Horizon Zero Dawn’s Lego Game is Better than Fans Expected

There have been many rumors regarding future Horizon Zero Dawngames and projects, but Lego Horizon Adventures felt more like a surprise. These initial rumors originally speculated about a multiplayer game or a remake. While the remake turned out to be a remaster, the Lego tie-in felt more like a curveball. Typically, a Lego spin-off is reserved for major franchises like Star Wars or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Horizon is slightly different. This game’s mere existence is a rarity, as Lego games don’t usually take on video games. There are very few exceptions, of course. There’s Lego Fortnite, which feels more like a Fortnite game with a Lego skin. And then there’s the Portal level from Lego Dimensions, though it’s just one big mission rather than its own game.

That said, taking an established video game for older players and combining its gameplay with kid-friendly Lego tropes is as unprecedented as it is fascinating. Remember that the T-rated Horizon games deal with the aftermath of the world ending and have some heartbreaking moments sprinkled throughout. Yet, there’s a lot of love and care in making Lego Horizon Adventures something anyone can enjoy regardless of age. Lego Horizon Adventures is enjoyable, as the lighter take on the games is an unexpected but welcome surprise.

Lego Horizon Adventures Simplifies Horizon Zero Dawn’s Story

The Game Reduces and Changes the Original Story for a Shorter Run Length

Lego Horizon Adventures follows the basic setup of Horizon Zero Dawn. Once more, Aloy is an orphan with mysterious origins, raised by an outcast, Rost. Aloy sets forth to figure out who her mother is and uncovers a vast conspiracy that will impact the world. Despite following the original game’s basic set-up, Lego Horizon Adventures is a much shorter game compared to Horizon Zero Dawn, clocking at around six to eight hours. A lot of scenes from the original were cut, as it would bloat this notably more child-focused game.

Take Aloy finding the Focus when she was a kid, as an example. In Horizon Zero Dawn, it’s an epic moment that frames Aloy finding the device as the beginning of her epic journey, seemingly given to her by fate and destiny. Meanwhile, in Lego Horizon Adventures, Rost just gives Aloy a Focus, and it’s played for laughs. The primary narrative path is the same, but many scenes were molded under the Lego games’ silly and self-aware sense of humor. There are a lot of moments like this throughout the game, making Lego Horizon Adventures really feel like its own unique thing rather than a shot-for-shot remake.

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Like the best Lego games, Lego Horizon Adventures embraces its inherent ridiculousness and doesn’t take itself too seriously. After all, there’s a running joke about a comic book hero called Hot Dog Man in this post-apocalyptic world. This is the kind of humor the game boasts. For the most part, it’s hilarious and charming. The humor and story are playful and work well. The best Lego games balance jokes and story well, and Lego Horizon Adventures is a prime example of this in action. Despite all the wisecracks, the game still shows a lot of respect for the Horizon games, which will excite any fan. The reverence that Studio Gobi has for Aloy’s mainline titles proves that this Lego game is more of a tribute, and not a tie-in cash grab.

Lego Horizon Adventures Gives Aloy a Brand-New Personality

The Game Makes the Characters More Lighthearted and Fun

Tons of gamers love Aloy, but doubters of her have always pointed out that she lacks a unique or even interesting personality. One of Horizon Zero Dawn’s most common criticisms is that Aloy’s always stoic and only shows a bit of character during dialogue choices. To her biggers critics, Aloy is a blank slate who’s only real personality is that she’s a generic action hero. But despite what some people will say, Aloy remains one of the best PlayStation heroes. Naysayers will be shocked, as with Lego Horizon Adventures, she gets a lot more personality. Instead of being a focused warrior who intensely seeks her goals, Lego Aloy is much more excitable and curious.

In brief, Lego Aloy is more of a modern teenager who’s not burdened by the fact that she’s an outcast who feels constrained by her tribe’s suffocating incuriosity and myopia. This is the typical energy of the Lego games, as most of the characters they adapted are suitable for all ages. Some Horizon fans might get thrown off by this, but it does feel like a Lego version of Aloy. More importantly, Aloy’s original voice actor, Ashly Burch, deserves huge credit here for playing her iconic character in a different light. There are some great laugh-out moments with Aloy, and Burch’s comedic delivery is as perfect as it could be. It’s this quick quip that feels sharp and electric.

