The cover
inspires images of Aliens … you know, where Sigourney Weaver is almost
nose-to-overbite with the alien monster that likes to bring new meaning to upset
stomach. But that movie is a far cry from the Lego robots that you will find in
BIONICLE HEROES, a shooter title that is repetitious, features an
over-the-shoulder perspective, and automatic targeting and is relatively easy to
play. And if you are looking for something along the lines of Lego Star Wars,
look elsewhere – BIONICLE HEROES is a not quite on that level.
The title is
from Eidos and takes place on the island of Voya Nui. The Piraka have invaded
the island, mutated some of the otherwise peaceful inhabitants and it falls to
you, the hero, to set things right and return the island to a peaceful state.
That’s the story in a nutshell. From that point on you will traverse six
elemental-themed landscapes, which coincide with the elemental masks you can
find and use for different attacks, destroying Lego-like objects and monsters
until you stumble across the boss. The boss usually has some kind of shield that
must be whittled down.
Your health
is tied to the elemental masks and when a mask is depleted of health, you lose
it and its attacks. That might be bad news, depending on the boss you are
fighting, and what attacks work best.
The object
is to defeat the six Piraka, recover the Mask of Light, and bask in the glory of
beating the game.
Unfortunately, while the first level is moderately entertaining, the game soon
becomes very repetitious. You enter a zone, use the auto target feature that the
game employs (much to its detriment) to demolish anything that isn’t nailed
down. Doing so spills forth a fountain of Lego blocks, which are the currency of
the game. Collect enough and you enter “hero mode,” an invincible stage where
you take no damage but can certainly deal it out. The problem here is that if
you collect the pieces, open the right chests and so on, you can be invincible
at precisely the right moments – the boss battles.
“You the
boss? You are about to find out who’s your daddy!”
There are
other pluses to the game and to collecting the Legos. You can go to a store, of
sorts and upgrade (this is all back at your home base), or enter Piraka
Playground, to watch defeated Piraka build sand castles, or bask in the glory of
your trophy room. There are also bonus levels, in which the goal is just to
slaughter as many minions as possible in a set time frame.
The game
itself is not that bad – the first time you play through a stage. There are some
puzzles involved, but you actually don’t have to do much other than hold down a
mouse button until the Lego pieces fit together and spew forth a fountain of
collectible currency pieces. The repetition really sets in when you hit stage 2
and realize there are four more to follow.
The
environments are fine, but lack anything that is exciting. The game definitely
lacks any wow factor, and that includes in the animation and character design.
The graphical quality is not bad, and some effects are decently rendered out.
Some of the masks have alternative uses, like the white mask’s ability to zoom
and snipe – which is about the only time you will control the targeting in the
game. As for sound, the game has some, but it is mostly environment effects and
a few grunts. The narrative at the start of the game is about all there is to
voiced dialogue.
BIONICLE
HEROES is definitely a simplistic effort. The game does not provide much in
terms of a challenge, the story is rudimentary and kept underscored, the visual
are decent, but the sound is minimal. This is a game that may well be suited for
younger players, but when the game lacks anything that is close to a challenge
and mostly involves doing the same thing over and over, even younger gamers may
have a hard time in terms of attention span.
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Gameplay:
6.0
Target, shoot,
collect, repeat … then put together some Lego structures by holding down the
right mouse button, while wearing the right mask, and then go back to the
target, shoot and collect part. Thanks to the “hero mode” the game does not
provide much of a challenge, either in terms of gameplay elements or mentally.
Graphics:
7.0
The Legos are
decent, there is a lack of bump mapping that is not overly disguised and gives
the game, while 3D, a bit of a flat feel.
Sound:
5.5
There is not a
lot here.
Difficulty: Easy
With auto
targeting and hero mode, the challenge has been taken out of the game.
Concept:
5.5
The story is
simple and does not evolve … nor does the gameplay elements.
Overall:
6.0
Give the dev team
props for the look of the game, but detract points from the score for the
repetition and lack of substantial game elements, like puzzles and story. Unless
you are a die-hard Lego fan, this is probably one to pass on.
