Lego ElfQuest: Potential video game in the Lego lineup; discussion

After playing Lego: Lord of the Rings, I've been mulling over the thought of a Lego version of Elf Quest - the initial quest, up until they find the Palace.

The more I think it over, the more I could really see this working - and the Lego games seem uniquely qualified to get the most out of an ensemble cast. So this topic is a chance to discuss the possibility.

Tone

Though they can be epic, the Lego games tend to replay our beloved classics with a comedic tone. (One example: Sauron gets made and kicks a palantir off his tower; it hits Pippin in the head; Gandalf demands it of Pippin, bonks him in the head when he hesitates, and then hides it in his beard.) I don't think this would harm Elf Quest any more than it did the other franchises.

I think the Simlish and pantomime would help EQ avoid some problems. Now, Lord of the Rings used clips from the movies, but adding voice acting to the EQ game would add a level of cost and difficulty to the production, reduce possible VA choices for later adaptations (such as the movie), and cause fandom battles over whether the choices were appropriate. Plus it'd have a whole different tone - and can you imagine Pike being given a "Comedic Sidekick" voice? (That's what they did with Jughead on the Archie animated series, and why I never watch those.)

Characters and Abilities

It strains my willing suspension of disbelief to see Sam pat a pile of dirt and instantly grow a plant, but this'd be just an exaggeration of canon powers for Redlance. The Lego games have already demonstrated levitation, freezing enemies in their tracks, wrapping people in webs, having little creatures go into small areas to work puzzles, etc.

Treestump could break things with his axe and Picknose with his pick, Ekuar could change or crumble stone, Leetah could heal hearts, paralysis, or poison (plus learns to throw a dagger), and Skywise's Lodestone could do... something. Aroree's claw thing could grab small things out of reach, maybe pull levers in the troll and Two-Edge areas. Suntop (and Savah) could pop into astral plane areas to distract Winnowill, contact an NPC, get info... I dunno.

Rayek's levitation powers would grow as the story progressed, from small objects to crossing small gaps to heavy objects (likely that door he lifted at the end of the comic would be repeated in various places). Near the end he could be flying... though flying is the one ability I think could be troublesome for the designers of free-play levels.

You could play wolves, zwoots, giant birds, and reindeer. Wolves could track - as perhaps could some or all of the Wolfriders. (It bugs that in my whole Fellowship of the Ring, nobody can swim, only one guy can make fire, and Aragorn demonstrates his Ranger status by tracking... while being unable to swim or make fire.)

There's precedence for fears (Treants fear fire), so Cutter could shy away from high cliff areas, and Skywise from closed-in places; Leetah could also go into shock if she "kills" anyone. There's precedence for a character being forced against their will to do something, so Dewshine could be affected by Winnowill's sending if you don't keep an eye on her.

Locations

The Father Tree. The troll tunnels. The desert. The Sun Village, the Bridge of Destiny, the tunnels the Wolfriders lived in and the caves Cutter and Rayek were stuck in for the trial; maybe the zwoot canyon. There are so many wonderful locations to be found across the whole quest, and it would be a blast to explore them in Lego form.

Scenes

I've been thinking over how best to handle the transition to game form, and how the game promises to expand some of the story; here's part of what I've come up with:

First, to introduce the players to the format and get them familiar with the characters and their abilities, start not with Redlance in danger but with the Hunt. In fact, break the Hunt into multiple groups, so the number of characters isn't overwhelming, and we get to shift between the various characters and the wolves, and track down a meal.

Then, as the group returns home bearing meat - possibly disappointed that the hunt is so lean right now - have Redlance separated from the group. Probably because he needed to repair a broken tree or something (I'd say a thorn wall, but they invented those much later). Then have him spot a large buck and decide to go after it. Get us involved in the chase, the kill - the capture.

After the big scene of the rescue, let us enjoy the Father Tree for a while, in peace... maybe have to hunt down the kids and bring them to dinner? Get us to really love this location, so our feelings are in line with the Wolfriders' when the fire starts destroying it later.

Escaping the fire means putting various skills to work to open the path as logs fall in the way, we turn in new directions, vines are in the way... etc. Then a puzzle at the troll entrance to put together the thing that signals the trolls - this is in keeping with the Lego game feel - and then, from the inside, have a troll have to solve a puzzle to let them in.

There's stuff to be done in the tunnel toward the desert... the game expands many of the sections that take place in the Sun Village, including the Trials... all sorts of fun stuff. And this isn't even to the other three books yet!

Can you see the potential? The sheer scope of it boggles my mind. Assuming Lego (Telltale Games?) would want to give it a try, it could really make for an entertaining game - and raise awareness of Elf Quest, which could increase the chances of getting the movie made.

...anyone see any major downsides or problems with the idea? I don't want this thread to be too negative, but it's good to be realistic.

By the way, if anyone can think of non-magical abilities that would suit specific characters, please do point them out!

Pike probably has the ability to grow or make use of Dreamberries in some fashion. For him, they're beneficial - perhaps heal injuries or give him pain resistance for a short while? But for humans, they're deadly, so there could easily be a puzzle to get human guards to move away from an entrance and Pike just tosses Dreamberries their way (obviously it's treated more comically than actually deadly for them).

Dart should have something like the Hobbits' ability to throw rocks at things - maybe he can shoot his little half-bow thing to startle birds into moving?

Also, given that the Lego games have concentrated on unlockable characters, it might be neat to include flashback or story areas - probably optional, though the Madcoil one might be mandatory - that allow you to explore a short story about each Wolfrider chief, thus adding that chief (and probably one or two notable figures from their time) to the Free Play lineup. Though that might be wishful thinking.

Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with Elf Quest, so I can't be much help, but this does sound like it could potentially be interesting. Lego Batman 2 gave characters like Superman and Wonder Woman flight and it was fine there for the most part, so I wouldn't worry about flight being a potential Gamebreaker. In the story at least, you'd most likely need to find a way to get the rest of the group to where the flyer is anyway.

Ah, good point. I haven't yet played the superhero ones, so I don't know how flight works in those versions.

From the point of view of someone unfamiliar with Elf Quest, are there any general Lego-game pointers I ought to focus on in fleshing out this idea? (Even if you don't have any, thank you for replying.)