In retrospect, taking one of Sony’s flagship IPs and giving it the Lego video game treatment seems like a no-brainer. With development costs for AAA, crème de la crème action-adventure titles hitting all-time highs, a Lego-fied version of your favorite PlayStation franchise is a very safe bet: it’ll cost less to make, tide fans over until the next proper mainline entry, and hopefully attract newcomers and younger gamers.
Admittedly, recent LEGO video games haven’t reached the same popularity level as those from the 2000s and 2010s, but with advancements in rendering tech and the industry trending toward smaller, less risky titles, a title like Lego Horizon Adventures should be a smash-hit success. In reality, the situation isn’t so cut and dry.
To be fair, this reinterpretation of Aloy’s first adventure does have a lot going for it. With its lush landscapes and unique creature designs, Horizon Zero Dawn is a great fit for the Lego aesthetic, and the story lends itself well to a simplified retelling packed full of tongue-in-cheek jokes and fourth-wall breaks. Most of the series’ cast has returned to lend their voice talent, and while the plot has been stripped down to its bare bones, the basic premise is still intact — hunt machines, solve the mystery of the apocalypse, and save the world.
The core gameplay loop has also been given the Diet Zero Max treatment, but developers Guerilla Games and Studio Gobo might have gone too far in their pursuit of simplicity. Aloy is outfitted with the most basic of movesets; she can run, jump, shoot, and use her handy-dandy Focus to highlight enemy weak points. Unfortunately, that’s where her skills end — players don’t need to contend with tracking machines, figuring out their patrol routes, or crafting weapons to take them down.
Throughout your journey, you’ll find powerups in the form of alternate arrow types (that usually lean on elemental damage), as well as gadgets. Some can be used against enemies (think gravity bombs, a decoy version of Aloy, and the like) while others extend your moveset a bit (by adding a double jump or dash) enemies. Sadly, there’s nothing in the way of customizing a permanent build or loadout; finding a particular weapon variant or gadget is all up to random chance, and once their number of uses runs out, they’re gone. While I initially thought the other selectable characters would make up for the one-note combat, my hopes were quickly dashed. Varl’s spears, Teersa’s improvised explosives, and Erend’s hammer are all functionally similar.
Normally, this wouldn’t be much of an issue — after all, most Lego video games tend to distill the franchises they are based on into dilute, kid-friendly versions. The problem with Lego Horizon Adventures is that it rarely captures the fun of your favorite Lego Star Wars or Harry Potter game. There are no puzzles, levels that feature bespoke mechanics or rely on unique character abilities, or secrets to uncover.
Just about every side path in Lego Horizon Adventures leads to a chest containing a measly number of Lego studs and the disconnected nature of each stage (which are more like several smaller areas stitched together with the briefest of loading screens) fails to evoke the same sense of wonder I got when exploring the world of Horizon Zero Dawn. Halfway through my playthrough, I stopped focusing on collecting Lego Studs; the damage buffs and XP bonuses they unlock are inconsequential, and there’s only so much fun one can have with decorating their home base with a mish-mash of decorative Lego kits.
Lego Horizon Adventures Review: Final Verdict
While I’m sure that some of my disappointment can be chalked up to its younger target audience, the truth of the matter is a tougher pill to swallow: Lego Horizon Adventures is a half-decent game, but at the end of the day, it’s not a good Horizon game, and it’s certainly not a good Lego game. Somehow, it manages to be less than the sum of its parts.
Kid-friendly retelling of Horizon Zero Dawn’s story is well-told and packed full of jokes
Environments, characters, and enemies look great in Lego form
Overly simplified gameplay quickly grows stale
Level designs and combat encounters do little to encourage experimentation and exploration
Very little to do outside of story missions