Genre: Action
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Developer: Traveller's Tales
Release Date: November 15, 2006

I've always liked Bionicle, simply on an aesthetic level. Oh sure, we all love Legos, but these stylized cyborg creations just click with my sense of "cool." Add in the fact that there is a slick Polynesian influence to the entire mythology behind the toys, and you have a unique story, a great sense of style, and a fun pastime that looks awesome sitting atop your computer desk: a winning combination on all fronts. The subject of today's write-up is the PC version of a multi-platform game based on the action figures, known as Bionicle Heroes.

This game is a 3D, third-person perspective action platform title, released for the Xbox 360, PS2, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and of course the PC. The storyline is unique, in that it's not connected to the already established canon put forth by Lego. Fear not, faithful fanatics: This story is a good one, even if it is lacking in depth.

The idea is simple enough. An island paradise called Voya Nui has been taken over by an aggressive race of Bionicle called the Piraku. These nefarious roboticles (I just came up with that word, but it's fun to say) have used an artifact of great power (the Mask of Life) to transform all native fauna into malicious thugs. Your job is to blast down the nasty critters on the island, defeat all of the Piraku bosses, and reclaim the Mask of Life to correct the balance of Voya Nui. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Shoot the bad guys; don't get shot in the process. Check.

As you run-and-gun through each mission in the game, you will collect bionicle parts. These look just like the bits and pieces you use to make a new bionicle, and they function as the currency of Bionicle Heroes. Sometimes these parts are just lying on the ground, but they also explode from monsters and from random objects when you shoot them. In between missions, you can use this "money" to buy upgrades, which you must do in order to access hidden areas. The acquisition of enough spare parts also converts your avatar into "hero" mode. I'll explain more about that in a few paragraphs.

Aside from the bionicle bits, you will also collect different "Toa Inika" masks that provide different powers and allow you to complete the game. Most levels in Bionicle Heroes have areas that can only be accessed if you possess the correct Toa mask and the advanced powers that those masks have available. These are the upgrades I mentioned earlier, purchased using the bionicle candy that comes out of monsters and such.

Sadly, this is where the majority of the replay "value" comes from: You will need to collect not only the masks, but enough currency to buy the powers each one potentially has, and repeat the levels you've already cleared in order to get to the places you were barred from the first time. Defeated boss-Piraku can also be used after you've put them in their place, and these can activate objects the Toa cannot, providing even further "play it over and over again" action. I have always frowned on forced repetition as a mechanic for extended play-time.

Aside from looking different and using different weapons, each Toa mask has unique attributes. The blue mask (Toa Hahli) can walk on water, the bronze mask (Toa Hewkii) can assemble bionicle parts into new forms like bridges and gates, the white mask (Toa Matoro) has a sniper-target style zoom function, the black mask (Toa Nuparu) can climb vertical surfaces, the red mask (Toa Jaller) can walk on lava, and the green mask (Toa Kongu) can jump long distances. These aren't "use anytime you wish" powers; usually they can only work from specific node-points.

Graphically, Bionicle Heroes looks great, although it's almost impossible to really see. The toys lend themselves to low-polygon/high-detail models, and TT Games have done a great job exploiting this to its fullest. However, the heavy use of bloom lighting gives a heavy soft-focus blur to everything. The central hub that links all of the missions together appears beset by misty fog because of how out-of-control the fuzziness is. Whether this "effect" was used to smooth over imperfections or to make everything seem somewhat less real is hard to tell. What can I say? I wish I didn't feel obligated to squint all the time to see the excellent robot action.

The audio is a weak point, simply from a mixing standpoint. To be blunt, everything is just too quiet. Even if you turn down the music and up the effects, there just isn't that satisfying "oomph" that makes you feel like you're really in control of a futuristic machine. There's no metallic "thud" as you run, no searing shriek of super-heated laser fire, no concussive explosions, just a great deal of subdued plastic sounds that fail to impress.

It is clear that this version of Bionicle Heroes has "consolitis," that malady afflicting ports of console games to the PC platform. To be fair, I've seen far worse examples of this, but that doesn't lessen the sting. The menus are all keyboard-driven (no mouse cursor), the play mechanics are centered on repetition in order to give a false sense of extended replay, there is no multiplayer at all, the save system doesn't really exist (checkpoints only), and the camera is locked to a single third-person viewpoint. On the plus side, the action is smooth, the upgrade system is basic and functional, and the overall pace is fun. There is little that I would call "clunky" (in my opinion, that's usually what consolitis amounts to: clunky play that feels dumbed down for the lowest common denominator), but it's clear that this game was aimed at short attention spans.

As a final critique, I'll touch on the aforementioned "hero" mode. As I said, if you collect enough bionicle parts, you shift into an idealized golden mech. This increases firepower and makes you invulnerable to enemy damage. This isn't really time-limited, although you usually click back into regular mode with every checkpoint. Basically, you'll spend the majority of every mission completely immune to damage. The end result is a challenge-free experience that might be okay for first-timers, but not everyone likes playing in "god" mode all of the time.

As a straight-up action platform game that eschews depth for adrenaline, Bionicle Heroes nominally succeeds. If you're looking for anything more satisfying than a shoot-'em-up, I'd say avoid this game. It all depends on what you're looking for; sometimes a one-dimensional blast is just what the doctor ordered. This would also be a good place to start for kids who haven't yet cut their teeth on 3D games, but anyone who's spent years playing tactical squad-based shooters online will find very little to hold their attention here.

Score: 5.9/10