Before we begin, don’t expect LEGO® Horizon Adventures to be a full brick-built retread of Zero Dawn. Nor should you expect a collectible-laden experience fine-tuned by TT Games in their LEGO titles. Instead, you’ll be experiencing a watered-down retelling of the Zero Dawn’s story and a vastly different, yet vaguely familiar gameplay experience. Horizon Zero Dawn began life as Guerrilla Games’ follow-up to their futuristic FPS Killzone. It swapped the drabness of Helghast for a colourful lush future Earth, which had been reclaimed by nature after an event wiped out much of the human race. The first game has since been followed by a sequel, Forbidden West and a VR adventure. The connection to LEGO began in 2023, with the release of the Tallneck set. This became an instant hit and also sparked the creation of this game. It was reported that the LEGO Group approached Sony about creating a LEGO game inspired by Horizon.
Product Description
Game Title: LEGO Horizon Adventures | Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Developer: Guerrilla Games
Studio Gobo |
RRP: From £59.99/$69.99/69.99€ | Availability: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch & PC
As mentioned this isn’t just the first Horizon game, remade with digital LEGO bricks. Instead, this is a smaller, contained adventure based on Zero Dawn’s story. The hub of the game is the village of Mother’s Heart. This leads to four ‘levels’ based on different biomes from the world of Horizon. Mother’s Heart also features several areas which can be customised. These include buildings, yards and decorations dotted around the village, which can be changed. Some are inspired by classic LEGO themes including Space, City and NINJAGO. These also inspired a few of the outfits worn by the game’s four playable characters.
In the main Horizon games, you only play as Aloy. Here, you can play as the young adventurer along with Varl, Erend and Teersa. They each have different weapons, but they play similarly. Weapons are split between a standard one and a secondary one. This can be upgraded to include things like the power to freeze or set things on fire. A secondary power-up can be collected; these include items from the main games like the Tripcaster or decoys.
I’m a big fan of the world of Horizon and I do enjoy the LEGO titles from TT Games. So I was looking forward to LEGO Horizon Adventures. I can’t say I’m disappointed nor can I say it’s an amazing game. Although I enjoyed playing it, it sometimes feels a little repetitive. Each area you visit is revisited each time you play a particular area. There are occasions when you branch off in search of a Tallneck or a Cauldron.
Once you complete levels and the unlockable Hunting Grounds, there is nothing else to do. One of the best things about the games from TT Games is all the extra things to unlock and secrets in levels you can access with new characters. There is none of that here. The nearest it gets is trails of silver studs leading to areas with chests or buildable statues. It’s a great introduction to the world of Horizon and I like that almost the characters are all voiced by their relevant voice actors. It also continues the fun feel of other LEGO Entertainment projects, playing some of the harder-hitting moments of the original game for laughs. But it should not have been a full-priced title, it feels more like a £30/$40 game. Regardless, the one thing that does elevate it above other games is that everything is made from digital LEGO elements. Scenery, machines and effects are all crafted from LEGO bricks, resulting in an amazing-looking game.
LEGO Horizon Adventures is available now for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch (along with the upcoming ‘Switch 2’) and PC. There’s also an additional upgrade pack featuring additional costumes and decor items. Later this year, a new LEGO set based on the game will be released.
PlayStation 5 Standard Edition – PlayStation Store | PlayStation 5 Digital Deluxe Edition – PlayStation Store | PlayStation 5 Physical | Nintendo Switch Physical | PC Stream | PC Epic Game Store
The version played: PlayStation 5 (digital). Access was provided to the game by Sony Computer Entertainment. LEGO Horizon Adventures is available on PlayStation 5, PC and Nintendo Switch.
18th January 2025
I actually agree with the writer of the article it’s an extremely short game it took my 41h to complete 100% the game All psn trophies and in-game content) of those roughly 20 of those hours is likely falling asleep playing or stopping to get something to eat.