Published , by Aidan O'Brien
Published , by Aidan O'Brien
When it was first announced, Lego Horizon Adventures prompted some interesting responses as it aimed to take an odd place among the pantheon of Lego titles. Lego tie-in games have traditionally centered on enormous properties that span the cultural gamut, and while the Horizon titles are big business for Sony, they are not Batman or Star Wars in terms of scale. This makes the choice interesting because while it should technically limit the audience, it also gives the combined developers of Studio Gobo and original Horizon developer Guerrilla Games more freedom in how they approach the title.
We also live in a world where art is a product, and it’s pretty clear that Sony sees Aloy and the Horizon universe as a valuable long-term bet. As such, the target market for this game is young gamers who can be lured into the world of Horizon with a more humorous, kid-friendly take on things or parents who happen to be fans of the Horizon games who will jump at the chance to share that passion with their kiddos. That is not to say you can't enjoy it as an adult; it just has a different audience in mind. The result is a fun game that oozes passion for Lego, the world of Horizon, and gaming in general, but sadly, it also lacks depth and leaves some potential wins on the table, which is a shame.
The world of Lego Horizon Adventures is built entirely from Lego pieces, each one lovingly rendered with a delightful plastic surface, complete with mold lines and the tiny imperfections that are part of the manufacturing process of authentic Lego blocks. This makes it the best kind of Lego game, as the joy of engaging with these blocks in real life is finding solutions to the same questions that the developers clearly had to ask themselves. Because it is a video game, the devs could also do things that would be nigh impossible in a real build, such as moving waterfalls made of Lego blocks. Seeing how the developers met these challenges will be a source of enjoyment for Lego fans, and some of the tiny little tableaux that have been built and spread through the levels are wonderfully realized.
The machines from the Horizon games have also been lovingly recreated with admirable attention to detail in both construction and animation. These things are tailor-made for the Lego treatment, and the developers did a fabulous job replicating how they look and behave. The downside is that, while things look amazing, the actual game world itself is pretty simple and basic, with a too-similar level design and an overall lack of depth when it comes to exploration. Simply put, there is nothing to find tucked away in the corners of the world and little reason to stray off the beaten path.
While Lego Horizon Adventures is very clearly a game aimed at kids, I would also accuse it of underestimating its audience, especially when you consider the easy way it supports drop-in cooperative play, allowing a parent to join in or siblings and friends to play together. Just pick up another controller, plug it in, and you are good to go exploring together. But sadly, there are no real secrets to find here, and no puzzles to solve. Platforming is often very rudimentary, with only later levels offering any real variety to traversal challenges, and that ends up being too little, too late. When exploring levels, the only things to find are chests that offer some in-game currency called studs and occasional weapons, or small piles of bricks to interact with that build something random like a snowman or totem pole, also awarding some studs.
As you play through levels, gathering up these studs, you then return to the central hub of Mother’s Hope to spend them on buildings and amenities that don’t actually do anything. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what building you decide to build, or where you decide to build it, as those buildings don’t serve any purpose outside of occasionally being required for a challenge. It’s a big shame, as these buildings could have served a purpose, and further depth could have been added by developing a rudimentary village management system for players to engage with. Instead, it’s just used as advertising for the various Lego playsets that inspire the available buildings.
The story is a very simplified and super-condensed version of the Horizon Zero Dawn story, told through the humorous lens that Lego games and films have established over the last few years. It works surprisingly well, even if the main characters are simplified to single character traits like enjoying sandwiches or donuts; there were moments that genuinely made me laugh as I played through the story. Oddly, when you wrap it up, there is no way to replay missions, and all that remains are Apex Hunts against some of the fiercer monsters in the game, as you are expected to feel the need to keep gathering studs to unlock every outfit and building option as a potential endgame.
One major upside is that many of the voice actors from the Horizon titles return to lend their voice work to the game, with Ashely Burch as Aloy and JB Blanc as Rost seeming to take great delight in the opportunity to add some humorous flair to their characters. There is an emotional sting when Sylens appears, and you get a painful reminder that the talented Lance Reddick is no longer with us. Based on the fun he had with the Destiny community, he would have taken great joy in working on Lego Horizon Adventures and adding some comedic flair to Sylens.
As for the combat, four different characters and a variety of available weapons combine with an array of enemies to provide some interesting, if brief, tactical brawls. Large fights are reserved for the end of levels and are enjoyable and sometimes frantic positional battles. Outside of the basic weapon for each character, your loadout consists of random drops, constantly forcing you to think about what you are fighting and how best to deal with it. The machines all possess weak points that you need to exploit, much like the games they originate from, and the constant need to switch weapons, take advantage of the location you are in, and analyze targets should definitely prove good fun for younger players, if a little simple for adults.
Lego Horizon Adventures is a fun time for younger folks, even if older people playing with them might be left a little underwhelmed. What will be genuinely interesting and exciting is if this foundation is built on. This has covered the first Horizon game, but there is another one out there, and if the developers decided they have the time and scope to build more complexity on top of this offering, they really might be on to something special that could light the way for future Lego tie-ins.
I do think the overall shallowness is a shame, and a game that looks this interesting was begging for a photo mode. It is also great to see Sony release this title on PC and Nintendo Switch on day one, even if the console war gods still demand that Xbox be sacrificed on the altar of platform partisanship. Ultimately, Lego Horizon Adventures is a solid title for kids, or to play with kids, but it’s hard to escape the idea that those same kids are likely a little bit smarter than the challenges that are on offer here.
Lego Horizon Adventures is available on PlayStation 5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. A code was provided by the publisher for this review.