Summary
- LEGO has a long history in the video game industry, starting with games like LEGO Island and LEGO Racers in the past.
- The success of LEGO Fortnite has opened the door for a potential LEGO Soulslike game, drawing inspiration from the popular genre.
- A LEGO Soulslike game could be a fun parody of the established conventions and tropes of the genre as it continues to gain popularity.
LEGO has been in the video game industry a lot longer than many fans might realize. Technically hitting the video game scene all the way back in 1995 with LEGO Fun to Build, LEGO has been experimenting with video games for almost three whole decades now, to varying levels of success. While LEGO had some hits back in the day with games like LEGO Island and LEGO Racers, it was LEGO's foray into the world of licensed tie-ins that really brought home the bacon.
Not wanting to let its golden age ever die down, LEGO has continued to produce licensed games for the last 20 years, delivering beloved hits like LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Indiana Jones, LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean, and the wealth of LEGO Batman and LEGO Marvel games. While LEGO's licensed game formula has been heavily criticized for its repetitiveness, these games are still big hits for the company, and it's unlikely they'll die down anytime soon. But LEGO seems no longer content with releasing just its series of licensed games, with the company taking some big swings in the last year or so, swings that should eventually lead to a family-friendly LEGO Soulslike game.
A LEGO Soulslike Game Has A Lot of Potential
LEGO Fortnite Has Paved the Way for a LEGO Soulslike
LEGO's biggest video game experiment in decades, LEGO Fortnite hit the world's biggest battle royale in December last year. A survival mode akin to Minecraft or LEGO Worlds, LEGO Fortnite is an entirely separate game mode within Fortnite, available at no extra charge. This surprisingly substantial survival mode sees players attempt to build the town of their dreams all while foraging for food and facing off against some tough enemies. Thanks to its remarkably deep gameplay systems and distinctive sense of charm and style, LEGO Fortnite has been a major hit, and it's likely paved the way for future LEGO video game experiments.
But LEGO Fortnite's success isn't the only thing that's paved the way for a potential future LEGO Soulslike. The combat in LEGO Fortnite feels as though it's been heavily inspired by the Soulslike genre. Though there's no option to properly lock on to an enemy, combat in LEGO Fortnite heavily encourages the player to strafe around their target, getting in hits where they can, and dodge-rolling to avoid any oncoming attacks. It's very simplistic, but the general rhythm and mechanics of LEGO Fortnite's combat will feel extremely familiar to fans of the Soulslike genre, and that's especially true when fighting the game's Brute bosses who require some classic Soulslike cheesing techniques to defeat quickly.
The Soulslike Genre Is Ripe for a LEGO Parody
While LEGO Fortnite lays the mechanical groundwork for a LEGO Soulslike game, its potential tone is still something that needs to be carefully considered. In the grand scheme of things, the Soulslike genre is still pretty new, having really only come about in the last decade or so. But the Soulslike genre has also grown incredibly fast, now being fully embraced by mainstream franchises like Star Wars. Even in games that aren't technically classified as a Soulslike, some genre staple mechanics often find their way in, ranging from stamina meters to dodge rolls to parries.
It seems fair to say that the Soulslike genre is bigger than it ever has been, and with that increased popularity comes more of a widespread understanding of the genre's established conventions and tropes. And with an increased awareness of those tropes, the path to parody is paved. A LEGO Soulslike game has the perfect opportunity to poke some fun at some of the genre's more outlandish tropes and conventions, and with it being such a new genre, that light-hearted take is going to feel pretty novel and refreshing. However, that window of opportunity won't last forever.
LEGO Fortnite Odyssey
- Released
- December 7, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Explore vast, open worlds where the magic of LEGO® building and Fortnite collide.
Collect food and resources, craft items, build shelter and battle enemies solo or team up with up to seven friends.
Get creative in building and customizing your ultimate home base using LEGO® elements collected from the world around you, then recruit villagers to gather materials and help survive the night. Gear up and drop into deep caves in search of rare resources and hidden areas.
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Epic Games
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- LEGO
- Genre(s)
- Survival
- Metascore
- N/A
