I really like this, and AUD $400 is a good deal, but I doubt I’ll get this. It’s just too big and doesn’t have as much flexibility as other sets in the line. Hard pass.

Is it me or are some countries missing like Japan and Indonesia?

Interesting to see tiles and plates mixed for the first time in an Art set; also will be interesting to see how this compares to the Idea globe in terms of colour choices

Seriously though, is that numbered tile/tiles new? I don’t recall seeing it in previous art set reviews.

I like it. I wasn't initially an Art Fan until I purchased 3 SW to make the large DV. I enjoyed zoning out during the build and the final piece is great. I will need to see a review of this though (actually see it on a wall even via video) before making the final decision.

I was actually hoping the next art piece would be a Star Wars trooper Art (Storm, Scout, snow eg) with three making a giant Storm Trooper.

I also like the sizing of the land mass on this map.

Hmmnn, I think they should have reduced its height by 16 studs whilst increasing its width by 32 studs thus allowing for a larger footprint land-mass wise (a simple indicator of Antartica is all that’s really required) and the land itself should have been topographically coloured and the ocean colour more uniform. Perhaps within the land mass itself you could have bought supplementary printed tile polybags with country flag or major city prints to make it a little more interesting. Seems somewhat of a wasted opportunity.

I love maps and this is great. Look forward to doing this (i wouldn’t call it building) with my kids. Learning about different countries, cultures and travel. Great set

I like the cozy set images where the pretty lady and her cool friend are building the map the best! Especially when sharing their headphones. What would they be listening? Stories by Jules Verne? I want a set of them!!

Not too keen on the white continents, is this intended for people who love sailing?

Maybe they felt they needed the black shadows on the landmasses to make it pop, which in turn made colored land look weird? And then they chose to have the colors in the ocean instead? Still don’t really like it, but a possible explanation maybe

I really like it - a great opportunity for play and maybe some education- I can imagine picking tiles off and sticking mythological creatures on it right off the bat! Finally a use for the Yeti minifigure!

Just watched Tiag Catalino's review on YT. I can almost recreate the set with all these spare parts I've collected, so I don't see the need to buy it.

Having bought the 3 iron man sets (which together cost more than this one) and loving the large combined image, I was quite interested in this set... until now. This is the first image I've seen of the set, and I honestly thought the picture was a 'work in progress' and they hadn't yet filled in the continent areas. Could have been so much better. It's a disappointing pass from me.

When not zooming the thumbnail image of this, it looks good.
My room is definitely not large enough to view it from far enough away so that it does not hurt the eyes.

Would've prefered more earthy colors, either based on height or biomes, which would mean more tan/brown/greens instead of white, but even then, it's limited by 1x1 pixels which are still too large for details imo.

@darthsutius said:
"Largest set ever released? Er, no...not even close. The idea that a part count makes something large is kind of crazy, and is the reason we have so many people clinging to the idea of a 'price to part' ratio as a valid measure of value (hint: it isn't).

Even now, the Millennium Falcon is still the largest set ever released, with the second UCS Star Destroyer coming in second - the Colosseum comes in 3rd place."
Brickmitri on YouTube sometimes uses price per unit weight rather than per piece to measure value. It reduces distortions due to sets with lots of small pieces or a few large pieces, but would yield strange results for sets with particularly heavy pieces such as floating ship hulls.

I would've preferred a more satellite-like design

The worst set in a long time and I'm getting a headache just from looking at it.

@darthmar said:
"Is it me or are some countries missing like Japan and Indonesia?"

I see them very close to eastern Asia when they should have been a bit more separated.
$250 for a set that has over 11,000 pieces? This is a steal and from the looks of it they have the US territory of Puerto Rico in there as well.

I like the look of the map, though I would have preferred a version showing plain oceans and textured/contoured land masses. Since the land masses are studded, not tiled, I wonder if a more traditional map could be built on top as a second layer of tiles?

My only other concern is the sheer size of the thing. It's freakin huge!! Who really has enough free wall space to actually display something like that?

