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The cancelled Bionicle game nobody talks about. (City of Legends discu


VakamaHordika147

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Bionicle 2 City of Legends was supposed to be a video game released in 2004. It was meant to be a tie in to the 2nd Bionicle movie. Everybody and their mother talks about The Legend of Mata Nui but nobody seems to talk about this one. I managed to find a video of the game on YouTube. The video can be found here:

the game looks like it was in very early development when it was cancelled. To be honest this game kinda looks like a Prince of Persia clone. Due to it being a platformer with heavy parkour elements. However it looks fun and looks a heck of a lot better than EA’s Bionicle tie in game. So I guess this is a place where you can discuss the game if you like.

Sorry about the title getting cropped.

Edited by VakamaHordika147

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No one talks about it because it literally just surfaced one day, and even then as a pre-alpha tech demo (correct me if I’m wrong). The fenzy over LOMN I think is attributable to the gradual trickle of news that took place between 2006-2010, finally culminating in the release of gameplay footage and cutscenes. Not to mention the fact that the game is much more of a “game” than COL is, adding to the allure.

 

On an entirely different note, can I rant a bit about something that’s always bothered me? Why is it that so much Bionicle media opted for the stylized pseudo-set look as opposed to just using set-accurate models? Every Bionicle movie (excepted TLR), Bionicle: The Game, and City of Legends all employed it, and even as a kid it mystified me.

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On an entirely different note, can I rant a bit about something that’s always bothered me? Why is it that so much Bionicle media opted for the stylized pseudo-set look as opposed to just using set-accurate models? Every Bionicle movie (excepted TLR), Bionicle: The Game, and City of Legends all employed it, and even as a kid it mystified me.

 

It's hard to legitimize in a cinematic setting the idea these are living, breathing creatures if you're tied to the very robotic designs. All three of the Bionicle movies tried to really give the characters inner struggles (Takua in MoL, Vakama in the others) which is hard to do when the characters literally wear masks. It's not the same sort of story told in the Templar stuff, for instance, where action and momentum are the main story focuses. And The Bionicle Game was trying to make the characters look like their movie counterparts for the most part.

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No one talks about it because it literally just surfaced one day, and even then as a pre-alpha tech demo (correct me if I’m wrong). The fenzy over LOMN I think is attributable to the gradual trickle of news that took place between 2006-2010, finally culminating in the release of gameplay footage and cutscenes. Not to mention the fact that the game is much more of a “game” than COL is, adding to the allure.

On an entirely different note, can I rant a bit about something that’s always bothered me? Why is it that so much Bionicle media opted for the stylized pseudo-set look as opposed to just using set-accurate models? Every Bionicle movie (excepted TLR), Bionicle: The Game, and City of Legends all employed it, and even as a kid it mystified me.

I agree Legend of Mata Nui seems like much more of a game and is thus more interesting. However this game always interested me. The developer has made good platformers before (Croc Legend of the Gobbos) so I always thought this game would be good as well. Plus I really want to know why it was cancelled. With Legend of Mata Nui we know why development ran too late and there was a fatal glitch in the 1st level. This game there isn’t a direct reason. At least not to my knowledge.

No one talks about it because it literally just surfaced one day, and even then as a pre-alpha tech demo (correct me if I’m wrong). The fenzy over LOMN I think is attributable to the gradual trickle of news that took place between 2006-2010, finally culminating in the release of gameplay footage and cutscenes. Not to mention the fact that the game is much more of a “game” than COL is, adding to the allure.

On an entirely different note, can I rant a bit about something that’s always bothered me? Why is it that so much Bionicle media opted for the stylized pseudo-set look as opposed to just using set-accurate models? Every Bionicle movie (excepted TLR), Bionicle: The Game, and City of Legends all employed it, and even as a kid it mystified me.

To answer your question about how the characters look in City of Legends, City of Legends was meant to be a tie in to a movie. They had to make the characters look how they looked in the movie. As to why they looked that TheSkeletonMan399 explains it well. Edited by VakamaHordika147

"Wait, he's back from the dead?"- The 2 people that have heard of me

 

 

 

RWBY Volume 5 isn't bad, you're bad

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I'm pretty sure the reason for a lack of discussion regarding City of Legends can be attributed to the lack of info, lack of content and fact that the game just... sort of popped up out of nowhere.

