Genre: Action-Adventure
Modes: Single-player and Multiplayer
Developers: Guerrilla Games and Studio Gobo
Publishers: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release Date: November 14th 2024
Platforms: PS5, Nintendo Switch and PC
Reviewed On: PS5
We have certainly come a long way since Lego Island. Lego Horizon Adventures is a spin-off title in Guerrilla Games' Horizon series. It's a family-friendly retelling of the events of the first game in the series, Horizon Zero Dawn. All the familiar faces are here, and the environments all translate well to a Lego aesthetic, as does the combat. However, during my nine-hour playthrough of the game, Lego Horizon Adventures did not stand out from the current onslaught of licensed Lego games. It does just enough to garner the attention and enjoyment of child and adult gamers. However, the premise and themes in Zero Dawn differ from Lego's playful, cartoonish style despite the game's beautiful visuals.
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
Right off the bat, Lego Horizon is stunning. The use of Unreal Engine 5 makes the Lego aesthetic shine in all its miniature plastic glory. Lego Horizon has to be the most visually impressive Lego game ever made, even more so than Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. The game captures the different ecosystems of the original game and adapts them beautifully to Lego. Mother's Heart feels like an elaborate Lego set you can purchase from a shop. The machine enemies resemble fully-realised Lego statues, and every character model is adorable, combining the miniature charm of a Lego figure with that of their video game counterparts. The creative variability of Lego is present in the hub world of the game Mother's Heart. Not only can you customise nearly every hut, yard, bridge, and decoration in the town, but you can also customise the look of every playable character. The further you progress through the game, the more you can customise the world with figures and locations from other Lego properties like Lego Ninjago and Lego City. Customisation has always been a significant hook that has drawn people to Lego games, and it is no exception for Lego Horizon. The Lego world has a much more colourful and vibrant soundtrack than the original game. While it may not have the same level of tension and scale as Zero Dawn, it captures the silly and upbeat nature of the game's design. The game's opening theme is memorable, and its use of more dance-oriented instruments is unforgettable, even if the same formula becomes repetitive with the later songs. The soundtrack is fun and pairs well with the game's visuals.
At the beginning of the game, you play as Aloy, the loveable huntress who has become one of PlayStation's best modern protagonists. She has her bow, which can defeat enemies and break objects in the environment to find studs (the game's currency). Aloy's controls play similar to the Heart-Seeking Bow in Hades. You hold down a button to charge up the bow and then release it to fire the arrow in whichever direction you aim with the analogue stick. Hades is one of my favourite games, so the combat was immediately familiar, even if it felt nowhere near as slick, responsive and fluid as Hades.
The more you progress in Lego Horizon's story, the more playable characters will become available. At first, you can only play as Aloy, but then you unlock Varl, the son of War-Chief Sona, who uses a spear to attack. Then you unlock Teersa, a High Matriarch of the Nora tribe, who throws explosives to take down enemies. The last playable character to unlock is Erend, a member of the Oseram tribe, who uses a hammer to attack enemies. The different characters allow players to go through the story through single-player or co-op.
I played the game in single-player, switching back and forth between each character to see which best suited my play style. I preferred Aloy's gameplay to that of the other characters. I was not a massive fan of Teersa; her attack was much slower than the others. Varl was similar to Aloy but slower, and Erend's attack was most effective when you were close to an enemy. It is fun to try out each character, but I played as Aloy more than the others. You earn XP by killing enemies and levelling up your character. Each level-up brings you an upgrade, whether it be additional health, a more powerful attack or a special weapon equipped from the beginning of the level. Once you find your preferred character, you can prioritise powering them up. Along with the level-up bonuses, upgrades can be purchased from Elisabet Sobeck in the hub world with the studs you find throughout the game.
GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD
I was sceptical about how the developers would adapt Zero Dawn's intricate combat system to Lego. Yes, it may not be as rewarding or as thought-provoking as the original game, but the developers have made the combat work in this game. The unique system of enemy weak points is here from Zero Dawn. When you lock on an enemy, their exposed weak points glow yellow. Weak points are where you need to attack that enemy to do the most damage. If you miss the weak point but still hit the enemy, you will still inflict harm, but it will be a fraction of the amount compared to hitting the weak points. Some weak points deal more damage than others, so it's crucial to experiment with hitting different enemies from different angles to see which does the most damage.
