Received very well and securely packaged.
Perfect. No negative points. Excellent.
What an amazing set
First hidden side set, what a bang for the buck! This set has so many play functions and just really looks great on the collection shelf.
Cool and excellent
This set is fantastic. Bought this set for myself and had a lot of fun building and playing with it. I don't know why though the paranormal intercept bus had around 680 pieces and was $60, but the ghost train express was 698 pieces and $80, but other than that weird price difference, this set was awesome, you should buy this set
DO NOT BUY WITHOUT RESEARCH
Do not buy until you make sure your devices are compatible. We took our son to the Lego Store in Downtown Disney in Anaheim Ca for him to spend his birthday and to purchase a new Lego set. The employees were showing a demonstration of this product. My son was super excited to buy it and play online with it. We live 3 and 1/2 hours away from the store we purchased it at. When we got home we were extremely disappointed to find out that NONE of our phones or tablets would work with the online content. So now we have a heart broken son who was looking forward to discovering the online content only to be disappointed and heart broken.
Good set, less interesting game.
The latest LEGO series with augmented reality seemed interesting to us. This set with the train appealed to us, so we chose it. Building: LEGO always has good building instructions, and now they are neatly packaged per bag/part. Our 6-year-old daughter helped with the building and found it very fun (she could build it herself). During the building, we noticed the use of colors in places where they were not visible. Also, the techniques that LEGO uses for construction continue to amaze us. Our daughter had come up with a lot of ideas about constructions. The product: After the set was assembled, we played with it (The HiddenSide App was not yet out). Without the game/app, it is perfectly playable, and our children had enough imagination to come up with whole stories and play with it. The set is also well combinable with other LEGO sets, although it has a slightly spooky theme. The game: After the game was available on the App Store, we downloaded and installed it. The game takes up about 400MB on your phone/tablet. You are guided through a kind of instruction to understand and try the basics of the game. After the set was placed in a well-lit environment, we could "scan" the set and an animation of the train began to play. Then the game starts, but it didn't work perfectly for us. We often had to rescan the train, and the colors were not recognized properly. (Only in a well-lit environment!) After some practice, we started to understand, and we could get further in the game. For the kids, it was difficult to catch the villains properly before they were game-over. We have played more with the LEGO set itself than through the APP/Game that it is intended for/designed for.
surprising elements
As soon as my 11 and 13-year-old sons saw the box, they realized that this LEGO set was innovative and different. They immediately understood that it combined offline and online elements. Although the app does add an extra dimension through the use of AR, they still find it the most enjoyable part to put the set together. The exciting aspect of building is that there are hidden mechanisms in the train station and the train. The figures can be changed, the station can transform, and of course, the train itself. This adds an extra dimension for imaginative play. The train track is a bit short, but it will definitely add value to an existing LEGO train set. The online part with the app definitely adds something for younger builders, but older children quickly find it monotonous. Also, the app is not always synchronized with reality, sometimes part of the figure or the train is cut off in the image. So, it's a fun set to build and play with, the online part adds an extra dimension, but I wouldn't do it just for the app.
Very nice concept
My two sons, aged 7 and 10 (and even my older daughters), really love this set! The packaging looks very exciting, and with the clear instructions, the boys were able to build it together perfectly. Once the set is assembled, you can set up the app by scanning the entire build. Then the game begins with removing "gloom". The app guides you step-by-step through each exciting level. In addition to playing with the set and the app, you can also play a game without the LEGO train. The set itself is also fun without the app. You can turn the regular station into a haunted station by turning the levers. There's plenty of challenge!
Very fun set
We have had this set for about a week or two, and it is played with every day. Our 14-year-old daughter built the set. Our son (12, but mentally about 7 years old) found it a bit challenging. The train and the station are beautiful and have all sorts of secret features. The app makes the set complete. Easy to install. However, you must first assemble everything before you can play with the app. You have to scan the train to activate the app. Both children love the app. You can choose your role (ghost or hunter) and the level. You can collect points to move on to the next level. The figures that come with the set also have different roles. Some also have a thrilling "dark side", which is very fun to discover. I also find it very fun. We are very happy with this extensive set. It will be played with for a long time.
Great LEGO set, also suitable for girls.
My 9-year-old daughter was super excited to see the LEGO and what she would be building. She immediately started building as soon as she took it out of the box. The blocks are well-distributed, and the instruction booklet (1 book) consisting of multiple chapters is clear. She was able to put it together herself without any help. She had a lot of fun building. Building LEGO is already super fun, but bringing the built creation to life with LEGO is even better. She understood what she needed to do within 5 minutes, and our two daughters had a lot of fun completing the tasks. The game becomes increasingly challenging, which keeps it interesting. A great addition to our LEGO collection.
Disappointing part choices
While I can't say much about the app, what I can say is the choice of parts is disappointing.
The old train axles are gone :(
The new train wheels are very resistant, lots of friction when used with a motor. :(
There's only one magnet coupler, yet several of these new ones which are fiddly and awkward to use :(
Disappointed LEGO, very disappointed, The lack of trains made my lego is bad enough, but now if newer trains have these new wheels and axle-less wheels then it'll be very poor for the train fans.