 

However, having always adored the setting of the un-visoraked Metru Nui, I'm equally sad that this game also got canned as I am about LOMN. Plus, these are just the two we know about - how many other cancelled projects may be waiting undiscovered?

 

:kakama:

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:kakama: Stone rocks :kakama:

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I'm pretty sure the reason for a lack of discussion regarding City of Legends can be attributed to the lack of info, lack of content and fact that the game just... sort of popped up out of nowhere.

 

However, having always adored the setting of the un-visoraked Metru Nui, I'm equally sad that this game also got canned as I am about LOMN. Plus, these are just the two we know about - how many other cancelled projects may be waiting undiscovered?

 

:kakama:

What's more surprising to me is that they didn't just keep working on this game while incorporating the 2005 story into it to make a 2-year saga game in the same vein as the OG Bionicle Game (the 2001-03 story saga). The video makes it look like it would've been a quality game and giving them an extra year to flesh out everything would've only improved that imo.

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I'm pretty sure the reason for a lack of discussion regarding City of Legends can be attributed to the lack of info, lack of content and fact that the game just... sort of popped up out of nowhere.

 

However, having always adored the setting of the un-visoraked Metru Nui, I'm equally sad that this game also got canned as I am about LOMN. Plus, these are just the two we know about - how many other cancelled projects may be waiting undiscovered?

 

:kakama:

 

What's more surprising to me is that they didn't just keep working on this game while incorporating the 2005 story into it to make a 2-year saga game in the same vein as the OG Bionicle Game (the 2001-03 story saga). The video makes it look like it would've been a quality game and giving them an extra year to flesh out everything would've only improved that imo.

You know that’s a pretty good idea. I don’t know why the developers didn’t do that, considering EA did it for the first game. My only guess why is because they would miss the 2nd movie’s deadline. Even though if they kept working they could probably reach the 3rd movie’s release date.

"Wait, he's back from the dead?"- The 2 people that have heard of me

 

 

 

RWBY Volume 5 isn't bad, you're bad

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I'm pretty sure the reason for a lack of discussion regarding City of Legends can be attributed to the lack of info, lack of content and fact that the game just... sort of popped up out of nowhere.

 

However, having always adored the setting of the un-visoraked Metru Nui, I'm equally sad that this game also got canned as I am about LOMN. Plus, these are just the two we know about - how many other cancelled projects may be waiting undiscovered?

 

:kakama:

What's more surprising to me is that they didn't just keep working on this game while incorporating the 2005 story into it to make a 2-year saga game in the same vein as the OG Bionicle Game (the 2001-03 story saga). The video makes it look like it would've been a quality game and giving them an extra year to flesh out everything would've only improved that imo.

You know that’s a pretty good idea. I don’t know why the developers didn’t do that, considering EA did it for the first game. My only guess why is because they would miss the 2nd movie’s deadline. Even though if they kept working they could probably reach the 3rd movie’s release date.

 

Exactly. They could've totally had it out by the 3rd movie. It's honestly amazing to me how we had 2 major Bionicle games get cancelled before they could be released. And even the 2003 game was rushed to be released and had to be trimmed a few levels and had a couple of errors. My question is why? Why did we only get 2 major console games out of the 4 that we know of and even the ones we did get could've been a little more thought out? Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for the 2 games and I enjoy playing them, but I'm just curious why the companies involved didn't learn from previous mistakes and correct said mistakes to ensure the game be released on time and/or have everything ready in time. Just curious is all

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Well, as we know, there are two cancelled console games:

1. The Legend of Mata Nui computer game.

2. Bionicle 2: City of Legends (we hadn’t known about it for a long time).

 

Also, there are two released games:

1. Bionicle: The Game (this one is weird because it has a small number of levels that take you an hour to complete the whole game. B2: CoL was the sequel for this game).

