As a seasoned gamer and parent, I find myself captivated by the enchanting world of Lego Horizon Adventures. Having played countless games over the years, it’s refreshing to witness such an engaging adaptation of a mature storyline for younger audiences. The seamless blend of humor and action has made this game an instant hit with my kids, and I can’t help but chuckle at the sight of Aloy donning a corn cob outfit or firefighter gear.
For over two decades, Lego games have primarily followed a certain shape, and fans have come to anticipate a familiar experience when they spot the word “Lego” at the start of a game title. However, Lego Horizon Adventures deviates from some of these conventional expectations. While it’s not a radical departure from previous games, Lego Horizon Adventures introduces some notable changes to its established formula. In doing so, it creatively reimagines its universe for a new audience, although it sometimes falters in fully realizing the potential of its revised formula.
In contrast to the perspective commonly found in Lego games, Lego Horizon Adventures stands out as a much more cinematic experience, akin to what one might expect from a film. This shouldn’t be too unexpected given PlayStation’s 15-year history of emulating Hollywood. The game deviates from traditional Lego game elements, such as the unlocking of numerous characters or replaying levels to solve complex puzzles. Instead, puzzle solving is minimal, limited mainly to simple platforming challenges. You’ll still gather Lego studs for in-game rewards, but you won’t be hunting for mini-kits, hidden items, or other collectibles. Essentially, Lego Horizon Adventures is a linear action-adventure game.
The game, titled Lego Horizon, offers an interesting blend of pros and cons. On one hand, the visual appeal is remarkable. Unlike previous installments that only brickified the playable area, this game takes a new approach by making everything – backgrounds, foregrounds, and even the playable areas – out of Lego bricks. This consistent style gives the game an authentic Lego set feel, something other games in this genre haven’t provided before. On the flip side, some might find the game’s entirely brick-built appearance a bit challenging or different from what they’re used to.
That design tweak, combined with similarly remarkable lighting to that which made Horizon Forbidden West such a visually striking PS5 title, makes this the best-looking standalone Lego game ever made. It’s on par with Epic’s Lego Fortnite in terms of dazzling visuals, which makes sense considering they’re both made in Unreal Engine 5. Colors spill out of the screen in every frame and provide an intended youthful spirit reminiscent of PlayStation’s other kid-friendly games like Astro Bot, Ratchet and Clank, and Sackboy: A Big Adventure.
Instead of recounting the Horizon story in a block-like manner, Lego Horizon offers a refreshed take on that epic tale, blending the key moments from Horizon: Zero Dawn while making it more suitable for young audiences, similar to Pixar or Dreamworks films. The narrative isn’t overly complex initially, but it focuses the drama a bit more, with the central conflict shifting from global climate change and corporate manipulation to the concerns of Aloy and her friends, specifically their village. Some themes have been simplified to make them more kid-friendly.
In Lego Horizon Adventures, many of the characters from the original game return to their roles, providing a sense of continuity while also offering new, enjoyable experiences for players and actors. The familiar faces of the series are all present, transformed into humorous caricatures, with four becoming playable fairly quickly. Throughout the game, these characters frequently crack jokes. Aloy, the main character, maintains her determined spirit but with a lighter tone compared to her usual adventures. The challenges in this game have been intentionally scaled down to be less intense or overwhelming for younger players while still keeping the story engaging and exciting.
In this reimagined version, other characters are humorously transformed. For instance, Erend, once Aloy’s trusted ally, now acts clumsy and oafish but remains determined to assist his friends, with a peculiar obsession for finding a legendary Donut Stash. Rost serves dual roles as both a character and narrator. The game frequently employs him when it breaks the fourth wall, which is quite frequent, to poke fun at video game conventions, like questioning the necessity of each level’s final reward, such as a gold brick.
In simpler terms, if the primary Horizon games are considered as light Role-Playing Games (RPGs) for adults, then Lego Horizon is like an introductory RPG for children. Each character has a complex set of skills, but these abilities are unlocked automatically as you progress, and their order isn’t customizable. The characters grow in levels independently, allowing you to focus on one main character or divide your time among multiple heroes. However, depending on the game’s difficulty level you choose, only focusing on a single hero might be necessary for success, even for a children’s game. It’s recommended that you collect several health enhancements from a character’s preset skill tree to help you progress.
In Lego Horizon Adventures, the multiplayer system is similar to that found in other Lego games, allowing players to join or leave at any time. However, it has been enhanced by the addition of an overdue feature – online co-op play, which was missing from previous Lego games for quite some time. Once you’ve unlocked the game’s quartet of playable characters, each player can choose their preferred hero, as long as they don’t both pick the same one. This encourages a sense of teamwork, as different characters have unique abilities. For instance, Aloy shoots arrows while Erend uses a powerful warhammer against enemies. In this way, players can strategize to play to each other’s strengths and mask weaknesses, fostering cooperation within the game.