In addition to experimenting with different enemy weak points, you can customise the game's combat with various gadgets and special weapons. You can find the gadgets and unique weapons in chests throughout each level and, at other times, obtain them after defeating an enemy. Several different weapons are unique to each playable character. Aloy can equip fire, shock or freeze arrows, Erend can use an earthquake hammer to create a shockwave, Varl can turn his spear into a boomerang, and Teersa can throw shark explosives. These are only some special weapons to find; they are creative and entertaining. The gadgets are universal to every character and can give you the upper hand in combat. The fan-favourite Tripcaster from Zero Dawn makes a return, as well as Blast Boots that allow you to double jump, the Brick Separator, which enables you to deal a heavy attack to all enemies, and the Hot Dog Kart, which summons a hot dog stand with an NPC who throws explosive hot dogs at enemies (surprisingly, this is one of the most powerful gadgets in the game). The gadgets are brimming with charm and character, and all of them make the combat more memorable.
The main collectible of Lego Horizon Adventures is the Gold Lego Bricks.
You obtain one at the end of every level but can get more by completing side quests. In the hub world, you will find the Community Board, where you can start side objectives. Most of these simple side objectives encourage players to experiment further in combat. Some objectives are as simple as beating a level as a particular character. Still, others involve killing a certain amount of enemies with an explosive attack or purchasing a set amount of customisations in the hub world. After completing each quest, you receive Gold Lego Bricks, which unlock new locations in the hub world.
Along with the Gold Lego Bricks, there are also the Red Lego Bricks obtained by beating the Apex Predators of the game. The Apex Predators are optional bosses, and beating them rewards you with a Red Lego Brick. The bosses themselves are good throughout the game. They start simple, and the boss's attack patterns are easy to grasp, but they get more complicated as the story progresses. I died several times during the bosses; they can be challenging if you are not constantly on your toes and paying attention to their attack patterns.
BRICK BY BORING BRICK
Despite the charm and fun of this game, you can not ignore the downgrade of the story. Horizon as a franchise adapts well to Lego from a gameplay perspective, but the story has taken a severe beating. What was once a relevant and relatable story discussing the dangers of artificial intelligence, climate change, and racism is now a mediocre story that focuses too much on being funny rather than engaging. Licensed Lego franchises have worked in the past because they have always had a cartoonish identity. Star Wars is the best example and is a story that has never taken itself too seriously. Horizon, however, IS a severe story with little comedy in its themes. I understand the dumbing down of the game's themes to fit the family-friendly market of Lego, but it does not work for a franchise like Horizon. The voice performances are great, and Ashly Burch returning as Aloy is always a pleasure, but the writing can sometimes feel brain-dead. In this game, Erend's only character trait is that he likes food, specifically doughnuts. Erend is no longer a drunk, torn between loyalty to his sister and tribe while looking to prove himself. Now, he is a one-note, annoying character. Sylens is another character ruined by the changed target audience. Instead of being a greedy, rash and fascinating character, he is now an annoying companion obsessed with electronic dance music. It is not funny, necessary for the plot and adds nothing to the game.
The biggest problem with this game, however, is the level design. Every level blends into one another, and there is hardly any variety in the game's main objectives. You could speed through each level in around 10 minutes if you go straight from the beginning to the end. There are some optional paths in the levels for better weapons and studs, but there is no challenge or platforming to make the reward feel worthwhile. The platforming in the game needs to be improved. There are no challenging jumps to make; the climbing requires no thought and is a case of pointing the analogue stick in the direction you want to go, and there are no hidden collectibles to find in the level to reward you for paying attention. The level design makes Lego Horizon tedious and very repetitive. Aside from a different setting, every level feels the same, and the gameplay never changes. It can make the game outstay it's welcome. It may have only taken me nine hours to finish the game, but the repetitive pace made it feel much longer and gave me no desire to continue for the final collectibles.
VERDICT
Lego Horizon Adventures is enjoyable at times. The combat is fun, the bosses are challenging in some areas, and the presentation is immaculate. From a visual perspective, Horizon adapts well into a Lego game. Sadly, the story is very monotonous. Characters are more annoying than in Zero Dawn, and the story could have been more impactful. The level design needs to give players more variety, making the game feel repetitive within the first few hours of game time. While I still liked this game, I needed more to keep me engaged past finishing the story.
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