Awesome idea but the flashy colours for the oceans and the literally bland continents turn me off. If TLG makes a new, more traditionally coloured map, I'll buy it. :-)
I really like that most of the pieces are flat. I for one generally dislike to see studs on top.
I also like that the oceans can be moved, so that an American, European or Asian can see the worldmap how he's used to see it. :-)

@Rendier said:
"So the earth is flat after all!"

LOL

I'm not very enthusiastic about placing ELEVEN AND A HALF THOUSAND studs on a ton of boards

I like that they went with something a bit more abstract and encourage people to get creative with it, I already have may ideas sparking in my mind, but I'm not keen on the colors used.

What I would have preferred is two versions: a full "normal" map for those who want a more traditional world map, and a blank ( just black and white) map with assorted big Dot packs to choose from for those who want to get creative.

If I buy it as it is that'll be thousands of little parts I have no use for, and that's hard to justify.

(I wished they had used glow in the dark round tiles for the landmasses btw, that would have been extra special..)

In any case, I'm still glad they're trying this, hopefully they'll try other maps in the future, like the Moon or Hyrule.

The oceans aren't plain because then 75% of the map would just be blue and that's boring. The white landmasses I'm sure are to make the 'pins' people use to mark places be more visible. Pins would blend in too much in some areas with topographical, and there's not enough fidelity to delineate countries (just try to find Michigan for proof of that)

I love that this is happening, alongside the IDEAS globe! And I love the idea of marking out places one has been (or perhaps places that friends live)!

As an aside, I'm fairly confident this uses the equirectangular projection, for any map projection nerds like me who care about that sort of thing. :)

Love the idea, loath the color choice.

Surprised there isn't a 1/1 printed 'LEGO' square to put atop Billund.

Disappointed to see the flat-earther joke was already taken ^^^^. Still hilarious anyway.

Going to need a lot more blue / a lot less white on the map within 50 years...

I think the combination of color to create the depth of the water is honestly pretty impressive...but I also really wish they went with the more standard "land and water" look. Perhaps making the different altitudes of land look good was deemed too difficult?

@Jelippo said:
"Not sure why they went for an ocean currents map instead of a topological map"

Not to mention some plates could have been staked to make mountains.

It looks terrible how did it get approved to production? I thought Videyoyo was bad but this set is now the worst released in 2021 and hopefully the last worst set Lego ever release

Add me to the throngs saying "missed opportunity" in terms of leaving the continents blank and not using shades of blue for the ocean. Really inverted and, frankly, ugly. Looks "rusty" and not in a good way at all...

Too clever by half...

I like it but probably will buy it only for the parts. It should be re-released every other year in a different colour scheme/map style.

Immediate reaction: Huge mistake making the continents out of tiles, not plates. How much more awesome would it be to put little markers on the map where you've been? ... But you can't, because they're TILES. Boo!

this does come across like a bit of a paint by numbers kit (which admittedly can be put towards all Lego kits),

however, it would be cool, if there were options where you could create different maps, for example, if you turned it portrait, i wonder if you could make a map of the UK or Africa using the same pins?

@Cooliocdawg
I did, and noticed the "brick-built pins" part, but the problem I have is that it's pretty onerous. I mean, it's LEGO, so of course you can pull up a tile and swap it out with a 1x1 round plate and put something on there. But far better if you don't have to go removing tiles all the time! Just make all the land plates, and it's way easier! (IMHO)

I feel like the red patches in the ocean represent the heat map of plastic swirling around in the seas.

@davee123
It does use plates instead of tiles for the land.

@Cooliocdawg said:
" @davee123
It does use plates instead of tiles for the land."

Oh, doh! I guess I did not read the review, just this article! D'oh! Sorry about that! That's what I get for reading things in backwards order.

Okay, but why? I can get a more detailed map for the same size for significantly cheaper

@davee123 said:
" @Cooliocdawg said:
" @davee123
It does use plates instead of tiles for the land."

