Preview: LEGO Universe Focuses on Creativity
This article originally appeared on ZAM on Oct. 7, 2010.
Editor-in-Chief Darryl Gangloff shares his thoughts on LEGO Universe just in time for the game's early access launch on Oct. 8.
When I first logged into the LEGO Universe closed beta, I immediately felt like the game was built using physical LEGO bricks. That's the best way to describe it. From creating a mini-figure to running through the zones, it honestly seemed like every piece was pulled from a huge box of assorted LEGO pieces. The level of detail in the game is perfect. While I did notice some minor flaws in the new MMO, it certainly succeeds in offering a fun LEGO world that fosters creativity in players of all ages.
Upon entering the closed beta, I completed a quick tutorial level that gave me a small taste of the main aspects of the game. All characters have three main stats: health, armor, and imagination. Health and armor should be pretty self-explanatory, and imagination is similar to mana in fantasy MMOs since it allows you to use abilities and build items. You can replenish these stats at any time by smashing objects around you. See that bench over there? If you break it, all sorts of icons will fly out, from hearts to Imagination Points. You can also collect items in this fashion, such as LEGO bricks that you can use to build your own creations.
Character advancement is based entirely around gear and completing achievements rather than the standard leveling system found in other MMOs. A shield may give you one extra armor point, while a hat may add two Imagination Points to your pool. Full armor sets give a wealth of bonuses and even let you perform special attacks. Collecting all of the hidden flags in a specific zone will grant you an extra heart or add some space to your inventory, and finding the elusive Imagination Bricks will add points to your imagination bar. I was a little wary of this advancement system at first, but it quickly grew on me once I realized it actually makes sense. If you take all the armor off your mini-figure, you're left with just an odd yellow character instead of a samurai or a sorcerer. I went from feeling incredibly weak in the game to taking on tougher enemies once I joined the Sentinel faction and earned the first tier of my Knight armor set.
Ah, the factions. This is a good time to get into the game's story. A group of explorers went on a journey to find the Imagination Nexus, which is the only source of Pure Imagination in the entire universe. Naturally, one of them gets greedy and is pulled into the Nexus, creating the evil Maelstrom. The remaining mini-figures form the Nexus Force to combat the Maelstrom, and you'll get to join one of its factions once you make your way to the Nimbus Station and complete a bunch of quests. You can go with the creative Assembly, the mysterious Paradox, the chivalrous Sentinel, or the daring Venture League. Each faction will let you specialize in a specific role. For example, members of the Sentinel faction can become a Knight or Samurai. Once you pick a faction, you're stuck with it. Choose wisely!
Since it's your job to battle the Maelstrom, you're going to see a lot of combat. The fighting system in LEGO Universe mainly involves mashing buttons or clicking your mouse to perform attacks. There is no auto-attack feature, so you're not going to be able to start a fight and walk away from your computer. The enemies can also be surprisingly difficult, especially if you face more than one at a time. As you earn new gear and items, you'll gain access to extra abilities. I did notice some minor glitches where my abilities would activate at the wrong time, but it's important to remember that the game was in the midst of beta testing at the time. Overall, the battles add an enjoyable action aspect to the game.
Aside from combat, LEGO Universe also focuses on creativity and exploration. Creativity is where the game truly shines. This is a LEGO game, so players are expected to build things. There are two ways to do this: quick builds and custom builds. Quick builds are piles of bricks in each zone that require a set amount of Imagination Points to complete. These items are generally useful, such as trampolines and stairs. Some are hidden and require a little work to find, while others are out in the open and must be built to move forward in the zone.
The custom build option, on the other hand, may as well be an entirely separate game. Players can collect and purchase every type of LEGO brick imaginable and build items with them on their personal properties. If you'd prefer not to build everything on your property piece by piece, you can also find pre-made parts such as walls and trees. I spent a couple hours just visiting other players' properties to see their creations, and some of them were ridiculously impressive. One player had built an entire water park, while another made a huge castle. Players can vote on the properties they visit, so it's easy for a great creation to gain some praise within the community. Honestly, this feature is enough reason for LEGO fans to check out the game.
As far as exploration is concerned, the zones are entertaining. The quests are what you'd expect (collect items, smash enemies, etc.), but the LEGO atmosphere sets them apart from other MMOs. The Avant Gardens starting zone features a race to the top of a giant mini-figure statue, while Pet Cove is a small area that teaches you how to tame companion pets. For a more in-depth look at how these areas are set up, check out our recent foray into the ninja-filled Forbidden Valley zone. While these areas are fun, they have a certain linear quality to them that detracts a little from the MMO feel. They basically have a set path from beginning to end, although it's always possible to return to these areas to discover things you may have missed.
In addition to building on your property and exploring zones, LEGO Universe offers a few mini-games and instances to keep players occupied. There's a racing game in Nimbus Station and a shooting game in the Gnarled Forest pirate zone. Avant Gardens hosts an instance where up to four players can attempt to fight off a horde of enemies for as long as possible, and another instance in the Forbidden Valley lets a group test its skills against a bunch of dragons. The mini-games and instances are a fun diversion, and LEGO Universe could use a few more of them to spice things up.
Actually, LEGO Universe could use more content in general. Again, it's important to note that I played the game during closed beta, so all of the content wasn't accessible to players. However, the game could benefit from more zones, mini-games and instances. As far as the content in the closed beta is concerned, many players could probably burn through it in a couple months. LEGO Universe is a well-crafted game with limitless potential if it's allowed to grow. It captures the essence of LEGOs in its design, and the ability to create anything on your property is worth the price of admission. LEGO fans of any age should give this game a try, but the addition of more content would certainly help players stick with it for the foreseeable future.
LEGO Universe will be accessible to players who pre-ordered the game on Oct. 8 at 10:08 a.m. EDT. The game officially launches on Oct. 26.
