One of the more recent entries to the MMO world is shutting its virtual doors next January. LEGO Universe, which allowed you to spend time in a land of virtual plastic blocks, is closing on January 31. Going free-to-play in August doesn’t appear to have helped the game out too much, unfortunately.

“The LEGO Universe team can take pride in having developed and launched a great LEGO experience that many players will miss,” said Jesper Vilstrup, Vice President, LEGO Universe. “Right now, we have almost 2 million players in LEGO Universe, and we get extremely positive feedback from players. Unfortunately, we have not been able to build a satisfactory revenue model in our target group, and therefore, have decided to close the game.”

This will not halt The LEGO Group from continuing to make things we love (and are playing) like their series with Travelers’ Tales Games and Warner Bros.

Play Well Studios in Louisville, Colorado will be closed as a result of this move along with the game’s marketing operation in Denmark — that puts about 115 people out of work.

BUY

As a fan of the Lego Series by TT Games (Traveller’s Tales), it is only natural that I’d be excited to play one of the latest installments, Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars.  I didn’t go in having high expectations because, let’s face it, they’re all similar in gameplay.  I was, however, pleasantly surprised to find that there were in-game references to other Lego titles such as Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and even a surprise reference to the latest game, Lego Pirates of the Caribbean.  This game was super fun and includes some characters from the first games (Lego Star Wars and Lego Star Wars II) as well as many new ones from the Clone Wars (animated TV series).

First of all, there is the Prologue which is an easy and short beginning to the game, it also serves as a training area to familiarize you with the controls.  The controls are very simple to master but there are a few new abilities and extras that are unique to this individual game.  You begin as Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.  After traveling to Geonosis in search of Jango Fett, you are captured and being held captive in the Geonosis Arena.  You must escape.  This arena is packed and I mean PACKED with droids, more droids, space rhinos and an unfriendly kitty.  From the beginning I really enjoyed the fast paced and chaotic action the game had to offer.  It made it a bit more challenging.  Also, the required actions to complete the levels were not so “straight forward” this time around.  Thinking was involved and I’ll be completely honest, there were times I was confused and couldn’t figure out what to do right away.   The levels are bigger, involving more content, more enemies and more actions to complete.   This game made me happy!  As with previous games there are levels which contain chapters.  In this particular title there are 3 main levels with 6 chapters a piece.  If you do the math, including the Prologue and Epilogue, that equals 20 levels of awesome!  Not including Bonus Missions.  If you’ve seen The Clone Wars animated series, you’ll see that it follows the storyline well.  If you haven’t seen it, you won’t recognize the characters but you’ll catch on quick.

The graphics are a bit better than its predecessors.  The characters themselves have more definition (facial) and each new environment is more colorful and vibrant.  The menu (for chapters) has changed a bit and reminds me of the Lego Batman computer interface.  There are no longer doors to be unlocked.  There is a holographic system of planets that follow color coded paths through the levels.  After completion of each chapter, you are brought back to the main hub where you can access everything at one console area.  Although there are other areas in the hub, the game does not require running back and forth between rooms during your play through.  We all know that can get boring, real fast.  I was happy with the change.

Another new feature is the “Story Swap” mode.  This was an interesting twist on single player that lets you play through two different storylines of a chapter, while ultimately working together to complete it.  This is also very similar to the “Multiplayer” or co-op mode which is a great way to enjoy the game with friends and family.

As with numerous games, it’s nearly impossible to complete the game 100% without a second or maybe even a third play through, this is the case here.  There are a multitude of unlockables available as well as achievements (48 to be exact) to be earned.  “Story” mode is the only available mode at first; you must complete each chapter in “Story” mode to be granted “Free Play” ability.  Once “Free Play” is unlocked, the game presents new challenges which make its replay value high and very worthwhile.

The Epilogue is intense.  The game ends well, and one thing that made it very different was the ability to build troops of stormtroopers, vehicles, buildings and weapons.  You will need an army.  Eventually, a specific tank (RX 200) is required to take down the final boss.  You will need to collect a great number of Lego Studs to do this and beat the game.

In my house, I am not the only Lego fan; my kids also enjoy the games very much and like to play in co-op.   I feel that the game is very family friendly and fun (despite the violent battles and action packed gameplay).  I’ve recommended this game to quite a few people, with and without kids.  I do expect more from the Lego Franchise in the future; however, I don’t feel we’ll see another Star Wars game.  I’m hoping for Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7!  Please?

Also Available On: Wii, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, PC, Nintendo 3DS

Simply download the client here for PC or Mac and get started.

You’ll be able to explore several portions of the online world, including The Venture Explorer and Avant Gardens. I’d argue that the best part of the experience would be the minifig creation process.

Of course, you might get tired of that small area pretty quickly. If that happens, a subscription’s only $10 a month and you don’t have to buy the client anymore, either. Pretty affordable compared to other MMO experiences, right?

Thanks to Peg for the tip.

The best part is that normally I wouldn’t want to hug Jack Sparrow (I mean, it’s Johnny Depp at his grossest, come on), but this shiny, plastic-y version is much more lovable. And in this game, he technically might not be a drunk. I don’t know, though, “Why is all of the juice always gone?” isn’t nearly as funny as its rum-soaked counterpart.

Enjoy the trailer, which focuses on the Dead Man’s Chest storyline.

The game will cover all four Pirates films, including the installment out next year, On Stranger Tides. Not-so-coincidentally, the game’s release will occur around the time of the film’s (May 2011).

“Pirates of the Caribbean is a globally successful franchise based in action, adventure and humor perfectly suited for a LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game adaptation,” said Graham Hopper, executive vice president and general manager, Disney Interactive Studios. “Combining the excitement of playing as Jack Sparrow and other recognizable characters from the franchise will make the game fun for players of all ages throughout the world.”

Hopefully it works out as well as the other film-to-LEGO adaptations.

The videos, featuring Pets, Factions, and LEGO Universe Partners (a group of LEGO megafans that have been working with the developers), are below.

If you’re at Comic-Con and want more from LEGO Universe, stop by Booth #2829. They’ll also have a panel going on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. in room 5AB.

If you’re not at Comic-Con, you’ll just have to check out www.LEGOuniverse.com instead.

If you haven’t played the demo yet, definitely download it and give it a go. But if you don’t want to go through all that, the game is in stores on Tuesday (just like Naughty Bear). Enjoy the launch trailer!

In this little look at the game, you see some of the work that’s gone into the making of Hogwarts and its students, as well as get some commentary from the game’s makers on why the LEGO series is so fun.

It’s coming out on pretty much every platform ever, except for your phone, so pick this up if you can! Or just “accio” it over. Your choice. (You know, in June. Sigh.)

In LEGO Universe, you can build items to your heart’s content, participate in battles, play minigames, and a lot more. Parents get almost complete control over their kids’ activities in game, with the ability to limit them to certain areas or activities as well as the ability to set a time limit. (Naturally, if you’re not a child, you can play however you wish and without Mom’s permission.) Since the game is likely to be released on a subscription model, beta testing now is a pretty good way to get to play for free before the actual version hits, even though you’re likely to run into some bugs.

The official version will be released sometime in 2010.