A fan made Bionicle game called Masks Of Power aims to revive the popular series of LEGO construction toys based on the story universe of the same name.
Team Kanohi, the team behind the project, released an environmental trailer yesterday (August 10) which showed off the game’s visuals. Bionicle: Masks Of Power is an open-world adventure game that features unique environments including lava-filled rocky landscapes, a tropical desert island and a mine featuring bright crystals.
Interestingly, the trailer also features a number of assets that look distinctly LEGO-like in appearance. LEGO is notoriously protective of its intellectual property, and has won a number of cases against other toy manufacturers who have tried to copy its line of LEGO toys.
Team Kanohi has a disclaimer on its official Steam page that reads: “Disclaimer – This is an unofficial fan game produced and provided 100% free-of-charge under rules and policies provided by The LEGO Group.” With enough exposure though, it’s likely LEGO will issue a cease and desist for the project, as some fans may assume it is an official project.
Bionicle was one of the first LEGO sets to mix traditional LEGO style building with story-driven marketing. A book series, several video games and a number of animated movies were all created to market the line of toys, making it one of LEGO’s highest-selling properties during the 2000s. The toy manufacturer discontinued the line in 2010, before bringing it back again in 2015 for two more years.
Team Kanohi describes the game as an open-world adventure with “thrilling combat” and a “gripping story”. Masks Of Power tasks players with finding the Kanohi masks of power for all six of the legendary Toa, which are heroic biomechanical LEGO beings. The developers are still working on the game, although there is no current planned release date.
Elsewhere, Playground Games teamed up with a popular YouTuber recently to show off 12 minutes of gameplay from the upcoming Forza Horizon 5. The gameplay takes players across the game’s desert region in a madden Toyota Supra.