LEGO games have come a long way since 1997’sLEGO Island. Though they started life as fairly simplistic sandbox games, park builders, andMario Kartclones, LEGO games evolved into one of the most popular family-friendly action-platformer franchises around, with its bevy of movie tie-in games holding a close place in the hearts of many who grew up with them. Now,LEGO Horizon Adventuresis presenting itself as the next part of LEGO’s evolution.
While LEGO has produced sets based on video game IP likeOverwatch,Minecraft,Super Mario, andSonic the Hedgehog, those collaborations don’t often make it back into the world of video games.LEGO Horizon Adventuresseems to be setting a new precedent. Far more than just an adaptation of the firstHorizongame,LEGO Horizon Adventuresis packed with features, many of which hearken back to some of LEGO’s most revered games. And this melting pot-like approach might be worth revisiting.
LEGO Horizon Adventures Is a Melting Pot of Past Ideas
LEGO Horizon Adventures Adapts a Well-Known Story
As mentioned up top, most of LEGO’s most popular games over the last two decades have been licensed movie tie-in games that adapt a handful of movies from a popular franchise, such asStar Wars,Indiana Jones,Harry Potter, andJurassic Parks. In a similar vein,LEGO Horizon Adventuresis adaptingthe story ofHorizon Zero Dawn, the first game in the PlayStation first-party franchise.
The bulk ofLEGO Horizon Adventures' runtime will likely be spent playing through the game’s linear levels, solving simple environmental puzzles and hacking away at hordes of both humanoid and robotic enemies. This gameplay loop will also probably hearken back toLEGO’s licensed adaptations. Two-player co-op will also be present inLEGO Horizon Adventures, allowing for some classic split-screen fun.
LEGO Horizon Adventures Borrows LEGO Fortnite/Worlds' Customizable Hub
WhileLEGO Worldswasn’t quite theMinecraftcompetitorit marketed itself to be, the game’s customizable biomes were a major strength. Those customizable biomes live on inLEGO Fortnite, with players being able to create a vast assortment of structures made from all different kinds of LEGO bricks.LEGO Horizon Adventuresis trying to capture this customization and the player-freedom that comes along with it, letting players personalize their hub area with new buildings.
LEGO Horizon Adventures Brings Back Character Customization
For the first time in quite a few years,LEGO Horizon Adventureswill let players customize their character. While a fully-fledged custom character creator likely won’t be in the game,LEGO Horizonwill allow players to change the appearance of heroes like Aloy and Varl, equipping them with outfits based on classic LEGO themes like Space, as well as costumes based on fellowPlayStation franchises likeLittleBigPlanet.
LEGO Horizon Adventures Embraces a Familiarly Whimsical Tone
A common strength among most LEGO games is their shared humorous tone. In classic LEGO titles where characters didn’t speak, this humor came from visual gags and facial expressions, and in more recent LEGO titles, this humor can occasionally come from tongue-in-cheek, often self-referential one-liners. It seems as thoughLEGO Horizon Adventuresis carrying this trademark tone forward.
Future LEGO Games Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Borrow From The Past
Ideally, LEGO games should be constantly evolving, with each new entry bringing a handful of new features to table. But that no longer becomes an ideal scenario when the game loses a lot of what fans loved about the franchise in the process.LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagais a great example of that.
WhileLEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagamarked a major step forward forLEGO’s movie adaptations, its increased scope and scale left some beloved franchise features on the cutting room floor. Character customization, more linear levels, and proper co-op implementation in boss fights were all missing fromLEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagain favor of more playable characters, more side missions, and more open-world hub areas. WhileThe Skywalker Sagawas a solid evolution, future LEGO games should make sure they’re still keeping one eye on the past.
LEGO Horizon Adventures
WHERE TO PLAY
In a far future, where giant mechanized beasts roam a landscape reclaimed by nature and humans live in primitive tribes, an ancient evil seeks to destroy the world…Join hunter Aloy as she leads a colourful crew of heroes on a quest to save the meadows, forests, and mountains of Earth from a man called Helis, who leads a gang of sunworshippers that follow an Ancient Evil shrouded in mystery.Dive into a thrilling adventure alone, or with friends with couch co-op or online play, customize your home in true LEGO style, and uncover stunning secrets from Aloy’s mysterious past along the way.
