From the get-go, it was a dream project. CrainyCreation set out to makeBionicle: Quest for Mata Nuithe game, “I’ve always dreamed about ever since I was a kid.” Many fans ofBioniclelikely shared this vision as well, as notably, many games within the franchise were not well met.Bionicle: Quest for the Toa,Bionicle: The Game, and more had a mostly negative reaction upon release, and while this was upon release of course, first impressions do matter. Watching the reveal trailer, the gameplay, and more that CrainyCreation has put out shows a highly impressive fan project, but getting there took some inspiration from games likeSkyrimandDark Souls.
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As noted by CrainyCreation,Skyrimis the inspiration for many open-world games, and can ultimately be traced back to it. However,Bionicle Quest for Mata Nuialso “takes some cues in its world design fromMetroid Prime.” This likely means players can expect a sprawling world with Metroidvania style-navigation, whereas the combat is more derived from theDark Soulsserieswhile maintaining its own identity. Watching the 12 minutes of gameplay below, it’s apparent what CrainyCreation means.
However, the dev stopped short of describing the game as aMetroidvaniaor Souls-like. Instead, here’s how CrainyCreation would describe the game:
“The best way to describe it is as an open-world with Metroidvania elements. I honestly can’t currently think of a game that handles its world exactly in the same way thatBionicle: Quest for Mata Nuidoes. Its a concept I’ve given a lot of thought and I think I’ve come up with something that’s not seen often.”
With such inspirations and the game looking so beautiful at this early point in is lifespan, it’s hard to see howBionicle: Quest for Mata Nuicould go wrong. After all, even without the DNA from some of gaming’s biggest franchises, it’s meant to be a bonafideBionicleexperience set in the first year of the Toa, complete with 12 masks to collect, and more.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen how popular this project proves to be, but no one could throw a rock at its YouTube channel or Twitter account without hitting a comment praising how the game looks. For something absolutely free (CrainyCreation is not accepting money to fund its development, nor is it going to charge for the game upon an actual release) and for something not backed by Lego,Bionicle: Quest for Mata Nuileaves an impression.
