15 Dec Fortnite Lego, A Geeky Video Game Review

This is my Fortnite Lego geeky game review!

Why I never played Fortnite

Fortnite has always stressed me out. My basis for this statement is not personal play, although I did try to get into the creative mode when it first came out. I base this observation solely on watching hubs play with his friends. As soon as he drops in the game, he’s basically fighting for his life the entire time with no rest period to enjoy the scenery. 

It feels a lot like IRL (in real life) lately and I’m not sure why anyone wants to relive life in a video game. It’s guns and shooting and running and killing and running and terrible weather patterns and running. I’m not even playing the game and I’m winded just typing this. Plus guns are so uncreative and uncivilized, so after a while I’m bored with the whole mechanic.

Obviously if I want to fight for my life in a game, I much prefer the stress of hunting killer machines created to look like animals with a bow and arrow and some strategically placed traps. Or rocks.

I’m looking at you, Aloy. ::wink::

And I’ll give him credit, hubs has tried to get me to join him in a Fortnite match, and each time I gracefully decline. Because no. In my own words: “there will never be a time when I want to play Fortnite.”

…wait for it… :: sighs begrudgingly ::

Until Legos. Yes. Legos.

What is LEGO?

LEGO is a company that produces a line of building-blocks called legos. These plastic colorful brick-like toys are made to interlock with each other and can be assembled and connected in a variety of ways to create intricate and amazing objects like buildings, vehicles, and even enormous works of art. And Star Wars. Whatever can be constructed with legos can be taken apart again and the pieces can be reused to make new creations. Except Star Wars.

LEGO started in the workshop of Dutch wooden toy maker Ole Kirk Christiansen in 1932, and has since become much more than just a toy factory. Much like Barbie, the LEGO Group built a company that graduated from building-block-like toys for little kids to collectibles for geeks and fans, and even movies and video games.

Sorry about the history lesson, but what can I say? I was a history major and I feel that it’s important to know where your favorite things come from. Like ‘the more you know’, right?

What I like about Lego

What I love about LEGO is that it could have easily just been building blocks for kids and stayed that way. But they turned themselves into a kind of franchise of their own by making their product not just into a tool that can be used to create all kinds of things, but also into collectibles. And then they partnered with fandoms like Star Wars, Batman, Marvel, and Harry Potter. It’s such a smart move. Grab the geeks with the (mostly) disposable income and make them want LEGOs as part of their geeky collections. Now they’re much more valuable than just a kids toy. What more could they do? Well, they could partner with Fortnite, one of the biggest survival games, to create a Lego world-building game.

What is Fortnite

Fortnite is a game developed by game company Epic Games as a survival game where 100 players battle each other to be the last one standing. Players essentially wait to catch a bus and are then dropped from the bus into a world (battle arena) where they have to compete for resources, weapons, vehicles, and other items. All of this while trying not to die, and at the same time attacking and eliminating other players. To top it all off, when or if you think you’re safe on a certain part of the map, toxic storms rain down on the players and shrink the map, forcing everyone to evacuate to a central location on the map or die. Now you’re forced to encounter other players and fight because you’ve all been herded into one space. The winner, of course, is the last person or team remaining.

See? It’s just like real life without the shrinking environment.

Wait…

Nope. Not today. I can’t.

So you can see why I have avoided Fortnite until now.

What I like about Fortnite 

Okay, so I don’t hate Fortnite. Its gameplay style just isn’t for me and my personal gaming preference. But that doesn’t make it a bad game. In fact, I hate that so many players can’t or don’t have time to appreciate the beauty that is this game. Just look at it if you haven’t. The worlds are bright and colorful with a gorgeous detailed art style and a world full of many types of environments. The beauty of the game may be lost on many players because of the fast-paced-survive-at-all-costs gameplay. There is such a contradiction there, that you’d think it was almost intentional.

