Bionicle Heroes

We liken the discovery of LEGO: Star Wars to the mid-nineteenth century Californian gold rush: A humble effort by Travellers Tales to probe the market by developing an action/adventure game based around the LEGO license, and intended for a younger generation, took an unexpected turn as gamers of all ages pounced upon the unusual idea, and suddenly retailers couldn’t stock it quick enough. A sequel followed and Lego Star Wars 2 was released to similar acclaim. But other publishers who have now cottoned onto the idea are prospecting in the same territory, but if Bionicle Heroes for the Wii is anything to go by, Traveller’s Tales’ Midas touch in games development has, at least temporarily, faltered. At least we needn’t feel singled out for bad treatment with the Wii version. It turns out that Bionicle Heroes is simply a bad game, regardless of which console it is released on. It was bad on the PS2 and PC, abysmal on the 360 (and especially poor when you consider the machine’s graphical prowess) and in many ways it’s even worse on the Wii. We’re not entirely sure where to start in picking out the gaping flaws in this title, but here goes our review of a game that shouldn’t have even passed QA from its initial conception...

Let’s begin by saying its boring – a pretty broad and damning statement to make. Normally we’d be a bit more specific, but Bionicle Heroes is mundane and uninspiring in almost every department. Similar to the LEGO: Star Wars series, you charge about the map blasting enemies and collecting bits of LEGO. Sometimes you have to assemble components such as cogs and wheels in order to open gates, bridges and even create robots to unlock the way onwards. Each area is accessed via a giant totem head resembling the Easter Island Moai, and these lead to several dimensional gates that take you to a themed level with a boss at the end. Bionicle Heroes’ problem lies intrinsically with its gameplay: it’s very basic despite the highly varied visuals and effects, and after ten minutes of playing you’ve probably seen everything that the game offers. Apart from the bosses, enemies act in the same brainless manner, offering up barely any challenge and you’ll learn to treat them with the same contempt by blasting every single one of them indiscriminately with your favoured weapon.

Collecting the LEGO pieces scattered by exploding foes and treasure chests becomes a chore very quickly too, although it’s a necessary part of the game. LEGO pieces add to your score and fill a meter that activates Hero Mode when full, rendering you invincible for a short period and also giving you an offensive boost, but this alone isn’t compelling enough a reward to make all that LEGO collecting a worthwhile experience.

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