With the recent announcement of LEGO Fortnite sets to tie into the popular survival game, Blocks considers whether all video games can truly translate into successful themes…
The LEGO Group has been partnering with video game companies for more than a decade to design sets inspired by cosy games, action roleplaying games and even platformers. Themes like LEGO Minecraft have become evergreen staples and there seems to be a Nintendo collaboration almost every year. Exclusive LEGO Fortnite sets have recently been announced too, tying in with the LEGO versions of the characters and locations players can find.
However, it’s fair to say that LEGO video game sets are quite mixed. There are certain ones that definitely work better than others.
When the LEGO Super Mario collaboration was announced, it was met with a mixed reaction. Even long time players of the iconic platformer were unsure about the oversized, gimmicky figures that accompany the sets. While the technology is an interesting concept, the figures appear too big and blocky. Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach don’t look like they did in the games. Additionally, the technology made these sets very expensive considering that they are relatively simple builds.
Then there’s the issue that LEGO video game sets usually don’t have any way to tie in with the actual games. There are no rewards, trophies or things to unlock that can be used in the game. At least the QR codes on some LEGO Star Wars sets allowed players to get characters or ships to play with in LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. This lack of things to unlock is very obvious in the LEGO Animal Crossing theme. Animal Crossing is a cosy game that is focused on building a town, collecting things, and forming relationships with the townsfolk. None of that translated into the accompanying LEGO sets. They are far too static and having a fossil tile that does nothing is disappointing.
This highlights possibly the biggest issue with LEGO video game inspired sets – the designers have been choosing the wrong types of games. Cosy games are driven by collecting, building, growing and completing quests for an overarching goal. Platformers are vast worlds where every level has to be successfully completed in order to progress. These virtual mechanics don’t translate into their respective sets.
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So what games should the designers be focussing on? Action adventure RPGs offer so much more potential. These types of games have a plot that the player has to follow, visiting key locations, travelling via some form of transportation and interacting with specific characters. The story element of these video games can be perfectly captured in a location or vehicle set with minifigures. LEGO Minecraft often does this by releasing sets that recreate the story mode of the game rather than the survival aspect.
That’s not to say all LEGO video game sets need to be based on action RPGs. LEGO Fortnite is a survival game yet the designers have clearly thought about what will work. Each set is inspired by something really important to the gameplay yet doubles as a fantastic display piece. While action RPGs are likelier easier to translate into interesting and engaging LEGO sets, Fortnite demonstrates that other types can work if they emphasise display over gimmicky play sets.
LEGO video game sets are certainly here to stay but considering the seemingly low sales of Super Mario and the poor response to Animal Crossing, the designers may have to rethink how they approach the theme. What do you think of LEGO sets based on video games? Is there a game you’d love to see given the brick treatment? Grab your controller and head over to any of the Blocks social media channels to tell us your thoughts!