Set Review ➟ 31203 World Map
Today we bring you the review of a new set from the Art range. A range that is more focused on adult audiences and decorative sets that seems to be gaining a foothold in the LEGO®.
Sometimes LEGO®, when offering a set for review, provides little information other than the set number. Considering the confidentiality that all companies apply to their new releases, this is to be expected. However, this puts the prospective reviewer in a state that's similar to the days before receiving their Christmas presents. A kind of mixture of curiosity, eagerness and excitement. Sometimes you are not prepared for what is coming. This has happened to me with set number 31203. I know you can always search the internet for some information. Sometimes you find some reference to the line it belongs to, or the name of the set…in this case I knew it was from the "Art" line and that it was the map of the world. However little prepares you for a LEGO box with 11694 pieces.
The box of the set is very elegant and inside there are two smaller boxes with the bags of the parts and the 16x16 bricks on which the LEGO mosaic system is based. A manual of around 160 pages is all you need, since the advantage of mosaics is that their assembly method is more similar to the typical number painting games than to assembling a classic set, which allows you to have a complete 16x16 base built per page.
As you may have already guessed, most of its more than 11000 pieces are white 1x1 round plates (more than 3000) and 1x1 round tiles of different colors (9 colors in this case) where lime, light blue and teal stand out with more than 1000 units of each color. Then there is a modest presence of white bricks and plates for the frame, the new "mega separator" and 40 16x16 bricks. Once assembled, the dimensions of the mosaic are 1040mm x 656mm. Yes, it is big, and heavy, my wife still reflects in her eyes the doubt that the structure can support all that weight. I am sure it will…almost sure.
I can tell you little about the construction. I would sum it up as pain, a lot of pain. My recommendation is that you do it with patience, or with friends, better with both. Without trying to break any records, you can build a 16x16 section in 15-20 minutes. Multiply by 40 and add a little more for the frame and you will get an idea of the task. But what you are not prepared for is to place all those 1x1 round plates, when you arrive to central Asia you will have the small letters of the LEGO logo engraved on your fingertips. And I am ambidextrous when it comes to building. Getting to the Indian Ocean was a relief, all those tiles, so smooth, so soft... But hey, as I have told you, it is all a matter of patience. If you do not have to meet a date to publish the review and you do not have all of your family looking at you with a strange face because of all the space that the map and the parts occupy, you do not have to worry.
Regarding the music that accompanies the set, I cannot tell you anything, it was not available while I was building it. Error 404. I assume that when it officially comes out it will be available to help you through the long building process.
Regarding the end result, the truth is that it is quite spectacular. The large size and the blood from your fingers running down the parts…okay, not that. Rewind. The large size, color and novelty (especially for the uninitiated in the world of LEGO bricks) of this type of set makes it very attractive to all audiences. Regarding the parts, there is little interest for those who buy the sets for their parts unless they need tiles and more tiles. For those who enjoy building it is not recommended either because it has little to do with building a classic LEGO set. For those looking to build and at the same time relax and enter a higher state of mind, highly recommended. As a decorative piece, I think it is second to none. If you don't have space problems on your walls, you won't encounter the weird looks you might encounter when trying to hang a mosaic of Darth Vader or Iron Man of the same dimensions. As an added value you can mark the countries you have visited and, as the set suggests, you can customize the oceans with the extra tiles that the set includes and draw Krakens, dragons or whatever you want on them.
You may wonder why so much color in the sea when we are so used to it being different shades of blue and green. I also wondered. Is it to represent the plastics that fill the seas? (By the way, this set comes with more than 20 plastic bags, a shame) Is it a random distribution? Is it related to the sea temperature? Is it so that it is not so boring? Well, honestly, I don't know. You would have to ask the designers. I have been searching the internet and I have to admit that I have found some similarity with the oceanic maps where the bathymetry and the oceanic ridges are shown. It is not that they coincide 100% but the truth is that they coincide more than what could be considered coincidence. I suppose the colors are based on that or something similar. Regarding the non-submerged parts, I know that some will complain that their country does not occupy a stud, but I think the scale is as big as a commercial set could be. Also note that it is prepared so that you can place any continent in the center of the map, America, Asia or Europe-Africa.
And now the key question, would I buy it? As a builder, I think not. The experience has not been especially pleasant, except, the frame. I really enjoyed the frame, hahaha. As a decorative piece and to show my passion for this hobby, I think it is ok, although I don't know the price and that might demotivate me. In general I think it is spectacular, but it must be each one who decides whether this set fills a hole in his life or in his wall, or not. What I do hope to see when the set is on sale are brave builders customizing the set to reflect Middle-earth, the Malazan Empire, or any other fantasy world around us.
Our thanks to LEGO (R) for offering the set for review.
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