Character Design

The character design is also epic (no pun intended). In fact, hubs and I used to log in just to see the new character costume designs (skins) for the week because they were so creative. I’d go as far as to admit that one of my upcoming cosplay redesigns is heavily inspired by one of the costumes featured on Fortnite. If I was invested in the game, I could easily see myself purchasing skins of my favorite fandom collaborations. But you don’t have to purchase anything if you don’t want to.

Free-to-Play

In fact, another good thing about LEGO and Fortnite is that you don’t need any disposable income to play. In fact, I would argue that this may be the key reason that the game is so popular. It’s attainability.

Fortnite gives a free-to-play experience to anyone who has a way to game – console, PC, mobile – and that is something they’ve stuck to. Every season, they have a new theme or event – what other games call “DLC” – that you can play without purchasing the right to the new world. Of course, there are add-ons that you can purchase – costumes, or ‘skins’, the Battle Pass, etc., but there is no pay-to-play or pay-to-win. You can win every game with the free skins or anything you earn through gameplay. The catch is that the more time you dedicate to the game, the more in-game currency you earn.

Lego and Fortnite join forces

Lego has twenty video games available to play. I had to count twice, and there may be some I missed. And the thing about Lego games is that they’re created so kids can have a fun and exciting experience in a safe and kid-friendly environment. Plus Lego characters are just adorable. And the characters we love become adorable when they’re transformed into Lego characters. Just look at Darth Vader in the Skywalker Saga Lego video game. Adorable, right?

So now we’re taking the good aspects of Fortnite and pulling in the cozy cuteness that is Lego. I never thought I’d say the words ‘cute’ and ‘cozy’ in the same sentence as Fortnite. But in true Lego and Fortnite fashion, they have joined forces to create a whole new world, in a sense. You have the building aspect of Lego combined with the survival aspect of Fortnite to make a survival crafting and building game. It’s a completely new experience for Fortnite veterans and newbies alike.

That’s me. I’m the newbie.

Fortnite’s Reputation

And if Fortnite wanted to try to step away from some of the bad press previously assigned to it (and all violent video games) by parents who see the potential damage that can come with a free-chat environment, this is a good place to start. I will add here, however, that the good that comes from playing video games can far outweigh the bad; and Epic Games has made an effort to inform parents of all aspects of the game as well as give them common sense solutions to the under-age problem. Common sense being the key word, here.

Trying Fortnite

So despite all of my previous avoidance of Fortnite, I found myself sitting on the couch and creating my brand new Lego world. In. Fortnite.

I know. Hubs was in the window looking for the meteorite shower, too. 

Of course he had already started playing in his own world and I watched him play for a while before taking the plunge. One minute he was exploring and building away, and then his gaming buddies logged on and all of a sudden they were all fighting for their lives, true Fortnite style. Immediately I thought, ‘nope, I’m done.’ I didn’t sign up for more fighting and constantly dying despite all efforts to grow a thriving town. ‘And are those skeletons attacking you?’ So naturally I thought that as I progressed through the game, it would come to constant battles and that I would stop enjoying it.

He reassured me that he had chosen survival mode and that I could create my own world and play in sandbox mode without all the battles and death.

So I took his word for it and logged on. It was just as he said, and I got just a few minutes in and already loved the game. That’s when I decided to do a review for those of you who, like me, would never think of yourself as a Fortniter.

I totally made that word up.

Fortnite Lego: A Cozy Video Game Review

Let me start by saying that I was not asked to give this review by Fortnight, Lego, or EPIC Games. I give this review for my readers – to help you discover a new game to love. So if anyone enjoys cozy sandbox-simulator-building games like I do, you can read an honest and unaffiliated review, here. That’s my disclaimer.

Why review this game?

Well, this is a geeky blog where I literally inspire and highly encourage you all to geek out over all the things you love. Gaming is one of those things. So reviewing games will help you, my readers, find games you love! If you like this review and it helps you make a decision about whether or not to download the game, please let me know! I would love to hear how you like it.

