LEGO Fortnite: Dark Space Is The Lego Horror Map I Had No Idea I Needed

While I’ve enjoyed this season, I must say that more than the Battle Royale itself, I’ve really enjoyed playing maps outside the normal Fortnite modes. The new Fall Guys style maps are fun. The Rocket Racing is slowly turning into something good. But I’ve really been grooving on the Lego maps. And one of my new favorites is LEGO Dark Space.

LEGO Dark Space is intriguing from top to bottom, from it’s design choices, tone and overall concept. It’s a first person Lego puzzle horror game. It has a plot of sorts, it’s got a fun and diverse set of puzzles and it’s also legitimately creepy and scary. I was very surprised by what they were able to do with the LEGO style here.

                      Spooky men in tubes are always spooky. even in LEGO form.

One thing LEGO Fortnite does really well overall is environment design and this map definitely nails it. It combines LEGO assets with prerendered background and locales in a way that is immersive and true to the map theme while also being very…LEGO. It puts these pieces together in a way that makes it scary while still being pretty PG. As the saying goes, it’s the implication. And the LEGO aesthetic does add a valuable twist to some of the tried and true sci-fi horror tropes we see here. For example, guys in glass tubes? Classsic. LEGO guys in glass tubes? Different but feels just right.

This map feels inspired by a myriad of sci-fi horror, such as DOOM, Alien and The Thing. It’s goes for a lot and ends up having a lot going for it as a result. I was impressed by the atmosphere, I loved the cultural references and I was really surprised at how cohesively they blended all these things together in LEGO Fortnite. I mean this has no business working, but it does and it does so in a way that feels fresh and not derivative. Loving nods rather than furious pointing.

Not only are creepy aliens chasing you around a messed up base, but the weather is also bad.

There’s real versatility in this map too. The puzzles are unique and engaging. There are clear delineations between the areas on the base, even as they do share a overall theme and style. I liked how the map handled this, making these transitions between different parts of the ship subtle, but still evident. There’s no big glaring sign or flashing lights. You just walk in and BOOM! Test tube guys. It keeps the immersion on a level.

There are 10 tasks you’re supposed to complete. I haven’t completed them all yet. I’ve done maybe 6 or 7 per run so far. There’s also lore items to collect and mini puzzles you can do that give you XP. This map gives you a lot of XP, to it’s credit. It’s a robust map in terms of content, but it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome and it’s arranged in a way that encourages multiple playthroughs.

                                                                     NOPE. 

The “scare” factor in this map is very real too. The enemies aren’t the more morbid looking, but their movement and ability to just pop out around a corner makes them menacing. Recently, after an update, I swear they’ve been more aggressive. It’s unnerving to open a door and see a dark shape looming at you, but it’s also a little thrilling. These ruffians keep you on your toes and when you encounter them, there’s really not much else you can do but run, which is a refreshing twist considering it’s Fortnite.

They contribute to what is a very unique ambiance in the Fortnite universe. You’re powerless, curious and also determined. I kind of wish it was a larger map, or at least had a sequel, because frankly, it engaged me more than a lot of Fortnite maps I’ve played. Hell, I think I like this more than vanilla LEGO Fortnite, which feels big, tedious and unwieldy at this point.

                                       Purple Vine Tentacles are a staple of sci-fi.

LEGO Fortnite Dark Space is definitely different from your normal Fortnite experience. But it is absolutely something you should try out. Horror in this engine is much more entertaining than you would think and this map especially is a unique gem among Fortnite horror. It feels fresh and original, but also has some influences that make it feel familiar at the same time.

If you play any Fortnite and are looking for something new to try out, give this map a whirl. You might be surprised at how fun it actually is. There’s shades of Among Us, Alien, The Thing and DOOM but none of these influences overpower the experience. It’s very well balanced, both from a scares and from a gameplay perspective and you can tell the LEGO Fortnite team had fun making this. Yeah. That’s the article. Have fun and DO NOT, DO NOT turn a corner too quickly.