LEGO Horizon Adventures review: a charming adaptation of bland source material
LEGO Horizon Adventures review: a charming adaptation of bland source material
LEGO Horizon Adventures injects some much-needed charm and humor into the Horizon series, but it still falls short of other LEGO games
🏆 Review Score: 3.5 out of 5
Pros:
✅ 🤗 Superb graphics and lighting
✅ 🏹 Fun and engaging combat
✅ 😁 Collecting studs is rewarding
✅ 🥳 Four playable characters
✅ 🤝 Online and offline co-op
✅ 😂 Humorous dialogue
✅ 🗣️ Original voice cast returns
Cons:
❌ 🤨 The world of Horizon is an odd fit for LEGO
❌ 😴 Level design isn’t the most inspiring
❌ 😮💨 Each character takes on familiar tropes
❌ 🥲 The story is even more forgettable than before
❌ 🤷♂️ It’s a touch too short
The Shortcut Review
LEGO Horizon Adventures caught me off guard when it was first announced. Like the metal machines you encounter, the Horizon series can often feel cold and lifeless. Aloy, the game’s main character, also isn't known for her social skills or razor sharp wit.
It makes the exaggerated LEGO versions of Aloy and her friends feel jarring at first, and made LEGO Horizon Adventures seem like another crude attempt by Sony to make people love its prized IP more than they actually do.
Yes, the first game sold immensely well, but the lack of enthusiasm and middling sales of Horizon Forbidden West show that something is missing. The decision to remaster Horizon Zero Dawn on PS5 did little to change the feeling of franchise fatigue hanging over Guerrilla Games’ creation.
However, many see LEGO Horizon Adventures as a breath of fresh air for a series that takes itself too seriously. And while it certainly provides a lighter, more welcoming take on the Horizon universe, it still feels like ill-fitting source material to get the brick treatment.
Platform: PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC
Developer: Guerrilla Games/Studio Gobo
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Price: $59.99
Install size: 37.63 GB
Release date: November 14, 2024
I’ve played all the Horizon games, even Call of the Mountain, but I still couldn’t remember the names of Varl, Erend, or Teresa until they reappeared in LEGO form. That speaks volumes about the lack of connection I still have with these characters. And as for the main villain? I didn’t have a clue who they were, sadly, even when they reappeared.
LEGO Horizon Adventures also reduces each member to a slapstick trope to make them more appealing, partly because their personalities weren’t strong enough before. Erend, for example, is now obsessed with doughnuts, and Sylens is a DJ. As for Aloy, she’s had a complete personality transplant.
It doesn’t help that the game loosely retells Horizon Zero Dawn’s story, which didn’t leave a lasting impression on me the first time around, and it’s even less impactful here.
Like every Horizon game, though, LEGO Horizon Adventures is yet another gorgeous, and graphically accomplished title. It verges on matching the quality of the animated films and, apart from one unexpected crash, the PS5 version of the game ran smoothly throughout with no glitches or bugs.
Gameplay is also entertaining enough to keep you engaged. The core mechanics of Horizon Zero Dawn, though simplified, carry over surprisingly well, and the option to play with a friend or family member via online or local co-op probably is a welcome addition.
Ultimately, LEGO Horizon Adventures is a beautiful game that does enough to keep you satisfied during its eight-hour campaign. However, the LEGO makeover, which is exceptionally executed, does a lot of the heavy lifting here.
It’s worth mentioning that it’s difficult to understand what Sony’s intentions are with this LEGO adaptation. Do they expect younger players who enjoy the game to play Horizon Zero Dawn or Forbidden West as they get older? Or mature gamers to rush out to buy a child-friendly title, simply because they love the Horizon series so much? Even though both scenarios seem unlikely, Sony seems committed to creating more Horizon games.
How I tested LEGO Horizon Adventures 🧪
I played LEGO Horizon Adventures on PS5 on an LG CX 55-inch OLED using the PS5 DualSense Edge controller and an Audeze Maxwell headset. I also chose the Performance preset over Fidelity and chose the ‘Machine Hunter’ difficulty level. It took around nine hours to reach the final credits, and I collected 13 Red Bricks and 72 Gold Bricks along the way.
Sony provided a PS5 review code of LEGO Horizon Adventures.
What I loved about the LEGO Horizon Adventures ❤️
🤗 Superb graphics and lighting. The LEGO games have continued to benefit from the power of modern hardware, offering more realistic textures, lighting and scale. But LEGO Horizon Adventures is arguably the best-looking game in the series yet. It’s incredibly realistic, almost mirroring the quality of animated LEGO movies. The game faithfully renders every detail in the style of Swedish plastic blocks and it’s often a wonder to behold. I can only imagine how stunning LEGO Horizon Adventures would look on the PS5 Pro or a high-end PC.
Like the bolts in Ratchet & Clank or rings in Sonic, collecting LEGO studs never gets old.
🏹 Fun and engaging combat. The combat of Horizon Zero Dawn translates fairly well in LEGO Horizon Adventures and gets chaotic enough to keep you on your toes. You’ll still have to aim at machines’ weak spots to deal extra damage and use fire, ice and corruption elements to take down greater foes. Even though the game has significantly reduced its focus on stealth, it features an extensive selection of machines and enemies, each with their own attack patterns, to defeat. Oh, and you’ll pick up loads of gadgets that can give you an edge in battle, many of which aren’t present in Horizon Zero Dawn or Forbidden West.