As you progress through each stage, you’ll discover unique weapons with limited uses, which will grant you an edge against the towering machines and cultists you’ll encounter. These weapons are consistently enjoyable and extremely beneficial for combat. For instance, the Hot Dog Cart functions as a stationary mortar, launching explosive hot dogs at enemies spread across a battlefield, while character-specific weapons, such as Aloy’s fire bow, mirror those from the main series and prove just as useful here. My personal favorite is a Lego brick remover, similar to the orange tool found in newly opened Lego sets. In the game, it operates as an overly effective mallet, significantly depleting even the largest enemies’ health bars.
In Lego Horizon, combat follows the introduction from Zero Dawn where you identify vulnerable spots on enemy machines and attack them for powerful blows. Unlike Zero Dawn, these robot-like creatures aren’t broken down for crafting parts, but instead, by simply holding and aiming your attack button, you’ll mark these weak areas. This mechanic aligns with the series norm in a straightforward way. To assist younger players, an on-screen arrow will guide them effectively and efficiently.
In this game, it seems like thoughtful design choices have been made throughout the 20+ stages. For instance, when you reach a zipline, you’ll automatically glide down without needing to press any buttons, and navigating handholds on rock walls simply requires directing the left stick towards your next destination. These features streamline gameplay by reducing the need for multiple button presses and minimizing the need to evaluate 3D space extensively. Although there may still be instances of traditional platforming involving misjudged or untimed jumps, it’s generally the case that the camera and presentation aid rather than hinder you in your progress. I managed to complete the game with my five-year-old daughter, who frequently guided me through missions due to their intuitive flow. She had already been playing games for a while, but her expertise was particularly evident here.
The primary issue that highlights the game’s flaws lies in the monotonous progression of its stages, as it neglected to retain classic Lego elements that could have enhanced the repetitiveness and intrigue of each mission. Although the game’s levels are set across four distinct biomes, they share a similar feel due to their lack of variation. You transition between phases of smashing things for studs (far less than usual in Lego games, given the minimal destructible areas) and fighting zones where progress is halted until all enemies are vanquished. Most stages culminate in either rescuing abducted townsfolk or destroying equipment belonging to the game’s main antagonist. These finales consist of chaotic battle sequences followed by cutscenes, making it challenging to distinguish one level from another beyond the colors that populate the environment.
The game’s development is thriving due to characters acquiring new abilities and discovering powerful items, along with the dynamic roster of enemies that constantly changes. However, navigating from one point to another remains repetitive, and there aren’t enough variations in the gameplay structure. Unlike other Lego games, which offer a variety of characters each with unique problem-solving skills, Lego Horizon encourages replayability primarily through boss battles—tough machines not previously encountered during the campaign—and a continuous project to enhance Mother’s Heart, the village that serves as a hub world between levels.
By successfully conquering tasks and surpassing levels, you unveil gold bricks that grant access to diverse customization areas within Mother’s Heart. The game offers a myriad of personalization options, ranging from elements inspired by Horizon’s universe, such as a communal dining table for NPCs to gather around, eat, and socialize, to more whimsical choices like roller coasters, snack stands, and let’s not forget the donut shop, ideal for the village’s most doughnut-loving warrior. The game also integrates collections from other Lego franchises such as Lego City and Ninjago, enabling you to establish unique zones within the hub or combine them at your leisure.
This element of the game adds a delightful and imaginative flair, similar to personalizing a bedroom with posters or arranging toys on a shelf, encouraging creativity and ownership over a play area. Various features, such as an obstacle course and assorted thrill rides, can even be interactive through unique animations you trigger at each location. However, the customization of the hub world being connected to challenges that mainly occur after the campaign concludes makes it less enjoyable, as the game then transforms into a list of tasks to complete, similar to how the main series sometimes feels.
For newcomers to role-playing games (RPGs), some elements might seem unfamiliar, such as skill trees, character development, and endgame battles. A list of tasks to complete can sometimes feel disheartening, implying that these tasks are essential to the genre or medium. However, this isn’t always the case, and even games like Lego, which follow a formula, offer variety by designing puzzles based on the unique worlds and characters they represent in each game.
Despite its flaws, Lego Horizon Adventures isn’t a poor game; rather, it’s imperfect. The narrative skillfully adapts an adult plot for a younger audience, infusing it with humor that children will find hilarious. Much like many family-oriented content, the joy I derive from Lego Horizon isn’t solely from my personal experience but from observing my kids engage with it wholeheartedly. While levels can feel repetitive at times, the combat offers an exciting and tactical depth, encouraging players to strategize their approach even as Aloy assumes various whimsical outfits such as a corn cob, firefighter, or pug. This unique blend of childlike aesthetics and substantial gameplay mechanics makes Lego Horizon Adventures an enjoyable game for parent-child duos, although it’s also fascinating to see these usually serious characters being spun through a colorful kaleidoscope.
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2024-11-13 14:39