Oh, doh! I guess I did not read the review, just this article! D'oh! Sorry about that! That's what I get for reading things in backwards order."

I’m sure I’ve done that too! It’s understandable.

@Scottchay said:
"I would prefer a globe to a flat out map."

1000x times over.

As is I'm not a fan of it, but you know what would be awesome? Alternate instructions to create the Matoran Universe or Ninjago Island. Now that I would buy this for!

WOAH QUANITY OVER QUALITY :D

I liked the look of the Art sets when they came out. Then I got the Sith one and put half of it together. I absolutely hated building it. So this map is a definite no. This looks tedious AF. Just no.

Considering the space you need for this - it is quite large and you need to be at a good distance from it to see something decipherable without being struck by an epileptic attack - I suppose a given segment of AFOLs will get it (maybe some in secret!). Personally, not for me - too tedious and not even a good part pack - if those would be 1x1 plates/tiles instead of rounds then it would be different. Also not pleased with colour choices - should be different shades of blue for oceans (you can still represent depth and trenches with shades of blue) and tan, brown and shades of green for landmasses; white only for arctic poles. Let's see the globe now...

If this is "art" then fine but (in my book) art has to be agreeable to look at. This piece gives me headache just looking at it in the review pictures. The problem is that your brain knows what it is looking at and it is trying to fill in the gaps to get a precise picture or to try to pinpoint places of interest. This having so many large gaps, it gives a headache, the brain can hardly reconcile what the eyes see and what is expected - and truly would not be surprised if some people develop more concerning problems looking at it (i.e. epilepsy or other similar problems).

On another topic, I have been asking myself this for a while now: Back in the days, Lego would produce catalogs a few times a year and you would get to discover the WHOLE line-up of what was coming for the next few months in one shot. Am I the only one preferring this format instead of the release of one set per week?

Yawn. Certainly not deserving of any fanfare as the 'Largest Set Ever', regardless of how true it is.

Not interested.

Not really expect the largest set record was gonna be broken that soon, and certainly not by a set like this. Not surprised by the result of the poll, zero interest in something like this. Most people have world maps already (and easily accessible from internet), I would rather have a global instead of a flat map. Such a lazy idea, and sets like this don't take as much designing as other regular sets of similar sizes. Also like some people have pointed out, such a weird selection of a world map, why ocean current map...what were they thinking. And certainly not gonna spend $250 on a fancy world map. Won't buy it even if it's $50. Not even worth for parts (no use for me). One of the easiest passes ever.

The top spot for biggest set taken by some studs on a board? Come on.. Doesn't even look good

Survey results are extremely interesting

Yeah, but it’s mostly all 1x1s, so…..

I actually rather like the blank continents--they make it more possible to customize the land areas any way you want. Geography- or travel-inclined AFOLs can have a blast MOCing it with tiny buildings, topography, exploration routes, historical maps, or whatever. It could make an excellent part of any social studies curriculum, at almost any level....

However, there's also no way I'm spending any of my 2021 Lego budget on this. The art series (with the possible exception of Starry Night) is not my cup of tea. That's not meant as a criticism--I can't buy everything, and there's no reason why I should want to. Like most sets, it's a cool thing for those who are interested, and there's no reason for the uninterested to make a fuss over it.

Why not show some microscale landmarks? The pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, etc.?

@Gremer said:
"Okay, but why? I can get a more detailed map for the same size for significantly cheaper"

People said this about the LEGO Ideas Pop-Up Book and Ship in a Bottle as well, and it doesn't really make sense to me. I mean, you can buy more detailed model cars, trains, spaceships, castles, pirate ships, houses, animals, and figurines for way cheaper than LEGO ones as well.

The fact that any of us consider LEGO a worthwhile purchase in any context is a testament to the fact that we value the interlocking system of parts they're made from — whether for the experience of putting them together, the creative building and customization possibilities they offer, or the assurance of their compatibility regardless of what sets they originate from.

