A Review Of The Lego-Like Video Game 'Blockland'

Blockland is a video game that was released for Windows and Mac computers on November 15, 2007. It is a sandbox game in which people build using Lego-like blocks. It has both a singleplayer and multiplayer mode. Blockland is available for purchase on Steam where it costs $9.99.

Concept

This video game offers a virtual world that doesn't have any set goals. Players can build any type of structure from simple to very elaborate. Players control a Lego-style mini-figure that can be customized like everything else in the game. The concept of this game is playing with Lego but on a computer instead of on a floor. Players are free to build anything that their imagination can dream up and then destroy it all if they so choose.

Graphics & Audio

Blockland was built using the Torque Game Engine. Over time, the graphics and audio have received improvements. Since everything is made of blocks, the graphics are pretty flat. The blocks do have a lot of color options that your character sprays onto them. The physics of the game are well done. For example, if you knock over a block, it collapses and can cause the ones above it to collapse as well. The audio is functional but not really a highlight of the game. When you knock down a building, for instance, it sounds more like hummingbird wings flapping than the collapse of a large structure. There is no background music.

Game Play

The control method of Blockland is the standard WASD for moving around. You can fire weapons using "Q", paint blocks with "E", and access the game menu by pressing the "Esc" key. The numeric pad is used to manipulate blocks. The difficulty of this game entirely depends on how you are playing. The single player mode is very easy. Multiplayer can be challenging if you are engaged in a firefight with other players or if you are in a car race. However, you can jump right back into the action if your character is taken out by another player. Blockland falls into the casual genre of video games.

Conclusion

Blockland can be a fun diversion worth the $9.99 cost of entry. It received an 8.3 out of 10 rating on Gamespot and on Metacritic it is rated 7.9. It's a game for people that want to play with Lego-like blocks in a virtual world. There are many mods out for this game which add to its longevity. Even though this video game is 12 years old, there is still a devoted community of players who play it online with others. The forum dedicated to it still had nearly 100,000 members as of 2015. Mods are still being released for it so even though it is an older game, there is still new content being released and new exciting additions to the game.

Blockland is a great game for people who want to revisit their childhood and build structures using Lego bricks.