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It isn’t just Aloy, as the whole cast of Horizon Zero Dawn gets to play slightly different versions of their characters in this Lego title. The other standout is JB Blanc, who plays Rost, Aloy’s father figure. Compared to the original game, in which he was deadly serious, Rost is now a great source of comic relief. Blanc has some of the funniest moments in the game, and his delivery is simply excellent. Not only that, but he’s also the narrator who gives fantastic fourth-wall breaks throughout the game, giving it more personality and charm than expected.

Lego Horizon Adventures’ Gameplay Focuses More on Action Than Stealth

The Game Is Less About Survival Crafting and More About Taking Out Waves of Enemies

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Lego Horizon Adventures’ gameplay is the most significant difference and divergence from the original games. Instead of an open-world game that focuses on stealth and precision, this game uses a top-down perspective to let players fend off waves of enemies in an action-packed flurry of blocky chaos. Players are expected to barge in and take out machines and cultists by the hundreds, not meticulously track and hunt their giant prey. There’s tall grass to hide in, but it always felt like enemies would get alerted by the slightest bit of Aloy’s presence anyway. Snooping around basically gives the enemies a free hit before all the attention falls on the player.

Horizon Zero Dawn’s original weapons are available in Lego Horizon Adventures, but crafting isn’t involved this time around. Rare weapons that have multi-shot, elemental damage, and more effects can be easily found later in the level, but they’re only good for that level. There’s not much experimentation involved in terms of combat, as whatever weapon you have will get the job done. Taking out enemy waves is exciting, but more of Horizon Zero Dawn‘s layered combat elements and player choice should have been here.

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That being said, Lego Horizon Adventures doesn’t just lack Horizon Zero Dawn’s best mechanics; a crucial Lego game component is also missing here. What will frustrate completionists the most is this game’s lack of mission replayability, which is odd since Lego games typically encourage players to replay a level as they want. This may have been the case because the game is rather short, but the only way to replay a level is to restart the whole game, which is aggravating. Even with a good game like this, nobody wants to restart from the beginning. As fun as playing as Lego Aloy can be, there’s just no incentive to restart from zero.

Lego Horizon Adventures Is a Fun Game for All Ages

The Game Combines the Charm of Horizon Zero Dawn and Lego

The announcement of Horizon Zero Dawn getting its own Lego title came out of left field, but playing Lego Horizon Adventures is all one needs to put any doubts and concerns to rest. Making Horizon’s world much lighter and kid-friendly through the lens of Lego was a most unexpected but welcome surprise, not some cynical spin-off. Burch and the rest of the cast seemed to have a lot of fun portraying their characters in a more comedic tone. At its worst, the gameplay wasn’t perfect; it needed additions from both the Lego and Horizon worlds to balance each other out. But even so, it doesn’t matter if players are newcomers or established Horizon fans; everyone should play Lego Horizon Adventures.

In a far future, where giant mechanized beasts roam a landscape reclaimed by nature and humans live in primitive tribes, an ancient evil seeks to destroy the world.

Systems

Released

November 14, 2024

Developer(s)

Guerrilla Games , Studio Gobo

Publisher(s)

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Multiplayer

Local Co-Op , Online Co-Op

Engine

Unreal Engine 5

ESRB

E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence, Language

OpenCritic Rating

Fair

PC Release Date

November 14, 2024

PS5 Release Date

November 14, 2024

Nintendo Switch Release Date

November 14, 2024

Pros

• A different but fun take on Horizon Zero Dawn
• The original cast gets to do a fun twist on their characters
• The game perfectly captures the world of Horizon Zero Dawn through Lego
• Fighting waves of enemies is always fun

Cons

• There’s a noticeable lack of craft, stealth and more creative gameplay
• There are no mission replays

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