Last year, a surprising new LEGO® game was released based on PlayStation Studios’ Horizon series. The link-up between the LEGO Group and Sony followed an earlier partnership which resulted in the immensely popular Horizon: Tallneck set. The two worlds have collided again with a new set based on the game, which is based on another game. The second LEGO Horizon set transforms two more machines, a Sawtooth and a Shell-Walker, into LEGO models. LEGO Aloy has also returned, but this time she has help from fellow Nora Brave, Varl. After taking a closer look at the game, here’s what the LEGO Horizon Adventures set has to offer.
Product Details
Set Name: Aloy & Varl vs. Shell-Walker & Sawtooth | Set Number: 77037 | Pieces: 768 | Theme: Horizon
Number of Bags: Bags x 6 | Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Stickers: N/A | Minifigures: Aloy & Varl
RRP: £39.99/$44.99/44.99€/69.99AUD/59.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online & LEGO retailers
During the release of LEGO Horizon Adventures, a ‘behind the scenes’ video featured physical recreates of Horizon machines and as eagle-eyed viewers noticed, a new Aloy minifigure. This turned out to be a tease for a brand-new LEGO set based on the game. With the LEGO Horizon Adventures game being released in November, oddly the set based on it wasn’t released until March this year.
If you aren’t familiar with the Horizon series, it’s an open-world adventure game created by PlayStation Studio’s Guerrilla Games. The first game, Horizon Zero Dawn, was released in 2017 for the PlayStation 4 and became a major hit for Sony. Zero Dawn followed the adventures of a young orphan girl called Aloy and takes place in a post apocalyptic future Earth. After a civilization-ending event, Earth is now home to animal-like machines with humans reduced to small tribes. LEGO Horizon Adventures is based on the story of the first game, but told with a LEGO twist.
The set features two sections of scenery, which are extremely simple builds but add a little extra detail overall. One features a patch of tall grass, which is used in the game to hide from the machines. The other features a chest and a campfire, which are used in the original game as save points but are just for decoration in the LEGO version.
In the world of Horizon, after the events which devastated life on Earth, an AI program called HEPHAESTUS, began production of machines which were styled on real creatures. The Sawtooth were styled on saber-tooth cats, a long extinct feline predator. The LEGO version captures the unique shape of the machine but is quite simple in appearance. This is partly due to the use of light coloured elements. It does include antenna-like structures on its back and a power cell on its hindquarters. Its legs have a good amount of movement, but this also causes it to sink a little until you balance the legs out against the weight of the body.
The Shell-Walker is a formidable foe in the games. These crab-like machines are used to transport cargo in large canisters on their back. They are heavily armoured and put up quite a fight thanks to their powerful claw and energy shield. The LEGO version is extremely impressive; every detail of the machine has been expertly recreated. Its cargo shell is particularly great and nearly sits back of the Shell-Walker, even the armour clamp, which holds it in place is well done. It’s also much better at being posed.
The set features two minifigures based on playable characters from LEGO Horizon Adventures. Aloy has already appeared as a minifigure in the Tallneck set; the version found here is extremely similar. It uses the same unique hairpiece, with a Focus built into it. Her torso and legs are just about identical, there is a slight tweak to the print detail on the arms. As the game is a little more light hearted, Aloy has a less serious expression compared to her previous version. Joining Aloy is fellow Nora Brave, Varl. This minifigure features a unique hairpiece, created for Varl and has a detailed outfit based on his appearance from both the original and LEGO retelling of Horizon.
Both characters in the game feature weapons. Aloy has a bow and Varl a staff. The bow has been upgraded compared to the one Aloy sports in the Tallneck set. The new bow is a brand new element and has a similar appearance to a Carja Bow. It has accessory holes so you can switch the decoration to denote which elemental arrows Aloy is using. Varl’s staff has a similar type of customisation. You can change the stack of studs connected to the end of the staff. It’s a fun connection to the original game.
The set isn’t as impressive as the Tallneck, but it’s still great to have another set based on the world of Horizon. It’s a shame the set arrived so long after the game was released. It would have been more impactful for both if they had arrived closer together. As you can see from the in-game renders, the machines featured in this set are exact recreations of their digital counterparts. The game may not have been as exciting as other LEGO titles, but I still hope we get more Horizon sets. As the game has shown, the machine from the original game looks great in LEGO form. The LEGO Horizon Adventures: Aloy & Varl vs. Shell-Walker & Sawtooth set is available now.
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The LEGO Group provided this set to BricksFanz.com for review purposes. The thoughts expressed in this review are those of BricksFanz.com and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group or Sony. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion.
