Highlights
- LEGO's licensed themes, like Star Wars and Harry Potter, have been very successful, but the company has also found success with its own original themes, such as Bionicle.
- Bionicle was a highly successful non-licensed line for LEGO, with a whole universe built around it that included TV shows, movies, and video games.
- Bionicle: Masks of Power is a fan-made action-RPG set in the Bionicle universe that aims to capture the look and feel of the original Bionicle series, with gameplay inspired by games like Devil May Cry and Monster Hunter.
It's been 74 years since LEGO started to produce its patented interlocking toy bricks, and in those decades, the company has experienced countless evolutions. One of the biggest evolutions for LEGO came in 1999, when it released its first sets based on a licensed theme. Beginning with Star Wars, LEGO's licensed experiments have resulted in some extremely successful themes, ranging from Harry Potter to DC to Marvel to Disney. But while LEGO's most successful lines are often these licensed ones, LEGO has found plenty of success with its own set of original themes, one of which has inspired the highly-anticipated Bionicle: Masks of Power.
Originally launched all the way back in 2001, LEGO's Bionicle theme was one of its most successful non-licensed lines, playing a major role in saving the company from its 1990s financial crisis. Where other non-licensed LEGO themes were marketed simply through advertisements that showed the toys in action, Bionicle had a whole universe built around it that stretched across the whole entertainment industry, resulting in TV shows, movies, and video games. And while the original Bionicle line eventually met its end in 2010, many fans still have a great deal of nostalgia and love for the series, which is where the Bionicle: Masks of Power fan-made game comes in.
What Is Bionicle: Masks of Power?
First announced back in 2021, Bionicle: Masks of Power is a fan-made action-RPG set in the Bionicle universe. Following a short prototype project called Masks of Power: Legacy, developer Team Kanohi began working on a fully-fledged Bionicle title, one which is designed to look and feel just like the original Bionicle shows and movies. According to the devs, Bionicle: Masks of Power has a long list of inspirations, ranging from high-octane action games like Devil May Cry, to expansive open-world titles like Monster Hunter and Horizon Zero Dawn.
In just about every respect, Bionicle: Masks of Power seems like an incredibly ambitious project. Masks of Power's first gameplay trailer dropped back in August 2022, and the gaming industry as a whole was taken aback by what they saw. In its current state, Bionicle: Masks of Power looks surprisingly impressive when it comes to both visuals and gameplay. Masks of Power almost seamlessly blends realistic environments with the toy-accurate depictions of characters and enemies, giving the game a wonderfully unique style.
Gameplay-wise, Bionicle: Masks of Power is wearing its inspirations on its sleeve. Based on the footage released so far, it seems as though the moment-to-moment gameplay of Masks of Power will see players traverse the open world of Mata Nui, platforming their way across vibrant and varied environments, solving some puzzles, and fighting a range of different enemies with melee-based combos. The game will apparently follow the main canon timeline of the Bionicle universe, putting players in the mechanical feet of the Toa as they search for the mystical, all-powerful Kanohi masks, each of which will grant the player unique powers.
Most recently, Bionicle: Masks of Power released a new gameplay trailer about two weeks ago. Along with playing a banging theme song created by Danish rock band Cryoshell and Essenger, this recent trailer announced that a demo of the game would be releasing in early 2024. And when Bionicle: Masks of Power does release, it's going to be completely free, which is why the project is protected under fair use and copyright law. With no way of profiting from its game, it's clear that Bionicle: Masks of Power is a true passion project for Team Kanohi, and it's certainly one that fans should an eye on.
Bionicle: Masks of Power is in development for PC.