As a seasoned gamer and long-time fan of the Horizon series, I must say that LEGO Horizon Adventures has been a delightful surprise. Having spent countless hours traversing the post-apocalyptic landscapes of the original games, it was refreshing to see this familiar world reimagined in the vibrant, blocky style of LEGO.
A LEGOfied reimagination of Horizon Zero Dawn was something very few (if any) of us could have predicted Sony would end up commissioning, but regardless of your level of admiration for the series, it’s easy to understand why that decision was made- beyond the obvious fact that the Horizon series has been massively successful for PlayStation in the near-decade that it has now been around. Just as important, however, is how well-suited the IP seems – when you put some thought into it, at least – to a side project that attempts to capture the attention of a younger audience while still feeling like itself.
In theory, LEGO Horizon Adventures seems logical, but does the actual game live up to expectations? Luckily, it does. Collaboratively developed by Guerrilla and Studio Gobo, LEGO Horizon Adventures offers a delightful, colorful spin on the original Horizon game that catapulted Guerrilla Games’ popularity. It effectively distills much of Zero Dawn into its essentials to attract a broader audience, although this transition to a more playful tone results in it forgoing some aspects that make the original game so memorable.
LEGO Horizon Adventures effectively simplifies many key aspects of Zero Dawn, aiming to attract a broader range of players, and at the same time, it offers an enjoyable LEGO-style gaming experience. However, by shifting towards a more playful tone, some distinctive features that made the original game special are diminished.
Changes occur consistently throughout the gameplay, which is not unexpected for those who’ve played LEGO games extensively over time. However, it’s important to note that these alterations aren’t from TT Games within the LEGO development pipeline. Instead, they share many similarities with those games, particularly in their approach to adapting source material. While the narrative follows the key events that Zero Dawn fans will recall, it presents them differently and at a faster pace. This isn’t a story-centric game like Zero Dawn, given its intended audience, which explains why it focuses less on storytelling.
Absolutely, many modifications have been made to maintain a more joyful and lighthearted atmosphere in the game. The events of Zero Dawn are presented with a much more playful and childlike perspective, emphasizing brevity and humor throughout. The original game’s grand post-apocalyptic narrative has been simplified to create a more compact and cheerful version. The humor, while not always side-splittingly funny, generally works well, thanks to charming characters, appealing animations, and for the most part, excellent writing. Interestingly, Aloy’s chatty nature in the game feels less irritating now that it’s been transformed into a LEGO game.
From a passionate fan of the Horizon series who can’t get enough of those games, I must say that LEGO Horizon Adventures stands out due to its unique adaptation of the universe. Despite its more playful approach, it effectively maintains the spirit of Horizon, be it through the lush and overgrown landscapes you explore, the authentic feel of the machines in both their visual aesthetics and gameplay mechanics, or the fact that many members of the original cast have returned to their roles (except for Sylens, as Lance Reddick, who tragically passed away last year).
Despite having a more playful approach, it surprisingly reflects the core of ‘Horizon’ quite effectively. This could be due to the lush and overgrown landscapes you explore, the authenticity of the machines in terms of their visual aesthetics and gameplay mechanics, or the fact that many voice actors from the original game reprise their roles here.
In terms of gameplay, you can undeniably anticipate a significantly distinct feel from Horizon Zero Dawn, given that LEGO Horizon Adventures is a linear, level-based game with an action-adventure loop focusing on combat, rather than being an action RPG like its main series. Although it retains some aspects, such as using the Focus to highlight weak points for attack, basic progression systems similar to Zero Dawn’s leveling and customization, light stealth mechanics, a focus on elemental combat, diverse machines to battle, and their unique characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses, it offers a more familiar experience for those who have played LEGO games previously.
The game has been significantly smoothed out and made easier to grasp, yet there are notable differences when you play from fixed isometric camera angles. For one, aiming and firing no longer require managing ammo (except for special attacks). Instead, the emphasis lies in keeping a safe distance from enemies, skillfully evading their assaults, and discovering openings to launch your own attacks. Remarkably, this strategy proves effective due to the game’s dynamic combat situations that generate a controlled sense of chaos.