Video Game Genres

There are so many genres and types of games out there that it would be impossible to play or even review them all. If you’ve read my other reviews, then you know that I lean more towards sandbox and simulation games (Sims). But I also love explorer-adventure games with huge world maps to get lost in, interesting characters with deeply developed stories, and plots that won’t bore me off the couch (Horizon Zero Dawn). Finding the game that just fits isn’t easy and can make or break your gaming experience.

Fortnite is the kind of game that would break my gaming experience. I know my strengths and I know my weaknesses, and I know that if I were to try, no matter how many hours I would dedicate to Fortnite, I would never enjoy it. It would stress me out and break my gaming experience and potentially cause me to lose interest in gaming. For some, however, this game is everything they need and they’re excellent at strategically working their way across a shrinking map while surviving at all costs.

Gaming Experience

Sometimes a gaming studio understands its audience very well and provides the ultimate gaming experience for that audience. Studios that serve their specific audience do very well, especially when they stick to what works. Fortnite sticks to what works and it has, for the past 5 years, worked for them. But there are times when a gaming studio also understands how to gain more than one type of audience and they are able to strategically fold in a new audience while keeping the current audience engaged and happy. It’s a fine line and takes a lot of research, planning, and listening to your audience.

I think that’s where Epic Games is right now with Fortnite. To us it seemed like in one weekend they came out with a whole new platform that now includes a sandbox survival game, a game for those who love racing, a guitar hero-inspired game, a section for creators, and the OG of it all Battle Royale. For those of us who were looking for something new, we wandered onto Fortnite and found what we were looking for. After 6-years in the making, Fortnite was able to capture new players and keep their old players engaged – all at the same time and on one platform.

And still all free-to-play.

So I am reviewing this particular part of Fortnite because they were able to pull me away from Disney Dreamlight for hours to experience something new. On a platform I vowed I’d never visit. And this experience makes me want to share it with you. I also heavily endorse gaming as mindful activity for self-care, so I like to show you cozy games. Can Fortnite and cozy be used in the same sentence? More on that later…

Game Comparison | Similar games

If I were to compare this game to others I’ve played, I would say that it has notes of Don’t Starve (Together) as a survival game, as well as Cult of the Lamb for village leadership and people maintenance | management. There are also small hints of Sims as a sandbox building simulator, but only tiny. Sims has that genre in a tight grip and as a Sims builder I will say that I haven’t found anything out there to rival the experience I get while building in my Sims PC game.

Lego Fortnite gave Dreamlighters what we were told we would get and didn’t – a free-to-play game with charming characters and the ability to grow our towns the way we want. While I wouldn’t compare this game to Dreamlight, I will say that in the same weekend Dreamlight let us down with a mediocre update we’d been anticipating for months, and Fortnite delivered something fresh and new.

I haven’t touched Dreamlight since starting this game. Point made.

Is Fortnite Lego a cozy game?

It depends. But I would describe Fortnite Lego as a “cozy game” depending on how you play. 

What is a Cozy Game?

A cozy game is one that allows you to get all comfortable and play a light non-violent game. Usually it includes lots of cute characters and task-driven goals. When I want to play a cozy game, I sink into my couch with my blanket and tea, turn the lights down, and settle in for a mental break. I also find myself smiling and humming as I play.

Games Industry defines cozy games like this: “…cozy games are generally regarded as featuring cute characters, often anthropomorphic animals or child-like humans, who engage in player activities such as farming, gathering, growing and nurturing, with a vague goal of creative personalization and in-game socialization. But coziness is broader than farming and village-planning. The essential nature of cozy gaming is that of helping other people through non-violent means, often by nurture and generosity. Self-expression is core to the games’ progression goals, which tend to be open-ended.”

I have to add here that the reason I enjoy certain genres over others is because I love getting lost in games that allow me to escape to other worlds. For me, gaming is a mental escape and a way to challenge myself. I probably won’t play a game that is too close to real life because I don’t want to escape to reality. I want to escape to a place that makes me happy and makes me feel safe. I’m not against exploring different types of genres, but this is why I prefer this one.

How to get Fortnite

If you don’t already have Fortnite, there are several ways to get access to it. 

