Bionicle Heroes

LEGO Star Wars marked a milestone in interactive adventure-gaming. LEGO building blocks could be used to rearrange environmental objects and players could access areas or acquire hard-to-reach items using some nifty LEGO tricks. Players could also dismantle other LEGO objects, battle enemies, and engage in some 3D platforming action. Eidos Interactive is now giving DS, PC, and PS2 gamers the opportunity to partake in another LEGO experience with the upcoming Bionicle Heroes. To get more insight into TT Games upcoming LEGO title, we conducted a Q&A with Bionicle Heroes Producer, Nick Ricks. Check out all the details below.

Screenshots are from the PS2

VG Core: Coming off the success of LEGO Star Wars, will there be options for players to build equipment or change parts around for the Bionicles? And if so, will it be similar to Lego Star Wars, or will the feature be something completely different?

Nick: Playing with LEGO in a videogame, so successfully implemented in LEGO Star Wars, makes up an integral part of BIONICLE Heroes. The levels are filled with objects that can be built & manipulated in order to solve puzzles, unlock secrets or defeat enemies. On top of this when the player is fully powered he will be able to build living creatures out of golden LEGO pieces which will help him in their quest.

VG Core: What will the gameplay generally be like, will it be melee-oriented or will it be projectile-based?

Nick: Building on the success of LEGO Star Wars we have taken the basic mechanics and brought them into the BIONICLE universe. Favourite elements such as character unlocking and switching have been included, with the player able to collect and play as all of the heroic Toa Inika, as well as every member of the villainous Piraka gang. Each of the heroes comes with their own unique weapon type, based on the weapons of the toy range. These ranged weapons allow the defeat enemies, and blow up the huge amount of interactable LEGO scenery into its component LEGO pieces. The LEGO can then be collected and acts as the currency of the game allowing the player to purchase upgrades for his Toa, hints and tips and goodies for his unlocked characters to play with.

Screenshots are from the PS2

However the game isn’t just about combat, and throughout the game we’ve wanted to provide the player tangible and meaningful rewards for exploration and replay. Once more, based on the success of the LEGO Star Wars formula, we’ve introduced ‘free-play’ elements in every level. These are secret areas that are inaccessible the first time the game is played, but that contain a multitude of currency and collectibles that the player will want to collect. By using the characters unlocked later on in the game and by upgrading his Toa, the player will be able to revisit levels and experience something new on all of them

VG Core: Following up on that question, will the gameplay contain platforming scenarios, similar to LEGO Star Wars, or will it be purely action-adventure based?

The game does have some platform-styled gameplay, with chasms to jump across in order to reach hidden areas, as well as the collection of LEGO studs. However we decided to bring the action adventure game elements to the fore as this genre lends itself more closely to what we were trying to achieve in making a BIONICLE experience for young gamers

VG Core: With the DS using the touchscreen, microphone, etc., how will these features be incorporated into the gameplay of Bionicle Heroes?

Nick: The touchscreen is an integral part of the DS experience. It gives the player the ability to 'free look' allowing them to take in the stunning visuals the team have created. It also allows them to target the adversaries they'll encounter providing exciting and energizing encounters. The game also supports free-look on the buttons as we wanted to make BIONICLE Heroes DS as accessible a game experience as possible. Given the fast paced nature of the game, we didn't feel that microphone support would add anything.

Screenshots are from the PS2

VG Core: What sort of weapons will be available for players to use?

Nick: We’re all really pleased with how the weapons have turned out. They are all based on the tools and weapons used by the Toa in the toy range to give them a really authentic style. Some are projectile based, but others automatically lock-on to enemies, draining their armour. Each has been designed to be of particular use at different times in the game, so that the player always has the right tools to get the job done. Naturally they’re elementally themed, so that the Toa of Air has a wind turbine blaster that is devastating at short range, blowing enemies back into their component LEGO pieces. We’ve also ensured that the weapons are integral to the puzzle solving elements of the game, with the Ice Toa’s zoom function able to shoot out generators and deactivate force-fields and the like.

VG Core: What sort of special abilities will players be able to use during the game?

Nick: Each of the heroic Toa has a specific ability which must be used to overcome the obstacles that the player will be confronted with. These are linked to their elements; the Fire Toa can cross molten lava for example. But there are some more diverse abilities with which we are really pleased. The Toa of Earth can climb up walls like a spider, which combined well with his gravity based projectile weapon. It allows him to evade enemies by scampering onto the ceiling or inaccessible ledges whilst continuing to fire at the enemies below. In addition each of Toa’s special abilities can be upgraded allowing the player to customise their heroes. These enhanced abilities are key to unlocking all of the bonus materials that fill the game.

Screenshots are from the PS2

VG Core: Will there be any vehicles for players to interact with, or will there be any sort of interaction with the environment?

BIONCILE Heroes is filled with a variety of vehicles that the player will be able to use. Cable cars will whisk them through the bowels of a fortress, speedboats will allow them to race across the water, but my particular favourite are the perilous mine cart rides that hurtle over flimsy tracks precariously balanced on a sea of lava!

VG Core: Will the console versions of the game support any multiplayer
features? And will the DS version of the game support Wi-Fi?

Nick: We’ve concentrated on the single-player experience with the console version of BIONICLE Heroes, in order to make it the best action adventure game for kids we could. However we’re all really excited by the multi-player options on the DS version. Here up to 4 players will be able to battle each other as the Piraka in a number of multi-player modes. The multi-player game also has its own unique power-ups and effects not seen in the single-player version.

Screenshots are from the PS2

VG Core: With the 25 available levels, will there be any multiple routes through any of the stages?

Nick: One of the success of LEGO Star Wars was its non-linearity, could play the levels in any way they wanted. We wanted to build on this and so each of the six elemental zones can be played in any order. Because of the new character customisation of BIONICLE Heroes, we’ve made the progress through the levels within each zone consecutive. This, we feel, will strike a balance between giving the player the flexibility to play the game their way, whilst at the same time maintaining the challenge. Naturally once the levels have been completed and unlocked for free-play, they can be enjoyed in any order the player wishes.

VG Core: Who are some of the enemies players will face off against in Bionicle Heroes?

Nick: We're really excited that, for the first time in any BIONICLE product, we've had the opportunity to bring together the fantastic and diverse creatures from the past 6 years of BIONICLE history. Fans will have to overcome Visorak battling alongside Bohrok and the Dark Hunters working for the villainous Piraka!

Screenshots are from the PS2

VG Core: Thanks for taking time to answer our questions. On a final note, are there going to be any boss battles, and if so, what will they be like?

Nick: With the amount and variety of characters in the BIONICLE universe we’ve really been spoiled for choice with the boss battles. Nearly all of the levels come with its own boss fight at the end, either with one of the Rahkshi (vicious robots operated by evil Kraata worms) or with one of the many ‘Titans’ from BIONICLE’s past. These Titans (such as Nidhiki and Roodaka) have their own specific arenas and behaviours against which the player will need to use all of the Hero’s elemental powers to defeat. In addition each of the six Piraka, who rule the elemental zones, have their own level filled with minions and traps that the player must battle through.

Bionicle Heroes is due out in November for the Playstation 2, PC and Nintendo DS. Be sure to stay tuned in with VGCore.com for more information and media regarding Bionicle Heroes.

Article By: Cyguration