Editor-in-Chief Darryl Gangloff shares his thoughts on LEGO Universe just in time for the game's early access launch on Oct. 8.
When I first logged into the LEGO Universe closed beta, I immediately felt like the game was built using physical LEGO bricks. That's the best way to describe it. From creating a mini-figure to running through the zones, it honestly seemed like every piece was pulled from a huge box of assorted LEGO pieces. The level of detail in the game is perfect. While I did notice some minor flaws in the new MMO, it certainly succeeds in offering a fun LEGO world that fosters creativity in players of all ages.
Upon entering the closed beta, I completed a quick tutorial level that gave me a small taste of the main aspects of the game. All characters have three main stats: health, armor, and imagination. Health and armor should be pretty self-explanatory, and imagination is similar to mana in fantasy MMOs since it allows you to use abilities and build items. You can replenish these stats at any time by smashing objects around you. See that bench over there? If you break it, all sorts of icons will fly out, from hearts to Imagination Points. You can also collect items in this fashion, such as LEGO bricks that you can use to build your own creations.
Character advancement is based entirely around gear and completing achievements rather than the standard leveling system found in other MMOs. A shield may give you one extra armor point, while a hat may add two Imagination Points to your pool. Full armor sets give a wealth of bonuses and even let you perform special attacks. Collecting all of the hidden flags in a specific zone will grant you an extra heart or add some space to your inventory, and finding the elusive Imagination Bricks will add points to your imagination bar. I was a little wary of this advancement system at first, but it quickly grew on me once I realized it actually makes sense. If you take all the armor off your mini-figure, you're left with just an odd yellow character instead of a samurai or a sorcerer. I went from feeling incredibly weak in the game to taking on tougher enemies once I joined the Sentinel faction and earned the first tier of my Knight armor set.
Ah, the factions. This is a good time to get into the game's story. A group of explorers went on a journey to find the Imagination Nexus, which is the only source of Pure Imagination in the entire universe. Naturally, one of them gets greedy and is pulled into the Nexus, creating the evil Maelstrom. The remaining mini-figures form the Nexus Force to combat the Maelstrom, and you'll get to join one of its factions once you make your way to the Nimbus Station and complete a bunch of quests. You can go with the creative Assembly, the mysterious Paradox, the chivalrous Sentinel, or the daring Venture League. Each faction will let you specialize in a specific role. For example, members of the Sentinel faction can become a Knight or Samurai. Once you pick a faction, you're stuck with it. Choose wisely!
Since it's your job to battle the Maelstrom, you're going to see a lot of combat. The fighting system in LEGO Universe mainly involves mashing buttons or clicking your mouse to perform attacks. There is no auto-attack feature, so you're not going to be able to start a fight and walk away from your computer. The enemies can also be surprisingly difficult, especially if you face more than one at a time. As you earn new gear and items, you'll gain access to extra abilities. I did notice some minor glitches where my abilities would activate at the wrong time, but it's important to remember that the game was in the midst of beta testing at the time. Overall, the battles add an enjoyable action aspect to the game.
Aside from combat, LEGO Universe also focuses on creativity and exploration. Creativity is where the game truly shines. This is a LEGO game, so players are expected to build things. There are two ways to do this: quick builds and custom builds. Quick builds are piles of bricks in each zone that require a set amount of Imagination Points to complete. These items are generally useful, such as trampolines and stairs. Some are hidden and require a little work to find, while others are out in the open and must be built to move forward in the zone.
The custom build option, on the other hand, may as well be an entirely separate game. Players can collect and purchase every type of LEGO brick imaginable and build items with them on their personal properties. If you'd prefer not to build everything on your property piece by piece, you can also find pre-made parts such as walls and trees. I spent a couple hours just visiting other players' properties to see their creations, and some of them were ridiculously impressive. One player had built an entire water park, while another made a huge castle. Players can vote on the properties they visit, so it's easy for a great creation to gain some praise within the community. Honestly, this feature is enough reason for LEGO fans to check out the game.
As far as exploration is concerned, the zones are entertaining. The quests are what you'd expect (collect items, smash enemies, etc.), but the LEGO atmosphere sets them apart from other MMOs. The Avant Gardens starting zone features a race to the top of a giant mini-figure statue, while Pet Cove is a small area that teaches you how to tame companion pets. For a more in-depth look at how these areas are set up, check out our recent foray into the ninja-filled Forbidden Valley zone. While these areas are fun, they have a certain linear quality to them that detracts a little from the MMO feel. They basically have a set path from beginning to end, although it's always possible to return to these areas to discover things you may have missed.
In addition to building on your property and exploring zones, LEGO Universe offers a few mini-games and instances to keep players occupied. There's a racing game in Nimbus Station and a shooting game in the Gnarled Forest pirate zone. Avant Gardens hosts an instance where up to four players can attempt to fight off a horde of enemies for as long as possible, and another instance in the Forbidden Valley lets a group test its skills against a bunch of dragons. The mini-games and instances are a fun diversion, and LEGO Universe could use a few more of them to spice things up.
Actually, LEGO Universe could use more content in general. Again, it's important to note that I played the game during closed beta, so all of the content wasn't accessible to players. However, the game could benefit from more zones, mini-games and instances. As far as the content in the closed beta is concerned, many players could probably burn through it in a couple months. LEGO Universe is a well-crafted game with limitless potential if it's allowed to grow. It captures the essence of LEGOs in its design, and the ability to create anything on your property is worth the price of admission. LEGO fans of any age should give this game a try, but the addition of more content would certainly help players stick with it for the foreseeable future.
LEGO Universe will be accessible to players who pre-ordered the game on Oct. 8 at 10:08 a.m. EDT. The game officially launches on Oct. 26.