Taking place in the vast Lego City, players control an undercover cop named Chase McCain. Chase goes on the hunt for criminals, with various moves at his disposal, such as swinging across poles and performing wall jumps. He can also gain disguises that give him additional abilities, such as a robber disguise that lets him break locks. Chase can also pilot vehicles, such as cars and helicopters, and use loose bricks to build various objects. Other characters can be playable once unlocked, but they'll still talk with Chase's voice (except in cutscenes where Chase can still be seen). Players can also create custom characters, which are also playable. The Wii U GamePad can be used as a device including a communicator and as a scanner to locate criminals.[6]
Lego City Undercover's gameplay borrows heavily from the Grand Theft Auto series. However the game is role-reversed with the player taking on the role of a police officer enforcing the law, rather than a criminal committing crime, although the player is occasionally required to commit criminal acts on some occasions, like dealing with shady businesses and committing robbery at the museum, in order to infiltrate criminal gangs.[7]