😁 Collecting studs is rewarding. Like the bolts in Ratchet & Clank or gold rings in Sonic, collecting LEGO studs never gets old. The game features breakable objects and hidden paths leading to chests full of studs, and I sought them out at every opportunity. You can use these studs to buy upgrades, personalize the central hub, and purchase new outfits for Aloy that completely transform the way she looks.
Like any LEGO game worth its salt, LEGO Horizon Adventures supports offline and online co-op so you can team up with a friend or family member.
🥳 Four playable characters. Even though the game focuses on the main character Aloy, you can also play as Erend, Varl and Teresa, each of whom offers unique abilities and weapons to wield. Erend swings a large hammer, Varl throws a spear, and Teresa fires off bombs. Each character benefits from their own gadgets, too, which adds more variation if you tire of playing as Aloy.
🤝 Online and offline co-op. Like any LEGO game worth its salt, LEGO Horizon Adventures supports offline and online co-op so you can team up with a friend or family member. You can also drop-in and drop-out at anytime.
😂 Humorous dialogue. LEGO Horizon Adventures tries to make a dry and serious world more humorous, and it mostly succeeds. The character’s quips and animation add to the charm, and the villain’s over the top performances will probably resonate well with children. I let out the odd chuckle here and there – mostly thanks to the game’s narrator, Rost – but obviously I’m not the intended audience.
🗣️ Original voice cast returns. Unlike some spin-offs, the creators didn’t hire different voice actors to do poor impressions of characters you already know. The series’ original voiceover cast returns to reprise their roles, aside from the late Lance Reddick.
The amount of age-appropriate games for kids on PS5 is small, so it’s always refreshing to see Sony invest in a demographic that’s often overlooked for more mature experiences.
🧱 Lots of ways to customize Mother’s Heart. You’ll slowly restore Mother’s Heart, the game’s major base of operations, and turn it into a thriving community as the game progresses. You can choose different objects, colors and designs from Horizon, as well as LEGO City, Ninjago and other franchises to put your own spin on things. Many of the buildings are interactive, and there’s plenty to unlock.
👶 Accessible to players of all ages. The amount of age-appropriate games for kids on PS5 is small, so it’s always refreshing to see Sony invest in a demographic that’s often overlooked for more mature experiences. There are plenty of accessibility settings to make LEGO Horizon Adventures even more welcoming for younger players, too, and those with disabilities.
What I disliked about the LEGO Horizon Adventures 💔
🤨 The world of Horizon is an odd choice for a LEGO adaptation. Perhaps my biggest gripe with LEGO Horizon Adventures is that the world and characters aren’t the best source material for a LEGO adaptation. Unlike Star Wars, Harry Potter, or other franchises that have instantly recognizable characters and enthralling universes to explore, Horizon doesn’t offer the same. Sure, it’s nice to see some of the dinosaur-like machines recreated from LEGO bricks and the game’s futuristic cauldrons look impressive, but what else is there that truly sets Horizon apart? The presence of a Hotdog Cart gadget (you won’t find that in any Horizon game) and the need to splice in other LEGO franchises for more customization options only highlights that Horizon isn’t the strongest IP.
😴 The game’s level design isn’t the most inspiring. Each level follows the same repetitive pattern. You make your way through stages that are broken up into fairly linear paths, find the odd chest or relic to build, and enter a combat area. The same trader will appear before each major battle to offer you some gadgets before each major battle, but it’s rinse and repeat. There’s some light climbing and platforming interspersed throughout, but for a game focused around the creativity of LEGO, the gameplay doesn’t offer any surprises or unique elements. Astro Bot, this is not.
LEGO Horizon Adventures loosely retells the story of Horizon Zero Dawn, and even in its quick fire format full of added comical elements, it’s easy to forget.
😮💨 Each character takes on familiar tropes. Following the LEGO style, every character is happy-go-lucky, and the designers have made them more appealing to children. Erend has a newfound love for doughnuts, Varl is ridiculously clumsy, Sylens is surprisingly a DJ, and Aloy’s sullen demeanor has completely changed. Everyone is just more silly and slapstick than before and while that’s expected, it can feel rather jarring.
🥲 The story is even more forgettable than before. LEGO Horizon Adventures loosely retells the story of Horizon Zero Dawn, but even in its quick fire format full of added comical elements, it’s easy to forget. It isn’t interesting enough to make anyone crave a LEGO Horizon Adventures 2, at least not for the story.
🤷♂️ It’s a touch too short. It took me around nine hours to reach the end of LEGO Horizon Adventures, which is admittedly rather short for a $60 game. I was surprised by how quickly I reached the end, even though I took the time to collect the optional Red Bricks and complete various Community Jobs.
Should you buy the LEGO Horizon Adventures? 🤔
Yes, if…
✅ You love LEGO games
✅ You’re looking for a couch co-op/online co-op game
✅ You’re a huge fan of the Horizon series
No, if…
❌ You really don’t like Horizon’s characters or its world
❌ You want a LEGO game that focuses on building and creation
❌ You want a good story that’ll keep you gripped
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.