Those colors... oof. Don't think I could look at for very long

Weeellllll, according to my own personal, subjective, opinionated, made-up criteria, this set does NOT count as the biggest set yet:

https://brickset.com/sets/query-5212

The mosaïcs are made from bits of LEGO, but, to me (personally, subjectively, etc...), they don't offer that LEGO 'experience'.

@kolaxanthe said:
" @meesajarjar72 said:
"Majority are saying 'no it doesn't interest me'... are they thinking the same as me... I'd rather watch paint dry than push all of those tiles onto a baseplate."

I selected 'No, it doesn't interest me', but my actual response is 'No, it does interest me, but I hate the final product - do better LEGO!'"
@Huw : could you do a new article with a questionnaire that actually has this option (perhaps with the "hate" bit changed to "seriously dislike")? Because I think it would be interesting to see how the group of people who chose "No, it does not interest me" is split up between people who are generally not interested and those that would have been interested (perhaps even very interested, like myself) in the general idea but have been put off by the final product because of those weird colours.

Might be valuable feedback for LEGO.

Wow, I have never been so disappointed to see a new Lego set. As someone who loves traveling and lives maps, this set should have been right up my alley, but boy has Lego missed the mark.

The alternate builds are simply centering the map on various continents, seriously, who does that? Yes, I know that China divides their map across the Atlantic, and Australia and Uruguay will jokingly print them upside down, but there was some serious potential for customizing this map that Lego totally dropped the ball on.

The potential for redesigns would have been zoomed in maps on a particular continent or country, historic maps such as Pangea, alternate projections...

Nevermind the absurd white land, I’ll give Lego the benefit of the doubt on that one. They probably heard about climate change and simply assumed another ice age was coming.

Now I love the idea of including cones as markers for where you’re been, but only 40 cones amongst the hundreds of extra studs? That’s not even enough to mark each country I’ve been to. But the bigger issue is simply the size. While one could easily mark the major cities in Australia, good luck doing that in Europe! And while marking Ulan Bator would be relatively simple at this scale, how am I supposed to find it in a sea of white? And then how will I see that white cone anyways, I certainly don’t want it to look like water.

There’s a beautiful map of England on Lego Ideas, as well as a map of Middle Earth that has already achieved support. Why couldn’t Lego have learned from these? I am excited about the upcoming globe, although now I’m a little worried that it may get destroyed by Lego if they really think that the kind of map people want is some “creative” work of art.

I don’t typically criticize Lego. If I’m not interested in a set, that’s fine, I’m sure someone else is. However, I am interested in this set, just not this version of it. Sadly this was a real missed opportunity.

I have to change my opinion from No but I like it, to Yes, as soon as it is released! Which I rarely do. After reading the review I realized that this is the first set that I will be buying for the parts. I have never bought a set for parts before.
I also plan to make a map for my just area (Michigan) with the Great Lakes, and the surrounding states & Canada, which would also make this my first MOC. Yay! They finally have teal tiles!!!

Great concept but poor execution. No doubt this is only the largest set ever because of the extra pieces. Would’ve much rather the colors be more “traditional” like green or blue, or more options for customisation even if that would’ve raised the price (I wouldn’t mind dropping a couple $100 on thousands upon thousands of interestingly colored but more importantly usable studs)

@davee123 said:
" @Cooliocdawg
I did, and noticed the "brick-built pins" part, but the problem I have is that it's pretty onerous. I mean, it's LEGO, so of course you can pull up a tile and swap it out with a 1x1 round plate and put something on there. But far better if you don't have to go removing tiles all the time! Just make all the land plates, and it's way easier! (IMHO)"

Er - it is...

The entire "Biggest Lego set ever!" phrase has started to lose its meaning to me because a new "Biggest Lego set ever!" gets released every other year.

I made a mosaic maker for the newest LEGO World Map set. You can make your own map or arts using bricks from the set. My main purpose is to facilitate fun for people.

You can find the maker on my blog here:
https://hvitis.dev/mosaic-art-maker

Have fun! :-)