Lego Horizon Adventures Preview: A Natural Evolution of Both Franchises

I adore Guerrilla Games’ Horizon series. Ever since the first announcement trailer for Horizon Zero Dawn, I’ve been hooked. The only title I’ve skipped is Horizon Call of the Mountain because I couldn’t afford a PSVR 2.

I’m also a huge Lego fan, having played with bricks since I was a kid and continuing to play with them three decades later with my own children. That’s why when Lego Horizon Adventures was announced, I was pretty damn excited that two of my favorite franchises were crossing over in what honestly looked like a match made in heaven.

But I’ve been burned by hype trains before. So, I kept my cool until I had a chance to play Lego Horizon Adventures at EGX 2024. Now, having watched a couple of hours of gameplay in the queue for the demo and played a roughly 30-minute slice for myself, I can give you my initial hands-on impressions. Spoilers, I’m quite excited about the whole thing.

More Modern Lego Movies, Less Lego Video Games

Lego Horizon Adventures looks like the greatest Lego movie ever made. As someone who watches a lot of Lego TV shows and movies with my daughter, and who played most of the initial wave of Lego games back in the day, I feel suitably qualified to tell you what works and what doesn’t for Lego media.

What Guerrilla Games and Studio Gobo have pulled off in Lego Horizon Adventures is the best blend of the strengths of both the Horizon series and the Lego franchise’s legacy. Characters move in super fast stop-motion style animation, similar to the style used in the Lego Movie, The Lego Batman Movie, and The Lego Ninjago Movie.

In my opinion, this is the best style for any sort of Lego media because it’s a callback to how you play with these bricks as a kid. It’s also the only way you can make them move realistically – Because a plastic brick character isn’t going to move as smoothly as Naked Snake in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

This style looks all the better thanks to crisp, clean, bright, and stunning visuals. This is what Guerrilla Games is known for, and what fans of the Horizon games expect when they load out a title. It wouldn’t work any other way, and you can tell the developers knew that because so much care and attention to detail has been put into everything from Aloy and her bow to the Tallnecks stomping in the background.

Go in With an Open Mind

My time with Lego Horizon Adventures didn’t tell me much about the story, but I can confirm it’s not going to advance the main story. In fact, I think it’s more a retelling in the Lego style with more humor, where death is less sad and fatal and more a character losing their legs but still very much contributing to conversations.

I don’t mind this, but it does feel like a reset of sorts. Don’t launch the game thinking it’s going to show you where events go after Horizon Forbidden West or Burning Shores. Instead, play it with an open mind, knowing that a new generation of fans who also want to pick up physical Horizon Lego products will be getting into this alongside you.

The bulk of the gameplay takes Aloy and one of the many side characters from the Horizon series out on a short adventure to rescue someone, where they take down a machine or gather resources. Once you’re done, you return to the main village in Mother’s Heart to rebuild it.

Each new building brings more people and facilities to Mother’s Heart. It’s the main hub for the game where you can spend cash on new outfits and revel in the secrets you’ve unlocked. Replayability is going to be a huge part of this game, so there are also a ton of collectibles to get out there and find that you’ll need for Mother’s Heart.

One thing that I know I was keen to get a look at is combat. In my time with the demo, fights were limited, but I discovered you can attack your friends as well as enemies and target certain parts of machines too. This is a staple mechanic of the Horizon series, and while it’s nowhere near as nuanced as it is in the main games, the fact that it’s here at all is great.

Another aspect of the Horizon games I’m pleased to say has made it into Lego Horizon Adventures is acrobatic exploration. Seeing Lego characters dart around a screen has always felt a little off to me, but Aloy, the Horizon franchise’s protagonist, and her friends do it all the time.

It makes leaping onto rock walls and climbing them feel grounded despite the futuristic machines and holographic overlays Aloy’s Focus provides. The fast-paced movement even makes combat a bit slicker thanks to the ability to move around larger areas at speed and gain an advantage after initially being trapped in what looks like a pit the boss lives in so it can eat every NPC who stumbles on in.

You Just Know Lego and Horizon is Fun

Lego Horizon Adventures isn’t a game best played in co-op, but it’s a lot more fun with someone else. My daughter had a rough time getting to grips with the controls, so I’d say it’s probably for those aged six and up at the very least.

As an adult, it’s just a fun time. As I’ve already mentioned, the stakes are low, but the game has a range of difficulty settings that will put you in your place if you fancy the challenge. After all, this is the Horizon universe, and machines don’t go down without a fight.

Pre-release videos show a lot of large-scale fights against smaller machines and big boss battles with enemies like the Thunderjaw. Most of what I played was calmer, exploring the world while gathering resources by solving puzzles across every screen.

I’m not saying this is most of the game by any stretch. My hope is that there’s a decent mix of both huge machine fights and this quieter open-world-esque gameplay.

It’s Worth it if You Love These Franchises

I don’t want to tell you how to spend your money, but I will say that this is one of the few releases that I’m going to be putting a pre-order in for in 2024. I’ve mentioned my love for Lego and Horizon multiple times in this article alone, and having played a slice of the game, I know it’s going to be one I thoroughly enjoy.

If you like the Lego video game formula, a hub base with characters, story, and building, but missions that lead out from that home, you’ll enjoy the flow of Lego Horizon Adventures. I definitely don’t think it’ll be for every Horizon fan, though, and recommend waiting until Christmas to see a bit more of it from your favorite creators before buying it if there’s even a shred of doubt about how much you’ll play.

One possible exception is if you just want to play one of the best-looking games on the planet. Guerrilla Games doesn’t mess around, and I can see Lego Horizon Adventures looking phenomenal even on Nintendo Switch. For those of you with a PS5 Pro lying around, I can’t think of another game that’ll push the power to its limits.

Lego games are designed to be played until you hit 100%. You’ve got to get every Golden Brick, save every character, unlock every outfit, replay every difficulty mode, and do all manner of other tasks to make every achievement pop. This game, similar to Shin Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town, will be a collectathon coupled with an enjoyable story, but if you’re not willing to put the time in, don’t even bother starting the journey.

Before you go

Thank you so much for reading my preview of Lego Horizon Adventures. The game is out on November 14, 2024, for PC via Steam, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. We cover a fair bit of Lego news here on Bonus Action, so check out our tag to see if there’s anything else that interests you.

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About the Author

Jamie Moorcroft Sharp

Editor

Jamie adores the indie games that you don’t hear about until you’re on a video essay binge at 3AM and suddenly the sound of them changes your life. He’s played games all his life and loves looking at the intricate details that make them magical and different. If there’s a wierd list, embarrassing feature, or something else far too out there on Bonus Action, there’s a good chance he wrote it. But that’s not all! He’s also an absolute fiend who never knows when to stop when he puts on his dirty robes and takes on his D&D persona as a Mud Warlock who acts on that tiny voice in your head when it wonders what would happen if you did something really dumb right now. He’s easy to beat in a TGC, though, just keep an eye out for his crazy card combos.

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