14 DAY TRIAL // LEGO is big in the world of video gaming. We have LEGO Star Wars, we have LEGO Batman and LEGO Indiana Jones, we are set to get LEGO Rock Band, but the biggest project that includes the well-known bricks is LEGO Universe, a MMO-like experience that is being developed by NetDevil and that has been recently demoed in front of a select few, showing off some of the areas that will be included. The full game is set to be released at some point in 2010.
The idea behind LEGO Universe is to take all of the settings that have been depicted using the construction sets and put them all in a shared universe, where players can build things, share them with friends and engage in social interaction. The opening scene of the game sees the LEGO universe being destroyed by a giant black hole and the players get the task of putting it back together, one brick at a time, with the first step being the creation of a starship, which can be used to get out from the vicinity of the black hole.
There are two ways to actually play the game. There are the questions and combat that are modeled on those seen in the Batman and Indian Jones games, and there's the private building space where anything can be created and shared. To build anything, an Imagination resource will be required, with players set to obtain it by destroying enemies and by completing quests. Because of the younger audience that the MMO is set to attract, a complex moderation system will be implemented, to make sure that all content is suitable for any age.
LEGO Universe is a complex endeavor, but it looks good at this stage in development and has the potential to attract both those who loved playing with sets when they were younger and those who had good experiences with previous LEGO-powered games.