As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I found Lego Horizon Adventures to be a delightful romp for younger players, but it left me craving a bit more depth and complexity.
Initially, the announcement of Lego Horizon Adventures generated some intriguing reactions due to its unique position within the Lego game series. Typically, Lego spin-offs focus on massive franchises spanning various cultural aspects. However, while the Horizon series is successful for Sony, it doesn’t hold the same scale as iconic brands like Batman or Star Wars. This decision presents an intriguing situation because although it might narrow the potential audience, it also allows the collaboration between Studio Gobo and original Horizon developer Guerrilla Games more creative flexibility in shaping the game.
In our current society, art often serves as a commodity, and Sony seems to view Aloy and the Horizon universe as a worthwhile long-term investment. Consequently, the intended audience for this game leans towards younger gamers who can be attracted to the Horizon world with a lighter, more child-appropriate approach or parents who are fans of the Horizon series, eager to introduce these games to their children. However, it’s important to note that adults can still enjoy it, albeit catering to a different demographic. The outcome is an entertaining game that showcases enthusiasm for Lego, the Horizon universe, and gaming overall, but regrettably falls short in depth and misses some opportunities for greater success, which is unfortunate.
Block Beauty
In the realm of Lego Horizon Adventures, every element is crafted from genuine Lego bricks, boasting the charming texture of plastic and even retaining the minute production inconsistencies characteristic of original Lego pieces. This unique aspect sets it apart as an exceptional Lego game, offering a thrilling experience reminiscent of manipulating these bricks in reality, as you grapple with conundrums that the creators undeniably faced when designing the game. Since it’s a video game, developers can pull off feats that would be challenging, if not impossible, in real-life construction, such as creating flowing waterfalls out of Lego blocks. Witnessing the creative solutions employed by the developers to overcome these obstacles will undoubtedly captivate Lego enthusiasts, and the intricate scenes scattered throughout levels are beautifully executed.
In the Horizon games, the machines have been intricately replicated, demonstrating great care in both their design and movement. They seem perfectly suited for a Lego makeover, and the creators have done an impressive job capturing their appearance and behavior. However, while the visuals are stunning, the game world appears quite simple and rudimentary. The levels are repetitive, and there’s not much to discover in the corners of the world or incentive to venture off the main path. Essentially, the world lacks hidden treasures and motivation for exploration.
Underestimating your inner child
Although Lego Horizon Adventures seems tailored for children, it could be argued that the game oversimplifies its content, particularly when it comes to effortless multiplayer cooperation. Parents can easily join in, siblings and friends can play together simply by grabbing another controller and connecting it, ready to embark on adventures together. However, the game lacks depth as there are no hidden secrets or challenging puzzles to engage with. The platforming is basic, with only advanced levels providing any real diversity in navigation tasks, which arrives too late and leaves one wanting more. While traversing levels, players will come across chests containing studs, a form of in-game currency, occasional weapons, or random piles of bricks to interact with, building items like a snowman or totem pole that also reward studs.
While venturing through the game’s stages, collecting studs like they’re going out of style, I find myself back at Mother’s Hope’s central hub to splurge them on structures that are more eye-candy than functional. Frankly, it doesn’t matter which structure I choose to construct or where I choose to place it, as these buildings seem to lack any significant purpose beyond occasionally being needed for a challenge. It’s a real letdown, considering the potential for adding an extra layer of gameplay depth through a simple village management system. Instead, they serve as billboards for the various Lego playsets that inspired the available structures.
Writing and fighting
The story is a very simplified and super-condensed version of the Horizon Zero Dawn story, told through the humorous lens that Lego games and films have established over the last few years. It works surprisingly well, even if the main characters are simplified to single character traits like enjoying sandwiches or donuts; there were moments that genuinely made me laugh as I played through the story. Oddly, when you wrap it up, there is no way to replay missions, and all that remains are Apex Hunts against some of the fiercer monsters in the game, as you are expected to feel the need to keep gathering studs to unlock every outfit and building option as a potential endgame.
A significant advantage lies in the fact that several voice actors from the Horizon series reprise their roles for this game, such as Ashley Burch as Aloy and JB Blanc as Rost, clearly enjoying the chance to inject humor into their characters. However, it’s a bittersweet moment when Sylens appears, serving as a poignant reminder that the talented Lance Reddick is no longer among us. Given his past enthusiasm with the Destiny community, I believe he would have relished the opportunity to contribute to Lego Horizon Adventures and bring some humor to the character of Sylens.
In terms of battles, four distinct characters and multiple weapon options face off against a diverse range of enemies, resulting in engaging, although brief, tactical skirmishes. Major confrontations occur at the end of levels, offering thrilling and occasionally hectic positional struggles. Your arsenal, beyond the primary weapon for each character, is made up of random finds, encouraging strategic thinking about your opponent and the most effective way to defeat them. The machines all share vulnerable spots that need to be exploited, similar to classic games, and the necessity to frequently switch weapons, utilize your environment, and assess targets should provide an enjoyable challenge for kids, albeit one that may seem somewhat straightforward for adults.
Endless possibilities
Lego Horizon Adventures offers a joyful experience for younger players, although adults playing it may find it somewhat simple. However, if the groundwork laid here is expanded upon, it could become truly captivating and exhilarating. This discussion primarily revolves around the first Horizon game, but there’s another one available as well. If the developers have the resources to add more depth to this concept, they could potentially create something extraordinary that could pave the way for future Lego collaborations.
I believe it’s unfortunate that the game lacks depth, especially given its intriguing premise. A photo mode would have been a welcome addition. It’s commendable that Sony launched this game on PC and Nintendo Switch simultaneously, though it seems Xbox continues to be prioritized in the ongoing console rivalry. In essence, Lego Horizon Adventures is an enjoyable game for children or family play, but it’s hard not to feel that the puzzles might underestimate the intelligence of the intended young audience.
The game “Lego Horizon Adventures” can be played on PlayStation 5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. For this review, a code was given to us by the publisher.
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2024-11-19 20:28