Shoot-destroy-build: Lego Horizon Adventures review

Who would have thought that fighting mechanical dinosaurs would be more fun if they were broken into pieces? Well, Lego did, and together with Guerrilla and Studio Gobo, they made it clear to Aloy and the rest of us that after a battle with the machines, the hardest part is finding the missing piece (as long as you don't step on it). So if you wanted the apocalypse to be a little more fun and cubic, welcome to Lego Horizon Adventures - an adventure that leaves a pleasant impression, but only if you play it in co-op. The humorous story of Eloy, who, together with her friends, saves the already cubic world, is great for playing with a child, girl or friend. After all, the concept of Lego games has almost always been designed for a joint passage that does not require great gaming skills. Therefore, if you have long wanted to play a game with a loved one who is not a big expert in gaming, Lego Horizon Adventures is almost an ideal candidate for such a plan. So, gg editorial team turned into cubic researchers and will tell you why Lego Horizon Adventures is a great co-op game.

Synopsis.

The machine hunter Eloy and her friends are back with a new adventure, where they once again need to save a post-apocalyptic world filled with robotic dinosaurs and primitive tribes that have difficulty creating harmony. This time, however, all this happens not in photorealistic graphics, but in a cute and pleasant Lego world.

5 reasons to buy Lego Horizon Adventures:

• It's a lot of fun and the fun is multiplied if you play with a friend or family
• It's Horizon without the boring hours-long cutscene conversations
• This Horizon can be completed in 8, not 40 hours
• You physically cannot miss the new Horizon world game
• When else will you be able to smash robo-dinosaurs into small Lego pieces?

2 reasons not to buy Lego Horizon Adventures:

• You don't like the LEGO style
• The game adds nothing new to the story and lore of Horizon

Fast forward:

• What I learned after reviewing Lego Horizon Adventures
• Plot: time for humour and frivolous conversations
• Gameplay: build, destroy, shoot back
• The technical side of the Lego world
• How Lego Horizon Adventures will be remembered
• Five things you need to know about Lego Horizon Adventures

What I learned after reviewing Lego Horizon Adventures

Sony has decided to focus on family games (and remasters) this year, as we have already seen Astro Bot, which is a contender for Game of the Year, and now it's time to make one of the Horizon titles family-friendly. And this decision is a good one, because of course The Last of Us or God of War are incredible games, but sometimes you want something light that makes you smile and doesn't make you reflect for a week after playing it. Both Astro and Lego Horizon do a good job of this. The advantage of the latter is that it can be played in co-op, because I sometimes miss cool story-driven co-op games. That is why Lego Horizon Adventures is really the game that the industry needs (especially if you have a child or a significant other).

The plot: time for humour and frivolous conversations

If you're not familiar with the world of Horizon or haven't read our article Science fiction with a bow and AI: 10 reasons to love Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, then you need to figure out what's going on in this Horizon of yours.

This is a post-apocalyptic world where the ruins of human civilisation are inhabited by machines that look like wild animals. Humanity has split into primitive tribes living among the mysterious ruins of the past, surrounded by dangers and mysteries left by their ancestors. The main character of this world is Eloy, who is somehow connected to the apocalypse.

So the story in Lego Horizon again revolves around Eloy. However, you will not see a sequel to Zero Dawn or Forbidden West. The game partially repeats the events of the first part, you will meet many characters from Zero Dawn, but according to all the canons of Lego games, most of the plot is pure humour. Horizon Adventures has one goal - to entertain you.

So if you were expecting an extended lore or something like that, this is not the place for you. Besides, it would be strange to put a ton of notes and attempts to explain the structure of this world in a family game, which will be played with people who are far from gaming. Yes, basic things like who Eloy's mother is or why the machines have become aggressive are explained, but not with a serious face. Again, I support this decision. Because now I want more games where one of the characters says: "People from the past used the word 'suck' to describe such events". And if you really want to explore the world after Horizon Adventures, then welcome to other games in the series.

And thanks to the constant jokes and sarcasm, the plot does not overload you and your partner, but allows you to relax and have fun.

Who are we playing as?

But before moving on to the gameplay, we need to understand who we are going to play as. After all, this is only the second time in the series that we can run not only after Eloy.

• Eloi is a redheaded girl as stubborn as a young boar who decided to prove to everyone who is the boss.
• Varl is a young boy hero with ambitions like a rooster before dawn and respect for his mother, as befits him.
• Erend is a healthy guy who is always making a fool of himself, but can be useful when he's not hungover.
• Tirsa is a wise old woman who knows everything about everyone and looks at the young as if they were untamed puppies.

Tirsa, Varl, Eloy, Erend

Gameplay: shoot-destroy-build

Now we have not an open world, but a set of levels. Usually, the levels are corridor-based, where you need to get from point A to point B, while admiring beautiful Lego landscapes and destroying enemies. Sometimes, however, the game will allow you to turn off the road. Then you will find chests that will give you coins that will come in handy later or some other small interesting objects to explore. The levels themselves are usually not very long and take a maximum of 20 minutes to complete. And after completing them, you can return to them again, but they will be modified and have a different goal.

