Bionicle: Masks of Power

Last updated
Bionicle: Masks of Power
Bionicle Masks of Power logo Oct 2023.png
Developer(s) Team Kanohi
Engine Unreal Engine
Platform(s) Windows
Genre(s) Action role-playing
Mode(s) Single-player

Bionicle: Masks of Power is an upcoming fan-made action role-playing video game created by Team Kanohi. Based on The Lego Group's Bionicle line of constructible action figures, the game will follow the Toa's quest for the Kanohi masks. Trailers for the game have been received positively, with critics praising its visuals and comparing its combat to Devil May Cry and Nier: Automata . A demo for the game is scheduled for release on Steam in early 2024.

Contents

Gameplay

The visual style of Bionicle: Masks of Power combines set-accurate character and Rahi designs with realistic environments and scenery. [1] Gray Fore of Screen Rant noted the game's visual similarities to the Mata Nui Online Game . [2] Masks of Power is a open world game and includes platform elements and puzzles, with overworld movements affected by the powers of the Kanohi masks the Toa collect. [3] According to project director ASCII, the primary inspirations for Masks of Power are Nier: Automata and Monster Hunter , which influenced the combat and enemy design, respectively. [4] Project creator Jordan Willis also cited Horizon: Zero Dawn as an inspiration, calling it "basically Bionicle without the trademark". [3] The game is made using Unreal Engine. [5]

The premise of the game centers around the six mighty Toa arriving in the island of Mata Nui, where they're tasked to find and collect powerful Kanohi masks in order to stop the evil force known as the Makuta, who has taken control of the Rahi animals to attack the Matoran villagers in all six elemental regions of the island. [6] It will include elements taken from the original Bionicle canon, with revisions for parts that "won't make a good game" and "gaps" in the story. [3]

Development

As of October 2021, the game's development team consisted of around 38 volunteers. [4] The development team is international, with team members residing across multiple time zones. [3] Team Kanohi previously released Masks of Power: Legacy, which project director ASCII described as "mostly a prototype" of Masks of Power. [4] Masks of Power is not officially sanctioned by Lego. According to ASCII, Lego provided Team Kanohi with a list of "rules and guidelines" for presenting the game; as long as these guidelines are followed, Lego takes a "laid-back" approach to fan games. [3]

Team Kanohi released a gameplay trailer in August 2022, showcasing the game's enemy behavior, different weapons in combat, and Kanohi mask powers. Michael Cripe of The Escapist felt the trailer was "so impressive that it might as well be an officially licensed Lego product". [7] Otto Kratky of Digital Trends dubbed it "fantastic", noting the variety of environments and creatures "faithful" to original Bionicle set builds. [1]

On August 10, 2023, a new trailer for the game was released featuring a Bionicle-themed song, "As Above So Below", by artists Essenger and Danish rock band Cryoshell. The trailer showcased some of the game's combat; according to Harvey Randall of PC Gamer , it showed "DMC-style flips, fancy evasion tech, air-juggling, and distinct movesets between the two Toa shown", although Randall noted "performance issues" as well. A demo for the game is scheduled for release on Steam in early 2024. [8]

With the delays to development and of the FREE THE BAND demo from early to late 2024, concerns have been raised on online forums such as 4chan and Reddit over retroactive continuity changes and cuts to prior advertised gameplay options, not eased by the promotion of anti-quality DEI propaganda and similar politics found on some of said developers social media profiles around April, 2024. [9]

Related Research Articles

Bionicle is a line of Lego construction toys, marketed primarily towards 8-to-16-year-olds. The line originally launched in 2001 as a subsidiary of Lego's Technic series. Over the following decade, it became one of Lego's biggest-selling properties, turning into a franchise and being one of the many factors in saving the company from its financial crisis of the late 1990s. Despite a planned twenty-year tenure, the theme was discontinued in 2010, but was rebooted in 2015 for a further two years.

<i>Bionicle: Mask of Light</i> 2003 American animated film by David Molina

Bionicle: Mask of Light, stylized as BIONICLE: Mask of Light — The Movie, is a 2003 animated science fantasy action film based on the Bionicle toyline by Lego, and particularly serves as a direct adaptation to the latter half of the toyline's 2003 narrative. Set in a universe filled with bio-mechanical beings allied with classical element-themed tribes, the story follows two friends from the fire-based village of Ta-Koro on a quest to find the owner of the Mask of Light, a mystical artifact that can potentially defeat Makuta, an evil entity threatening the island.

<i>Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui</i> 2004 Danish film

Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui is a 2004 animated science fantasy action film and the second film based on Lego's Bionicle toy line. It is a prequel to the first film, Bionicle: Mask of Light. This film follows the 2004 storyline and was created using Lego elements from the Bionicle series. It is also the second of the two films in the franchise to be given a rating by the MPAA. It was released on DVD and VHS on October 19, 2004, by Buena Vista Home Entertainment under the Miramax Home Entertainment label.

<i>Bionicle</i> (video game) 2003 video game

Bionicle is a 2003 platform video game developed by Argonaut Games and published by Electronic Arts and Lego Interactive for GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Microsoft Windows. A port was released for Mac OS X, and a version was also developed for the Game Boy Advance. In the home console version, the player controls the Toa, elementally-powered warriors, as they traverse through levels; some levels are 3D platformers, while others utilize mechanics like snowboarding or lava surfing. The game's story, which takes creative liberties with the official Bionicle story, follows the Toa as they defend the island of Mata Nui from the return of the evil Makuta and his minions.

