As Lego makes a bid to bring games to a number of platforms, PlayStation gets a quirky game that doesn’t seem like much at first, but grows on you over time. Lego Rock Raiders begins with a very long and cool intro done in some quality computer animation, but I was a little shocked at the graphics when I started the first level. After a mission brief and a chance to select one of the Raiders, you’ll find yourself looking at a top-down view of what appears to be a little tiny peanut. No kidding, everything is super small on the screen, and graphic sophistication did not make a big splash in the level or character designs. The weird thing is that the CG animated cut-scenes are really awesome, and there a ton of them. Somehow, the people coding the cut-scenes should have spent more time helping the level designers. Luckily, some fairly addictive gameplay elements save Lego Rock Raiders from the scrap heap.

Looking at the hype on Lego Rock Raiders, it’s hard to tell what kind of a game it is. You drive lots of vehicles, do some exploring, combat monsters and spend a lot of time jumping and swimming. Is it Action, Racing, or a Platformer? IMHO, Rock Raiders is a puzzle game.

The premise for all the action is that a Lego spaceship is sucked into a black hole while exploring, and needs special crystals to get back on course. Luckily, one planet in the remote star system the Rock Raiders find themselves in looks to be rich in crystal deposits, so it’s up to the explorers to gather everything needed to get home. Every level you zap into has obstacles to overcome while you gather crystals, like rescuing lost crew members, powering up vehicles or defeating monsters. And, every level requires that you master drilling through the different varieties of rock to get every crystal. All this together feels more like a Puzzle game than a Platformer, which would be the next best match.

Some of the tricks you’ll master in the 18 game levels are using transport ships (which you have to find the resources to build) to carry other vehicles, finding dynamite used to blow the tougher rock walls, and battling some aggressive monsters who don’t like you thiefin’ their crystals. Vehicles are weighted to accomplish certain tasks, and you usually have to coordinate several vehicles to complete a level. On top of this, each Rock Raider has a particular skill that may make completing a level easier. For instance, if there is a lot of water to deal with, you choose a Raider who can go through the water without taking damage. Other Raider skills include the ability to pilot certain vehicles more quickly, jump higher, get better power-ups, and replenish energy from drilling rock.

Two-Player Mode is really just six “special levels” that allow cooperative play. They’re fun, but I really wish the main game could have been accessed as two-player cooperative, instead of just single player. One small detail that I loved in Rock Raiders was the loading screen. LEGO Media may have finally answered the question of what to do while levels load, because you get this puzzle with mixed squares showing a Lego character or vehicle, and you rearrange the pieces trying to put together the original image. It’s totally cool, and I found myself playing with the puzzle even after the level had loaded. Good stuff!

I couldn’t say Lego Rock Raiders is more than average on the difficulty scale. For most people, especially seasoned gamers, only the last stages will provide much challenge. There isn’t any save system, so you have to keep track of progress with an elaborate password system. I found this harder to manage than just a simple option to save after levels, but it doesn’t really make getting through the game that much harder, unless you forget to write down the password.

Lego really has a great product to be making video games with, since all the vehicles work into the story nicely. I especially like the big transport helicopter, and there’s also a mini-helicopter you can use to shuttle between waypoints. Piloting the ground, air, or water vehicles is a fun addition that really takes the game beyond just threading 18 mazes and winning. Especially when you’re required to use vehicles in combination, some levels can be challenging.

The one thing involved in clearing every level is drilling through various types of rock walls. Some rock can be drilled by a Raider, but others require dynamite or a special vehicle. Sometimes drilling a wall is required more because you need to pilot a low-flying vehicle through or even carry some ground vehicle through with the big transport. Every vehicle has certain limitations, but periodically you find weapons that can attach to a vehicle for extra power, or to fight a big monster. Depending on the weapon, you can even power-up a Raider to go head-to-head with monsters when on foot. Most of the time, you’ll be in a vehicle and safe from monsters, but at least one Sasquatch-looking beast is big enough to take down a car or small plane. Controls seem sharp, although everything is so small that it’s hard sometimes to find room to move around. Analog and vibration are supported for Dual Shock controllers; the vibration is used mostly to alert you when you take damage. When you’re not in a vehicle, the only real activity is running, jumping, and drilling. Piloting a vehicle is as easy as getting close to it and pressing X, and you exit levels through a “beam-me-up-Scotty” portal the same way.

Lego Rock Raiders is not for everybody, and anyone looking for a Platformer should probably stay clear. However, it’s amazing how addictive it can be trying to clear out levels with these funny little Lego people. The rewards for finishing levels, in the form of CG animation, don’t disappoint. Some people may be let down by the in-game graphics, but I thought creative gameplay made up for this. Without a very bulky two-player option, replay value goes down, but there’s nothing preventing you from going back to play each mission with a different character. Not quite “rock” solid, but a good offering; I hope we see more from this fun franchise!