Dynamic battles where everything flies apart

How are robo-animals destroyed here? As in other Horizon games, the best option is to hit the machine's weaknesses. In order to find them, you need to turn on the visor, which will automatically scan the entire arena and enemies. There's no detailed aiming like in Zero Dawn or Forbidden West, but by holding down the aim button, you get an arrow that determines the direction of attack. If the vehicle is scanned by the visor, the weak point of the vehicle will be highlighted during aiming and the attack will be directed there.

And as you explore the level, you will find additional gadgets and weapon upgrades. This can be a van where the chef makes explosive hot dogs and throws them all over the location, a protective shield or electric traps, explosive or ice bombs, and an object that separates Lego pieces to inflict great damage on the enemy up close. And among the weapons you can get fire, electric, triple arrows and other improvements that will help you to smash enemies into small Lego pieces more effectively.

Just keep in mind that all these items have their own reserves, so you won't be able to throw dozens of bombs at your enemies and you need to think about when to use your arsenal the best. In addition, there are various items scattered around the battle arenas, such as explosive barrels, bushes that restore health, or you can simply shoot an arrow through a fire to set fire to an aggressive machine.

In general, there is a constant dynamic in the battles. A lot of different gadgets and enemies can sometimes create a real bacchanal on the location, even if you have a low difficulty level. That's why in this game you want more and more battles, because everything explodes, flies off into Lego pieces, new types of enemies and opportunities to destroy them appear. So, everything is done properly to give players vivid emotions.

Time to create your own base

After each level you complete, you return to the hub, which has a couple of interesting features.

First, you can level up and unlock new skills for the Lego coins you collect. This will help you start the level with a gadget, deal more damage to enemies, or restore health more efficiently.

After that, you can go to the store to upgrade your costume. They are, as they say, to your taste. There are costumes of a cockerel, a policeman, a llama, a pea, a doctor, a ninja, a builder, various Horizon game accounts, and much more. So if you want more fun, choose the strangest costume.

Next, you can see a board with challenges. For example, you need to kill 20 enemies in a police costume or complete a level as a specific character. These challenges are designed to add variety to the game and give you resources that will help you develop your base.

The hub is divided into 4 locations that you can customise. You can put different decorative items like trees or monuments, or even build new structures. These can be space stations, a place for a disco, roller coasters, or other buildings. So everything here is limited by your imagination and the number of items available to visually improve the base. So if you like to decorate, you'll find something to keep you busy in between missions.

Playable only in co-op

Gameplay-wise, Horizon left a pleasant impression, but this effect can only be achieved if you play the game in co-op. I decided to go through a couple of levels alone for fun and the game stops giving me all the emotions described above. But sitting together in front of the same monitor, like in childhood, shouting: "Go around this car from the back" or "throw barrels at them quickly" creates the very family entertainment where you don't want to take a break from the game at all, and continue to plunge into this post-apocalyptic Lego world. So if you're going to buy the game, find a second gamepad, call your child, mum, dad, girlfriend or one of your friends and get a lot of positive emotions while building your unique base and smashing enemies to smithereens.

Who is this game for

If you are looking for a game that will complement the story and lore of Horizon, then you shouldn't wait for it. The combat system here is greatly simplified, so it's more of an entertainment game. But, firstly, this significantly lowers the bar for players and you can play from the age of 4-5. Secondly, it brings the game closer to another category of PlayStation hits, such as Ratchet & Clank or Astro. So, if you are ready to accept a fun game where the characters are constantly joking, most situations are as comical as possible, and gameplay doesn't require much from you (but there is still variety) and also offers to play the game with someone (on the couch or online), then I honestly see no reason to pass Horizon Adventures by.

The technical side of the Lego world

I have no complaints about the optimisation. The game keeps a stable 60 frames, I did not encounter a single bug during the entire playthrough, and the game never crashed. So the developers are great in this regard.

Cubic visuals and audio

Although this is a Lego game, its detailing of objects and work with lighting allowed to create a very beautiful world. From time to time, passing through a location, I would say: "Wow, it's beautiful". All the time you are led through deserts, jungles with waterfalls and dense trees, winter landscapes and other picturesque places, so now even Lego games are able to show a nice picture.

As for the soundtrack, it is just okay. The soundtrack is not memorable, although it has mostly cheerful compositions, but the environment sounds good, especially when something breaks and flies into small parts. The voices are also nice. The characters whose actors couldn't deliver their lines are very similar to those we've heard in other Horizon games.

How Lego Horizon Adventures will be remembered

Lego Horizon Adventures will be remembered as a good family game that gives exceptionally pleasant emotions while exploring a cubic post-apocalyptic world filled with humour, dangerous robo-dinosaurs, and beautiful landscapes. The game is perfect for those who want to introduce their friends to gaming or just have fun together, making Lego Horizon Adventures one of the best family and co-op story adventures in 2024.

Five things you need to know about Lego Horizon Adventures

• Lego Horizon Adventures is the 4th full game in the Horizon series
• For the first time in the franchise, Eloy and her company are among the Lego bricks
• The game is perfect for playing with your child or significant other
• Now we have not an open world but a set of dynamic levels
• In between missions, you can customise your own base by filling it with various objects

Go Deeper:

• Best VR game of the year: Metro Awakening review
• Science fiction with a bow and AI: 10 reasons to love Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
• Fell in love at first sight: Astro Bot review, a galactic adventure on PlayStation 5
• Stellar Blade Review: A Sharp Blade with Hot Hips
• The Last of Us Part II Remastered review