chicken. It’s that kind of game.
Performance on the PlayStation 4
If you played this back on the Wii U in 2013, you remember the load times. They were brutal. You could go make a sandwich, eat the sandwich, and contemplate your life choices before the game finished loading the main city. On the Lego City Undercover PS4 version, that’s mostly fixed. It isn't instant, but it's a massive upgrade.
👉 See also: Grand Theft Auto Games Timeline: Why the Chronology is a Beautiful Mess
The PS4 version also added something the original desperately needed: local co-op. Now, a second player can jump in as "Clutch," Chase's partner. It’s a bit chaotic because the game wasn't originally designed for two people roaming the map independently, but it makes hunting for those 450 Gold Bricks much less of a lonely grind.
Exploring the districts of Lego City
The map is surprisingly huge. You’ve got the bright lights of Bright Lights Plaza (their version of Times Square) and the hilly, tram-filled streets of Cherry Tree Hills.
- Albatross Island: This is where the game starts getting interesting. It’s a high-security prison that serves as a direct nod to Alcatraz.
- Bluebell National Park: If you want to drive off-road or find a secret campsite, this is the spot. It feels distinct from the concrete jungle.
- Apollo Island: A literal space center. You go here to build a shuttle and head to the moon.
Each area is packed with "Super Builds." These are massive structures you can’t just build with a few bricks. You have to collect "Super Bricks" scattered across the world—basically the game's currency for urban development. You might build a giant dragon statue, a ferry terminal, or a stunt ramp. It gives you a genuine reason to explore every alleyway and rooftop.
Why the writing actually holds up
Most modern games take themselves way too seriously. Lego City Undercover PS4 does the opposite. The dialogue is snappy. The puns are terrible in a way that makes you smirk despite yourself.
Take Frank Honey, for example. He’s the bumbling police rookie who is obsessed with video games and doesn't understand how doors work. He is a constant source of "idiot humor" that actually lands because the voice acting is top-tier. Then you have Mayor Gleeson and Chief Dunby, who constantly bicker over donuts. It feels like a Saturday morning cartoon written by people who grew up on Airplane! and The Naked Gun.
✨ Don't miss: Among Us Spider-Man: Why Everyone Is Still Obsessed With These Mods
It’s also surprisingly deep. There are 20 different districts. There are 290 characters to unlock. There are 35 vehicles to drive. You aren't just finishing a story; you’re completing a checklist that feels rewarding rather than tedious.
Technical hiccups to watch out for
No game is perfect. Even on the PS4 Pro or PS5 via backward compatibility, you might see some frame rate drops when the action gets too busy. The driving physics are... floaty. Don't expect Gran Turismo. Cars feel like they are made of plastic because, well, they are.
The camera can also be a bit of a jerk. When you're platforming across narrow poles or thin ledges high above the city, the fixed angles can sometimes make you fall. It’s frustrating, but since there’s no "Game Over" screen in Lego games—you just lose a few studs and respawn—it’s never a dealbreaker.
Combat and puzzles: A simple loop
The combat isn't about combos or skill trees. It's about grabbing enemies and throwing them into handcuffs. Chase McCain is a martial arts expert (or so he thinks), and the animations for his takedowns are pretty smooth. You’ll spend most of your time doing "detective work," which usually involves following footprints using a scanner or using a grapple gun to reach a high vantage point.
The puzzles are rarely "stump your brain" difficult. They are "find the hidden box and build the thing" difficult. This makes it a perfect "podcast game"—something you can play while listening to music or a show without needing to sweat over every move.
🔗 Read more: Why the Among the Sleep Mom is Still Gaming's Most Uncomfortable Horror Twist
Finding the hidden secrets
If you want to 100% this game, prepare for a long haul. We're talking 40 to 60 hours.
- Red Bricks: These are the holy grail. They unlock cheats like "Stud Multipliers" or "Fast Build."
- Shield Pieces: Every level has four. Finding them usually requires a specific disguise you might not have the first time you play.
- Police Whistle: You can literally pull over any car in the game. Just walk into the street, press a button, and the NPC will hop out so you can take their ride. It's the most polite carjacking in gaming history.
The verdict on the PS4 port
If you have a kid, buy this. If you don't have a kid but you like open-world games and aren't an elitist about "kiddie" graphics, buy this. Lego City Undercover PS4 is frequently on sale on the PlayStation Store for under $10. For the amount of content you get, that is an absolute steal.
It remains the peak of the Lego gaming franchise because it isn't beholden to a movie script. It’s its own thing. It’s weird, it’s vibrant, and it’s genuinely funny.
Actionable Next Steps for New Players:
- Ignore the collectibles early on: Don't waste time trying to get everything in the first three chapters. You won't have the right disguises yet. Finish the story first to unlock all eight abilities.
- Prioritize the "Attract Studs" Red Brick: It’s a game-changer. It acts like a magnet so you don't have to chase every individual coin.
- Check the police station basement: There’s a character creator down there. You can mix and match parts from every character you unlock to make your own weird undercover agent.
- Use the Ferry: It’s the fastest way to travel between the major islands before you unlock the fast-travel points. Plus, the music on the boat is a vibe.
Go find Rex Fury. Save the city. Break some stuff. It’s worth the ride.