In most battles, you encounter various types of adversaries or multiple similar ones, and navigating through the compact battlefields as you eliminate them is an enjoyable experience. It’s important to mention that I played on the Adventurer setting, which, from its description, seems like a typical Normal difficulty, but in reality, it’s one level harder within the game. On this level, I found the combat to be engaging as it was relatively easy to understand yet presented adequate resistance, encouraging me to use all the skills at my disposal.
You possess a variety of resources at your command, not just standard attacks. The game promotes making the most of the surroundings, such as detonating explosive barrels or luring Broadheads into crashing against walls for self-inflicted damage while charging towards you. Moreover, elemental combat is a significant aspect, involving igniting foes, shocking them, or chilling them. You can achieve this through environmental objects and elements, or unique weapons found throughout the game. Furthermore, there are also unique gadgets to employ that serve various purposes, like freezing nearby enemies, enabling double jumps (while scorching anything under your feet), and more.
As a gamer, I’ve got to admit that LEGO Horizon Adventures has nailed it when it comes to creating an engaging battle system, even though it streamlines the complexity quite a bit.
Beyond all that, LEGO Horizon Adventures allows you to assume various roles, each with unique playstyles. For example, Aloy is the archer we’re familiar with, while Varl can impale multiple foes with a spear throw, and Teersa specializes in lobbing bombs. In essence, its elemental mechanics, diverse weaponry and devices, multiple playable characters, and mechanical behemoths to battle against create an engaging combat system, despite the simplification it employs.
The game’s structure sometimes leads to a sense of monotony as many missions tend to resemble each other. Despite varying biomes between chapters, the mission designs themselves lack distinctiveness. This repetitiveness is further emphasized by the recurring nature of main objectives that can be quite ordinary or dull. Additionally, this game leans heavily on combat, with only minor opportunities for exploration during missions, and few deviations from the combat-centric experience, even if there are small detours to discover hidden areas occasionally.
During breaks between missions, it’s fortunate that you have some free time. In the game LEGO Horizon Adventures, the structure revolves around a central hub – Mother’s Heart village. After every mission, players return to this village where it gradually expands and evolves throughout the adventure. While much of this expansion aligns with the story’s progression, you also get the opportunity to personalize Mother’s Heart in numerous ways. This includes constructing buildings, adding decorations, and customizing existing structures. Moreover, the diverse range of customization options adds a unique touch to the village and enhances the overall experience, much like the many costumes available within the game.
The game is designed for a younger audience and runs on the Nintendo Switch as its lowest requirement, so it’s not going to be a graphical powerhouse. However, it still manages to look clear and vivid, and I didn’t encounter any significant performance problems while playing it.
Regarding its technical aspects, the LEGO Horizon Adventures game stands out quite remarkably. It may not be the visually stunning masterpiece that the main Horizon series has been known for so far, but it’s not supposed to be. This game is designed primarily for a younger audience and runs on the Nintendo Switch as its minimum requirement, making a graphical powerhouse an impossibility. Despite this, the game looks sharp and vivid, with minimal performance issues noticed during my playtime (I played it on a PS5). However, I did encounter a few bugs that halted progress and required me to restart entire missions, which was quite frustrating. Hopefully, these issues will be addressed in post-launch updates.
By simplifying the intricate world of Horizon into LEGO Horizon Adventures, Studio Gobo and Guerrilla have masterfully blended the essential elements while shedding enough complexity to attract even those who weren’t initially captivated by the original games. At the same time, they’ve preserved enough of the series’ distinctive character that devoted Horizon fans will find it a rewarding journey. As both a fresh LEGO title and a new addition to the Horizon series, LEGO Horizon Adventures is a triumph (though arguably more so as a LEGO game than as a Horizon game), and we hope this is just the start of a fruitful collaboration that will endure for many years.
This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
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2024-11-13 14:41