Lego Horizon Adventures : Did You Even Know This Existed?

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Lego games have a unique, charmingly enchanting quality to them. Perhaps it’s the delightful sensation of the digital bricks connecting or the playful humor that transforms grim narratives into amusing journeys.

Regardless if you’re ejecting Stormtroopers with the Force in Lego Star Wars or beating up bad guys in Gotham with Lego Batman, these games excel at offering a delightful mix of fan appreciation, user-friendly gameplay, and amusing allure.

As a passionate gamer, I’ve been overjoyed to see iconic franchises like Harry Potter, Marvel, and Jurassic Park transformed into vibrant, pixelated playgrounds filled with endless potential. So when rumors started swirling about a fresh Lego Horizon Adventures, my imagination ran wild with images of Aloy battling mechanical dinosaurs in a brick-built world, executing epic, slow-motion backflips from towering mechanical beasts. And to my delight, it seemed like that dream was becoming a reality… almost!

In a low-key manner, Lego Horizon Adventures, as officially titled, debuted in November 2024, available on PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC platforms. There were no grand unveilings or trailers at E3, just a discreet announcement followed by a quiet release, leaving many scratching their heads in puzzlement.

Few Horizon Zero Dawn enthusiasts had caught wind of its existence, while Lego aficionados were preoccupied with collecting studs in Lego 2K Drive and thus overlooked it.

Or

Horizon Zero Dawn slipped under the radar for many of its fans, while Lego devotees were engrossed in amassing studs in Lego 2K Drive and thus failed to notice it.

In such a vast cross-over as this one, where Sony’s grim post-apocalyptic universe is transformed into a bright Lego version, it seems astonishing that no alarms are sounding from the tallest towers, not even from the colossal Tallnecks.

Unfortunately, the Lego Horizon Adventures game seemed to escape notice like a faulty Stormbird aircraft. Those who eventually discovered it were in for an unpleasant shock. Despite the enticing blend of the captivating world of Horizon with Lego’s time-tested gameplay mechanics, the finished product turned out to be surprisingly… uninteresting.

In simpler terms, the game’s levels lacked depth, the fighting was too simple and repetitive, and the humor, which is often a strong point in Lego games, seemed unrelated. It missed the rich world-building found in Guerrilla’s original or the mechanical finesse of Lego’s top-tier titles. Players were given a brief, straightforward action-platformer that felt more like a mobile game spin-off than a high-quality console release.

Initially, it appears that Lego Horizon Adventures may have struggled to identify its target audience. Instead of maintaining the level of intensity and complexity preferred by Horizon series enthusiasts, it chose to scale back these elements. However, instead of fully embracing the ridiculous and humorous aspects that make Lego games popular, it only partially did so.

Rather than creating a new identity that pleased both parties, it ended up watering down both, leaving neither content. Typically known for her stoicism and quick wit, Aloy became more of a character who delivered one-liners, lacking the depth in emotions usually associated with her.

Too bad, as there was such great promise in this partnership. It would have been fantastic to design custom Lego models of famous machinery, or even a multiplayer mode where you and another person could team up to capture Thunderjaws, exchanging various Lego gizmos along the way.

All the essential elements were present: a cherished intellectual property, a detailed universe, and the enduring allure of Lego. However, the outcome seemed to be an unrealized potential stemming from hasty production and limited promotion.

Even though this brick-constructed dystopia seems grim, there’s a glimmer of possibility left. With Sony continuing to explore cross-media projects, the prospect of superior Lego adaptations isn’t extinct; it’s merely postponed. If executed skillfully, Lego versions of Ghost of Tsushima or God of War could potentially be massive successes.

Next time around, I truly hope that the creators devote the necessary time, attention, and promotion to their work. After all, combining enthusiasm and genius is meant to result in an extraordinary masterpiece, not a creation that slips under the radar undetected.

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2025-04-14 19:42