LEGO videogames have been an industry staple sinceLEGO Star Wars: The Video Gamecaptured the attention and hearts of gamers back in 2005. The lighthearted and amusing adaptation of Star Wars Episodes I-III ignited a brand that has since adapted the likes of Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Marvel, DC and many more.LEGO Horizon Adventuresis a continuation of that trend, adapting the popular PlayStation IP, but with a major difference: longtime LEGO developer Traveller’s Tales isn’t the team behind the game. Instead, Horizon developer Guerrilla Games and Studio Gobo have partnered on this project, creating a LEGO game that plays and functions very differently from a traditional LEGO title. IsLEGO Horizon Adventuresa fun-filled LEGO adventure by a different developer or should LEGO leave their game development to Traveller’s Tales?
Review: Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
Does Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered justify its existence or is this merely a quick cash-grab while we continue to wait for Horizon 3?
Zero Dawn? Never Heard of Her
LEGO Horizon Adventurestakes place in the far future where our civilization has disappeared and modern humans live in primitive tribes that hunt colossal Machines. You play as Aloy, a outcast hunter from the Nora tribe whose curiosity about her mysterious origins sets her on an adventure to save the planet. Along the way, she’ll make new friends, build a home and put a stop to the sun-obsessed Helis and the mysterious Hades.
It’s no exaggeration to say thatLEGO Horizon Adventurestakes a lot of liberties withHorizon Zero Dawn’sstory, either stripping out or de-emphasizing the darker themes. What’s left is a story that focuses more on the lighter, positive themes ofZero Dawnwith its own narrative beats thrown in.
The narrative isn’t terrible and serves as a whimsical journey through Aloy’s adventure with a greater emphasis on the five main characters. Each brings great personality to the table, particularly Varl, Erend and Teersa who all didn’t have that large of roles inZero Dawn. There’s a good sense of humor, though it sometimes leans too much into the absurd, sabotaging a lot of the jokes.
Where the narrative truly hurts is when it must tie in elements fromZero Dawnthat it doesn’t want to bring up. The Machine Derangement and fall of humanity are frequently mentioned, but the game never has any real answers. Nowhere is this felt more than with the villain, Hades. Without Project Zero Dawn or the downfall of humanity, Hades is merely a mysterious enigma that comes out of nowhere. How he has power over Machines, convinces Helis to work with him or what his ultimate motive is are mysteries that are never solved within the context of this game.
LEGO Horizon Adventures’narrative is whimsical, but it loses a lot of context to make it more family friendly. While franchise fans can fill in the blanks with their knowledge ofZero DawnandHorizon Forbidden West, newer players are likely to be left scratching their heads.
A LEGO Game, yet Not Like a LEGO Game
Where the narrative stumbles,LEGO Horizon Adventuresfinds some footing in its design and gameplay. Unlike the main franchise,LEGO Horizon Adventuresis split into four different sections with five levels apiece. Missions are broken up with visits to the main hub, Mother’s Heart, which can be heavily customized with different buildings and decorations. Overall,LEGO Horizon Adventuresisn’t a very long game with a campaign that can be beat in 4-6 hours, although you can increase that time by completing Apex Hunts, community board challenges and collecting costumes.
LEGO Horizon Adventures’narrative is whimsical, but it loses a lot of context to make it more family friendly.
LEGO Horizon Adventuresbreaks from Traveller’s Tales’ LEGO games in numerous ways. For one, levels are extremely linear with little to find outside of Studs. The main collectibles inLEGO Horizon Adventures are Gold and Red Bricks, which are earned by completing levels and challenges (Gold) and Apex Hunts (Red). The more bricks you collect, the more customization items you unlock. It’s a leaner LEGO game than anything Traveller’s Tales has put out, which isn’t such a bad thing considering how large those games have gotten.
The game also breaks with tradition in who you play as. Rather than a large roster of characters to choose from,LEGO Horizon Adventuresprovides only four, though all four play vastly differently. Aloy uses her bow and different variants to hit at far distances, Varl’s spears drill through Machines to deal extra damage, Teersa throws short-range explosives, while Erend deals melee damage with his hammer. These different playstyles help inject variety into the gameplay loop.
Fun in Small Doses, Repetitive in Large Doses
LEGO Horizon Adventuresis also more challenging than a traditional LEGO game by choosing to adapt many ofHorizon’smechanics into its gameplay. You’ll use tall grass to ambush enemies, the Focus to highlight weak points, utilize the environment to deal extra damage and use the elements (fire, ice, electricity) to apply additional pressure and effects. It all adds up to surprisingly intense and engaging battles and yet gameplay ends up being repetitive.
There’s a lot of fun to be had playingLEGO Horizon Adventures, but the game starts to drag about halfway through. Combat never evolves much beyond pointing and shooting at the weak points, arenas feel too similar, and the way XP is administered boxes you into picking one character and sticking with them. The game is at its most fun when played in small bursts, but becomes too repetitive in longer play sessions. At least, unlike other LEGO games, this one can be played cooperatively online, and playing with a friend is much more fun.
LEGO Horizon Adventuresis a game best played in smaller chunks. It’s a leaner game with less content than a traditional LEGO game. Gameplay is more involved and engaging, though its lack of evolution makes long play sessions repetitive. There’s quite a bit of fun here, just don’t try and binge it all at once.
Lego Horizon Adventures Brings Upbeat Take on PlayStation’s Series
Aloy is much more joyful in this trailer than her usual self.
A LEGOtastic Looking Game
Where the game truly excels without question is in its presentation. Guerrilla Games and Studio Gobo have somehow managed to capture the look and feel ofThe LEGO Movie. Animations match the stop-motion look of those films and every piece of the environment is built out of plastic blocks. It’s just how Horizon should look if it was made from LEGOs. Adding to that authenticity is the fact that nearly all the original voice actors reprise their roles, minus Sylens (RIP Lance Reddick).LEGO Horizon Adventuresnails its presentation and is a delight to look at and listen to.
Closing Comments
Traveller’s Tales has done such a good job bringing various LEGO games to life that it did feel impossible any other developer could take up the mantle. Guerrilla Games and Studio Gobo have mostly proven that assumption wrong withLEGO Horizon Adventures. Despite its overall dark backstory, the two developers have managed to translateHorizon Zero Dawn’sstory, characters and gameplay into a LEGO format that’s entertaining in the right dosage, breaking from the traditional LEGO format for both better and worse. Refocusing the narrative around the five main characters helps create a level of personality a few of them weren’t afforded in the original game.
The humor doesn’t always land, but the return of nearly all the voice cast helps make it tolerable. The content package is leaner than a traditional LEGO game, making it easier to complete, but also feel somewhat less fulfilling. Gameplay is more in-depth with numerous Horizon mechanics baked in, but also becomes too repetitive too quickly. It’s fun and engaging, but not for long play sessions. The presentation is stellar, though, with a look and feel that matchesThe LEGO Movie.LEGO Horizon Adventuresis a fun, albeit brief, romp through the world of Horizon. Its story, humor, world and gameplay may not fully match up to its source material, or reach the same heights as the best Traveller’s Tales LEGO games, but Guerrilla Games and Studio Gobo have built a strong foundation for a new style of LEGO game.