Download

You can download Fortnite on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Android (mobile).

Cloud Gaming

If you live in an area supported by any of the cloud services, and as long as you have a good internet connection, you can play Fortnite on your phone or computer through Xbox Cloud Gaming, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, and Amazon Luna.

Fortnite is a free-to-play game and you do not need any other downloads to play.

Fortnite Hours In-Game

I played just a little over 7 hours of this game for this review. 

Admittedly, the first hour was me just exploring and getting used to the movement and controller functions. After doing a bit of building and starting not one, but two towns, I decided that I could do things better with a plan and started another world.

Fortnite Lego Gameplay

Entering Your World

As you are dropped into the Lego game, before you get to explore you have to first choose the type of experience you want to have.

First, create a new world. Unfortunately you don’t get to name your new worlds, so whatever your Fortnite username is will be the name of your world. I am currently playing in PurpleMoonGirl’s World 3. I know – very creative.

Next, you will choose your game mode: sandbox or survival. Please note this difference because this will really define the type of experience you want to have. In our home, we have two distinct styles of gameplay – both video and board. You have the one who’s in it to have fun and be as creative as possible. Then you have the one who wants to make a strategic-survival ordeal out of every game. Every. Game.

You probably already guessed who is who.

Survival Mode

So when hubs selected his game mode, he (of course) selected survival. As if he didn’t have enough surviving in Battle Royale. This means that you are thrown into the wilderness that is Lego-Fornite-land with no food, no weapons, no materials. You will have to forage and collect resources for building. Oh, and you will have to fight enemy spiders, skeletons, and scorpions. Yep. Scorpions. I’m sure it gets worse, but that’s all hubs has run into so far.

Sandbox Mode

When I saw the constant fighting and inevitable death that happens more often than it should, I said ‘nope. get somebody else to do it.’, and I quickly chose sandbox mode. This is where you can choose what your world is like and will have the materials you need readily available so you can start building right away. 

You can then choose your cover image and override your world seed.

Your world seed is really just the settings created to make your world unique. The options are not as varied or as many as Don’t Starve where I can make the perfect world for survival. But you get to choose the important stuff, like whether or not you have enemies, if you feel hunger or temperature, how your stamina runs and whether or not you can be eliminated. I made the world as harmless as possible, but enabled hunger so I could feel like there was some challenge.

I later regretted this decision because it seems like your character eats all. the. time. omg.

Keep in mind that once you make these selections and enter your world, you can’t take them back or change them unless you start a new world.

Avatar

This is always my favorite part of any game, especially when the developers are aware enough to include many diverse choices to make my avatar feel like an extension of myself. Or how I dream my self should look lol. But here, your lego avatar will reflect your Fortnite avatar. So if you already have a character with the skin you want, then you’re good to go. If not, then I suggest exiting out to the main Fortnite game-lobby to choose your character and skin.

Now you’re ready to go and Fortnite connects you to your newly created world.

Your Lego World

As you enter your Lego world, you’ll notice immediately how beautiful your world is. Seriously – take a moment to appreciate the gorgeousness of the game. It’s one of my top favorite parts of any game. The colors are bright and vibrant, the trees and other objects are detailed and the environment is vast.

After getting a good look at your world, you’ll notice your screen icons: hunger and health at the top left of your screen, spots for what you’re holding at the bottom right, the build menu and your backpack (inventory) at the bottom left, and the map icon at the top right. You will see that you can dodge, and, depending on your mode (sandbox) you can fly. The flying is the best part!

Almost as soon as you’re in your world, you’ll come across your first NPC (non-playable character), Bright Bomber, and she will (kind of) give you hints about what to do. You can chat with her throughout the game.

Food

You shouldn’t have to travel far to find food, there will be raspberries and pumpkins nearby to pick. Remember to keep a healthy store of it on you at all times. 

Fornite’s website gives a hint to players choosing the survival experience: “When starting out in Survival mode, you’ll want to build a Campfire and shelter to help you survive the first night. After building those, it’s a good idea to build a Crafting Bench! Use the Crafting Bench to craft basic tools that’ll make resource gathering quicker.”