<i>Bionicle Heroes</i> 2006 video game

Bionicle Heroes is a 2006 video game published by Eidos Interactive and TT Games Publishing and based on Lego's Bionicle line of constructible action figures. The game was released in November 2006 on PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, GameCube, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS; a Nintendo Wii version was later released in April 2007. The home console and PC versions were developed by Traveller's Tales, while Amaze Entertainment developed the handheld versions. A version of the game for mobile phones, developed by Universomo, was also released. The home console and PC versions of the game are third-person shooters, while the Game Boy Advance version is a run 'n' gun shoot 'em up and the Nintendo DS version is a first-person shooter. The story of Bionicle Heroes, where the player seeks to liberate the island of Voya Nui and its inhabitants from the villainous Piraka, is not canon to the official Bionicle story.

<i>Mata Nui Online Game</i> 2001 video game

Mata Nui Online Game is a 2001 point-and-click adventure browser game developed by Templar Studios to promote the Lego Bionicle line of constructible action figures. The game follows Takua, a villager on the island of Mata Nui, as he explores the island, encountering other villagers and the Toa, heroic elemental warriors, on their quest to defeat the evil Makuta.

<i>Nier</i> 2010 video game

Nier is a 2010 action role-playing video game developed by Cavia and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. In Japan, the game was released as Nier Replicant for the PlayStation 3 with a younger main character, while an alternative version titled Nier Gestalt with an older main character was released for the Xbox 360; Gestalt was released outside of Japan as Nier for both platforms. A remaster of the Japanese version, Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139... was released worldwide for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows in 2021.

<i>Lego Bionicle: Quest for the Toa</i> 2001 video game

Lego Bionicle: Quest for the Toa is a 2001 action-adventure game developed by Saffire and published by Lego Software for the Game Boy Advance. Based on the Lego Group's Bionicle line of constructible action figures, the game follows Takua, a villager on the island of Mata Nui, on a quest to rescue the island's Turaga elders and summon the Toa, heroic elemental warriors destined to defeat the evil Makuta.

<i>Bionicle: Matoran Adventures</i> 2002 video game

Bionicle: Matoran Adventures is a 2002 platform game based on Lego's Bionicle line of constructible action figures. It was developed by Argonaut Games and co-published by Electronic Arts and Lego Interactive for the Game Boy Advance. The player controls Matoran and Turaga characters, who must work together to repel the invasion of Bohrok, insect-like robots that threaten the island of Mata Nui.

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<i>Lego Bionicle: The Legend of Mata Nui</i> Canceled video game by Saffire Corporation

Lego Bionicle: The Legend of Mata Nui is a canceled action-adventure video game developed by Saffire. Based on the Lego Group's Bionicle line of constructible action figures, the game was intended to release on Microsoft Windows computers in late 2001 and the GameCube in early 2002. The game was designed as a direct sequel to Saffire's Game Boy Advance game Lego Bionicle: Quest for the Toa, which was released in October 2001. The story of The Legend of Mata Nui was meant to serve as a conclusion to the 2001 Bionicle story arc, focusing on the Toa, heroic elemental warriors destined to defeat the evil Makuta, who is attacking the island of Mata Nui with corrupted Rahi animals.

Bionicle: Quest for Mata Nui is an upcoming fan-made action role-playing video game created by CrainyCreations. Based on The Lego Group's Bionicle line of constructible action figures, it is an open world action role-playing game and a reimagining of the 2001 Bionicle story. In the game the player controls the Toa, elementally-powered warriors who set out to free Mata Nui and its inhabitants from the evil Makuta, who have corrupted the native Rahi animals. A trailer was released in April 2020, with gameplay and combat trailers released in the following days. The trailers have been received positively by critics, who have praised the gameplay and visuals.

2B (<i>Nier: Automata</i>) Fictional character of the Drakengard series

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References

  1. 1 2 Kratky, Otto (August 11, 2021). "Bionicle Fan Game Debuts Gorgeous Environmental Trailer". Digital Trends . Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  2. ↑ Fore, Gray (August 11, 2021). "Bionicle: Masks Of Power Fan Game's World Looks Gorgeous". Screen Rant . Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Epps, DeAngelo (September 6, 2021). "Bionicle: Masks of Power Is a Game by Fans for the Fans". Digital Trends . Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Cripe, Michael (October 29, 2021). "Bionicle: Masks of Power Interview: Fan-Made Open-World Adventure". The Escapist . Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  5. ↑ Cripe, Michael (September 2, 2021). "Why the Heck Is Lego Not Publishing This Open-World Bionicle Game?". The Escapist . Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  6. ↑ Cripe, Michael (August 10, 2022). "Bionicle: Masks of Power Gameplay Video Has Nier-Inspired Combat". The Escapist . Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  7. ↑ Randall, Harvey (August 11, 2023). "Bionicle is so back, baby—this fan made game released a new trailer with its own banging soundtrack, and it's a complete nostalgia blast". PC Gamer . Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  8. ↑ dead domain 🐐 [@DomainDead] (March 20, 2024). "Omg someone did a thread on why my career doesn't have a future! 😌 I'll give you a free piece of info: I'm not being paid for my B:MoP work, because it's a fan project" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 May 2024– via Twitter.
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