2. Bionicle Heroes (the best Bionicle game).

 

Well, i would say this:

It’s very disappointing that the Bionicle movies after Mask of Light never got their video game adaptions. I think it is because of how troubled the makers of Bionicle: The Game were in making the game and how the game got mixed-to-negative reviews. They probably didn’t want to talk about the sequel, too, until later on, after Bionicle G1 ended. It was shocking that there was that cancelled game.:(

 

Well, it’s nice that we got a video showing a demo to the game. There ain’t much and I wish there are, but that would do for now.:)

I like Lego, Bionicle, and Hero Factory!:)

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In case any of you don’t know, you actually can play this game if you have a modded Original Xbox. You can download it here:http://biomediaproject.com/bmp/promo-cds/ just keep scrolling until you find City of Legends movement demo. It’s just 1 level, the one shown in the video. There’s is no sound. I don’t have an Original Xbox so I cannot play this.

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I wonder if this is a LOMN-esque case with some hidden treasure trove of more assets or even a functioning beta just waiting to be leaked, or if CoL was axed so early on that this really is all there is... I'm hoping for the former, but then the LOMN release already feels like some surreal miracle.

 

I'm pretty sad that we didn't see more official media set within the pre-cataclysm Metru Nui. The books, comics, Metru CDs, vahki animations, one film and that one disk-shooty Stop the Morbuzahk game just didn't give us enough time with this awesome setting. 

 

:kakama:

:kakama: Stone rocks :kakama:

Model Designer at The LEGO Group. Former contributor at New Elementary. My MOCs can be found on Flickr and Instagram

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To be honest this game kinda looks like a Prince of Persia clone. Due to it being a platformer with heavy parkour elements. However it looks fun and looks a heck of a lot better than EA’s Bionicle tie in game.

 

In my response, I'm going off the assumption that you're saying that City of Legends seems better than B:TG in terms of gameplay (it being a platformer), not graphics quality ("looks"). If that's incorrect, just let me know.

 

I've played a lot of Bionicle: The Game. It was one of the very few video games I had access to as a kid (and I was an older kid at that point), so I played the heck out of it. And certain levels seem quite similar to the gameplay of City of Legends. It seems like each "room" is a bit bigger in City of Legends, but I would guess that's just because the newer technology allowed for it. A lot of the levels in B:TG (as in, different Toa) are unique, beyond just being different environments. Pohatu Nuva's level is a minecart ride thing, in Kopaka's you're going down mountains on his shield and fighting Bohrok, and in Tahu Nuva's you're lavasurfing. But Gali Nuva's, Onua Nuva's, and Lewa Nuva's (and *maybe* Tahu's, but to a lesser extent) levels are very platforming-based, in a way that seems quite similar to the gameplay in City of Legends.

 

I see B:TG get a bad rap a lot of the time (which is somewhat warranted), but wanted to give my two cents as someone who has probably played more of the game than 95% of the people in the Bionicle community. The controls are janky, the graphics are pretty bad (even for the time), and it's a bit more difficult than it probably should have been for its target audience (although that's due, in large part, to the bad controls). But it's a fun game and there are a lot of unique elements in it that I think a lot of people don't recognize, and show a lot of creativity in the team that made it.

 

(also the soundtrack is 10/10)

Edited by Kopekemaster
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  • 4 years later...

Not all games of those times are worthy of attention, but some of them have become so popular, that they can safely be called legendary. Specifically about this game I haven`t heard anything, but I think its graphics even worse than in minecraft:) However, I do like Diablo, which has stood the test of time. I've been familiar with this game since the very beginning, i.e. since the late 90's. I consider myself an avid fan and have gone through all parts several times. The game has a bunch of quests, it`s possible to buy runes for more efficient passing, for example, I use insight cryptic axe. Also the game has developed a system of additional experience for killing and for destruction of other objects.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I'm yet to test out the demo, but I will probably play through lomn first as it's far more fun and interesting.

Bazinga! I've been a Bionicle Fan since early 2015 and have been aware of it since 2008. Was a bit late to the party due to my age, but that doesn't matter now. Looking for krana and sealed G1 sets at below market value if possible, (otherwise it'll be a few years before I care to collect sets I don't care as much about) Bohrok Kal and Krana Kal Mask Pack sets are ones I am particularly looking for atm.

I go by Nektann or Marcato usually online.

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