This week in video games, June 5, 2017: Lego games get updates and expansions

by Blaine Kyllo on June 5th, 2017 at 12:56 PM

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This week, the pre-E3 announcements are coming fast and furious; Star Trek comes to virtual reality; and notes on new gaming hardware from Asus and Dell. But first, there's something new coming to Lego Dimensions, and Lego Worlds gets the sandbox mode it deserves.

Cool new stuff for two Lego games, Lego Worlds and Lego Dimensions

Lego Worlds is getting an update that turns it into the great sandbox it was meant to be. The open-world game that lets you create whatever you want out of Lego bricks now includes an actual Sandbox Mode, which unlocks all the models, characters, and vehicles and puts them in your hands.

And coming this fall to Lego Dimensions, which blends real-life blocks with gaming experiences, are new expansions based on Teen Titans Go!, the Powerpuff Girls, and Beetlejuice.

Teen Titans characters Raven, Beast Boy, and Starfire and Powerpuff Girls Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup will all be available as minifigs that are playable in the game. And the "ghost with the most" is the character coming to Lego Dimensions in the Beetlejuice Fun Pack. His power? Scaring away the living, of course.

Games announced in the lead-up to E3

The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo is coming up this month, but already there have been dozens of announcements about games that will be talked about by developers and publishers in Los Angeles.

Need for Speed Payback is the next edition of the car-racing franchise from Electronic Arts. Payback will be available on November 10 for PS4, Windows, and Xbox One.

Ubisoft, meanwhile, is setting the next Far Cry game in America. Montana, to be exact. Far Cry 5 revolves around a doomsday cult in the remote regions of the northern United States. It releases for PS4, Windows, and Xbox One on February 27, 2018.

And then there's Kingdom Come: Deliverance, a massive open-world role-playing game set during the time of the Roman Empire's expansion in the 1400s. This one comes from Warhorse Studios and Deep Silver.

There will be lots more game announcements and news coming when E3 gets underway. The festivities begin on June 10.

Star Trek VR game, Star Trek: Bridge Crew, now available

If you've ever wondered what it might be like to be on the bridge of the Enterprise, now you can. Sort of. Star Trek: Bridge Crew puts you on the bridge of the U.S.S. Aegis, not the Enterprise, but you'll get the same rush as if you were on Kirk's ship.

The experience was designed for up to four people to play cooperatively, taking on the roles of captain, engineer, helmsman, or tactical officer. You can also play on your own.

Published by Ubisoft for the three major VR platforms—HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and PlayStation VR—Star Trek: Bridge Crew is playable cross-platform.

New gaming hardware from Asus and Dell

Computer trade show Computex was going on last week, and both Asus and Dell used the event to reveal new gaming systems.

Asus has added the Zephyrus to it's Republic of Gamers line of computer systems. The company claims the slick laptop is the thinnest gaming laptop that is powered by an Intel i7 chip and Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1080 video-processing.

Dell, which also owns the Alienware line of gaming computers, has added a desktop to its line of lower-priced Inspiron gaming systems, which is designed to support virtual-reality headsets. The Inspiron Gaming Desktop starts at US$600.

The manufacturer also announced details of the Inspiron 27 7000 all-in-one system, which has the computer built into the monitor. With a 27-inch display, it was also designed for VR and is priced starting at US$1,000.