Hubs has been playing in a cave for a while trying to scrounge up the resources to make the weapons to progress further into the cave to get more advanced materials to make his town better. He has several trunks to organize his belongings and beds for all his people, and plays with friends that he sends an invitation to so they can join him in his game. He has to fight enemies, but they aren’t terrible. And when you die, you respawn where you first entered the game.

As for me, I am puttering along in sandbox mode with a level 5 town that has a home for me, a pavilion, a farm plot, and a large home with many beds for my villagers. While hubs is fighting for his life in survival mode, I am having a war with making my foundations and builds level.

Some specifics about Fortnite Lego

Replay Value

With the ability to choose your game mode, play with friends in their worlds, and create several towns, I think the potential for replay is high here. While I understand the excitement of the survival mode, I chose to play sandbox. However, I think sandbox mode may have the potential to grow mundane much sooner than the survival mode. But it really is too soon to tell.

Sound

The sound is good and I like that the music is a bit more muted than that of the sometimes-obnoxious-but-still-catchy Fortnite theme. There isn’t voice acting, but the sounds made by the characters when they communicate are actually cute.

Graphics

You have the best of both worlds here with the bright and colorful Fortnite world and the very charming Lego design. I love how colorful everything is, and I love how Lego translated some of our favorite Fortnite character skins and designs.

You have a variety of environments to discover and each one has specific creatures, plants, and places created for them.

Gameplay

Here is where I had some hiccups. Most games will assign common button functions to commands in the game. For example, ‘X’ is typically used to jump. But the commands used here are a bit off for me and I have to think really hard and sometimes too long on what to press to get something to go somewhere. Running, jumping, and sprinting are fine. But when you get into building, you will have to remember not to press ‘X’ to drop an object, but rather find your R2 key (on the PS5 controller). When you want to move something up or down, you won’t use the up or down arrows on the directional pad. Instead, you’ll use the camera functions as if your character is looking up or down. This is how you raise an item and it’s confusing and non-intuitive.

Issues

I don’t have many issues with this game at all. I have been mostly building so my observations come from having a more efficient build menu that actually makes sense.

For instance, while building blocks will click into place on a premade build, you will have to nudge and beg them to match up evenly when building from scratch. I’ll admit that today when playing for a few minutes, I became so frustrated with trying to make a path that I finally gave up and said ‘forget it, I have other things to do today’.

And when I enter the menu to select an item for use in my build, if I forget to select it (‘X’) and try to rotate or move it to preview in a spot, I am booted out of that part of the menu and moved to whatever direction I wanted the item to go which is more than a bit frustrating and time-consuming.

Things I Love

What I love about this game is the potential for long-term play and building creativity using a medium many of us already love – legos. I love how adorable the game is, and how user-friendly (for the most part). I really like how I can get lost building and exploring the world for hours, and because of that I appreciate Fortnite’s alert that they will boot you off the server after a certain time period. 

Because we all need to take a break and go touch grass sometimes.

Things I Would Change

I would change some of the button mechanics and commands. Just the ones I named above. 

Other than that, I hope to see even more build selections in future updates, and more fluid control in build movement.

Final Thoughts on Fortnite Lego

So for someone like me who said she would never ever willingly log into Fortnite for any reason – well, I was wrong and I am happy to admit that. Not about Battle Royale – I’m never playing that. But I was wrong to think that Fortnite was going to always just be a one-trick-pony, and I am so glad I got to try Fortnite Lego. I can’t wait to spend more time in my world and see how far I can take it.

The positives for me far outweigh any small issues, and I believe Epic Games nailed it. As long as they continue to improve upon this cool concept and keep sending us updates that make the game experience better, I think this will be a beloved game for years to come.

So if you love unexpected coziness in a survival-simulation crafting building adventure game, this is going to be right up your lego.

Have you already tried Fortnite Lego? What do you think? Share some of your tips and tricks for a better game experience below.