I was tentatively excited about #LegoFortnite. It looked like a solid take on how to add lego to a survival crafter, even if it still had some kinks to work out. Now that I've seen how the pricing on the new kits works, I have much less hope that they'll actually fix it in time before the streamer meta moves on completely.
I previously praised the game for having an excellent build system (even if controls needed work) because it allowed you to drop individual pieces, granular components like walls, modular rooms, or fully pre-built structures so you could operate on the level you wanted. The selection was a bit sparse but you unlocked more through gameplay and the different levels were great.
Unfortunately, the new "kits" they dropped turn that system into a money sink so aggressive EA would balk (before taking notes). The kits are beach house, Lion knight's castle, and burger bar. Those are fine (even if the castle kinda overlaps with existing sets) but to get all three of them you need to fork over $45. That's far too much for the microtransactions these should be.
If I were in charge I'd do something like
Free unlock the burger bar to show players more free stuff is incoming and it isn't a naked cash grab
Lion Knight's castle can be bought for $10-15 now but everyone gets the unlock for free once some in game goal is achieved e.g. 50 million castles built across all players; buying it helps you contribute to that goal faster but F2P players can still do something to feel like they're part of it. Calibrate it so it goes free in 1, 3, or 6 months so you can double dip on PR about it going free as part of the next set of kits
Summer beach houses are $8 but you can get it free if you buy the physical box set of Lego Fortnite Summer Beach House.
It's still pretty heavily monetized but there are signs of good faith that you can have fun without emptying your wallet.
Wait, #LegoFortnite isn't a big online pvp battle thing? I thought that's what the whole idea behind #Fortnite. After watching Floydson's 100 Days video, it's clearly a survival crafter. And I think it's single player, possibly with some co-op options?
I don't think #Minecraft is the best comparison—it reminds me a lot more of #BreathOfTheWild with the blueprints, janky vehicles, gliders, character leveling, and potions. It doesn't look like it has the puzzles, plot, or boss fights of #BOTW. To offset that, the village building; automation via NPCs, and machinery add some potential for depth.
I guess this is just me being old and out of touch with the games played by kids these days. Certainly looks fun.