In 2010, NetDevil developed a LEGO MMO titled LEGO Universe. The game brought players to an alternate universe filled with LEGO minifigures, where they were sent on a mission to stop a Maelstrom from destroying the universe. Upon release the game garnered decent reviews, but after two years the servers were shut down due to unsatisfactory revenue. LEGO tried again with LEGO Minifigures Online in 2015, but that met the same fate as its predecessor a year later.
LEGO has been a strong player in the video game market thanks to Traveller’s Tales LEGO games, but it has struggled breaking into the MMO genre. LEGO Universe was flawed, but the game proved to be a lot of fun. There have been restoration attempts thanks to projects like Darkflame Universe, but it did not receive LEGOs blessing and instead went open source. LEGO is sitting on a treasure trove of franchises and content that would help create a great MMO, and expanding upon the framework of LEGO Universe could go a long way to creating a strong experience.
What LEGO Universe Looked Like
LEGO Universe had players select one of four factions, each having three specialties with different gear and weapons. The Sentinels utilized heavy weapons and armor, The Venture League was all about exploring and using light weapons, The Assembly focused on building and creating weapons, and The Paradox used range attacks stemming from the Maelstrom. Specialties included Knight, Samurai, Buccaneer, Engineer, Sorcerer, and Space Marauders, representing typical MMO classes that would guide the player through their journey.
Once players created their own personal minifigure, they were thrown into two starting worlds to learn the ropes: Venture Explorer and Avant Gardens. In these worlds players would learn about controls, the mission structure, and the main villains of the story, The Maelstrom. After completing those two worlds, players entered Nimbus Station, which served as a Hub for the entire game.
Nimbus Station served as the capital of the world, similar to cities like Orgrimmar in World of Warcraft or the Tower in Destiny 2. Players would spend a lot of time in Nimbus Station, and those with memberships could enter Pet Cove or the LEGO Club Door for extra content. They would venture to other zones like Gnarled Forest, Forbidden Valley, Crux Prime, and the Ninjago Monastery to complete various quests and progress through the story. There was also a second hub called Nexus Tower where players would talk with their faction leaders and get important missions.
Along with all these worlds, LEGO Universe allowed players to freely construct objects in various locations. They would have to construct their own personal spaceships to get between the two planets, and they could build their own race cars to use in multiplayer activities. They would also be given a property where they could build whatever they wanted, and they could invite other players to check it out.
What LEGO Universe 2 Could Be
LEGO Universe had a decent amount of content for fans to dive into, but it was not enough to keep them playing. If LEGO were to attempt to break into the MMO genre again, it should use the LEGO Universe formula and expand upon it. The four factions idea with the multitude of classes works, but adding more worlds, story, and buildable items would help keep it all relevant.
Traveller’s Tales experimented with a multiverse story through LEGO Dimensions, and LEGO Universe 2 could take some notes. LEGO universe had a Ninjago-inspired world, but it had no other worlds based on LEGO properties. If LEGO were to make LEGO Universe 2, it should include worlds based on DC, Marvel, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and even original properties like LEGO City. LEGO Dimensions was chock-full of iconic franchise to explore, so LEGO should do that again but as an MMO.
LEGO Universe was LEGO’s first attempt at breaking into the MMO genre, and it deserves a second chance at life. A LEGO MMO could be great if done right, and LEGO Universe laid the groundwork for what a fun LEGO MMO could look like. LEGO just has to be willing to expand upon the concept and take a risk apart from the comfort of Traveller’s Tales LEGO games.
