Photo: © Guerrilla Games
Lego Horizon Adventures is the most graphically stunning Lego game ever. However, the short adventure is looking for its target audience, as its way of simplifying Horizon Zero Dawn’s story bypasses the best part of the original game, and the combat doesn’t quite hold up either.
Publication date: 14.11.2024
Studio: DeNa
Publisher: Guerrilla
Available: PlayStation 5 (tested), PC, Nintendo Switch
Players: 1-2
Age limit: 7
Game played for review: about seven hours
Lego Horizon Adventures take Horizon Zero Dawnin a story that lasts a good 20 hours and shortens that story to a summary lasting about 6–8 hours, depending on the game style. In the story of the Lego version, the joint adventure of the heroine Aloy, familiar to those who have played Horizon Zero Dawn, as well as Rosti, Teersa, Varli, Sylens and other key characters is summarized in its main points.
As those who have played Lego games can expect, Lego Horizon Adventures does not take itself seriously. The characters crack jokes from the very beginning, the host talks about himself and the game world takes extensive Lego liberties. Aloy and her friends can be dressed up as a Lego Ninjago ninja or a chicken outfit. The humor is Pixar- or Dreamworks-style, i.e. child-friendly but manages to make even an adult player smile.
Playing Lego Horizon Adventures consists of campaign missions and roaming around the Mother’s Heart home area. As is typical for Lego games, you can collect small Lego buttons from the game world, which serve as in-game currency. Legos can be used to buy upgrades to the character’s skill tree, or to decorate Mother’s Heart with various cosmetic additions. In the home area, you can build, for example, a common dining table for the villagers, a Christmas tree or even a bajamaja – so the fun continues in this area as well.
Image: © Guerrilla Games
Simple combat
We start from the home area to carry out campaign tasks. In them, Aloy, or as the game progresses a bit, also Varl or one of the four playable characters in total, takes measurements of the robot animals and dinosaurs characteristic of the Horizon series, as well as the representatives of the villainous cult. Here, too, a possible younger player base is taken into account, as Lego Horizon Adventures explains in a child-friendly way what the cult really means.
The difficulty level of the fight can be adjusted on a five-step scale. More experienced players should start at the upper end of the difficulty levels, because otherwise the battle is quite easy. However, it is good that the difficulty level can also be adjusted downwards. Lego Horizon Adventure is a great cooperative game that can be played from the same sofa or over the network, for example with a child or a spouse who plays less.
Even a player who has never held a game stick will learn the easy controls and gameplay in no time. As an added bonus, an additional player can jump in at any time, even in the middle of a level, so you can bring a friend to play very flexibly.
Image: © Guerrilla Games
Robot opponents have their own weak points, which can be found with a Focus scan. In addition, the player can use elements in the battle. For example, an arrow can be shot through a campfire at an opponent, in which case it will set the opponent on fire. There’s not much punishment for dying in battle, as the game just rewinds a little to the previous save point.
There’s a decent amount of choice in the weapon selection. Each of the playable characters is slightly different, and in the game world you can find fun additional weapons for all characters. The selection of weapons also continues to be fun – you can punish enemies by using a tool meant for dismantling real-life Legos, or by setting up a hot dog stand that throws bombs in the middle of the battlefield.
Nevertheless, especially for a more experienced player, the struggle of Lego Horizon Adventures can prove to be disappointing. The fight repeats itself and is largely based on hitting the attack button. There isn’t even a dodge button, you have to dodge the opponents’ attacks by stopping attacking and running away.
In addition to combat, the short levels, lasting about 10-15 minutes, contain light level jumping and hunting for secrets. Still, the familiar repetition of combat plagues the level design as a whole. There are sometimes so few clear differences in the levels that if the story didn’t move forward, you could think you were playing the previous level again.
Image: © Guerrilla Games
Great block graphics and music
The absolute trump card of Lego Horizon Adventures is the game’s gorgeous look. All the game’s opponents and level structures are real Lego structures, which could also be implemented in real life with suitable blocks. The environments are absolutely stylish and, especially as a Lego fan, you sometimes feel like stopping to admire the environments implemented in the game.
On the PlayStation 5, the game runs smoothly and no technical problems were encountered. At the same time, the soundtrack playing in the background fits the game perfectly and is pleasant to listen to.
Overall, the biggest problem with Lego Horizon Adventures is that the game has a rather limited target group. For long-time Horizon fans, the Lego version is easily too simple. If you haven’t played through Horizon Zero Dawn, the story of the Lego version, which is quickly shortened and sprinkled with Lego humor, is nowhere near as deep or interesting as in the original game, where Aloy tries to solve the mystery of robot dinosaurs.
In general, it can be a bit difficult to follow a rambling story without knowing the source material.
Image: © Guerrilla Games
Lego Horizon Adventures is also quite an expensive game considering its content. Although not all games have to be impossibly long, the price tag of 70 euros for a game lasting about six hours is quite expensive.
At its best, Lego Horizon Adventures is probably for those Horizon fans who want to experience the game again from a new, lighter perspective, for example with a child or a playing partner who plays less. Then, especially when played from the same couch, the experience is at best a very fun joint gaming experience.
Even fans of Lego games or Lego fans in general can enjoy the graphically stunning Lego Horizon Adventures, and the game is also suitable for those who think Lego robot dinosaurs just look cool.
LEGO HORIZON ADVENTURES
“Lego Horizon Adventures is a great-looking but short Lego adventure with a limited target audience.”
Source: muropaketti.com
