Lego Horizon Adventures: PS5 Review

Developed by Guerrilla Games, Studio Gobo

Published by Sony Interactive

Platform: PS5

The Horizon world is one that's ripe for the kind of humorous approach the Lego games have taken in years previously.

With a very po-faced story and reams of scenes of characters espousing dialogue, the original Horizon: Zero Dawn was slightly ruined by its over-reliance on exposition.

But the Lego approach sees some of that mocked in a purely affectionate way.

Following the same story beats as the original adventure about a foundling outcast searching for answers in a post-apocalyptic world, Lego Horizon Adventures is more about refashioning the game for a (much) younger audience, already versed in the Lego world and subsequent franchises.

Consequently, while the game is cute and enjoyable enough, it's also a little too young for fans of the Horizon series who will be after the trademark action and combat that the original offers.

With the emphasis really being on co-op playing and the beautiful Lego-led sets of various scenes throughout, the developers Guerrilla Games and Studio Gobo have clearly had their eye on what it's like to play with Lego among friends.

Rivers flow with blocks, and the very essence of nature is made up from the plastic bricks. It's a joy to behold and a pleasure to play in that world. 

But the further into the game's relatively short campaign you get, the more it feels surface-level gameplay. Combat is fine, requiring you like in the original to target key components to weaken enemies - something which becomes key later on - but mostly just shooting repetitively has the same effect.

The randomness of weaponry appearing too makes things a little trickier and while combat difficulty can be adjusted throughout, the game's non-adherence to some rules proves to be a more taxing proposition.

Character work is good too - with exaggerated versions of the game's heroes set more to amusing than serious. Aloy's definitely more lively and a little less serious than before and the narration is very much tongue-in-cheek.

With a central base, Mother's Heart, able to be customised with a variety of LEGO props, the game's got plenty to do if you want to collect studs, but it's not quite as unlockable as you'd expect from the Travellers Tale versions. And what is really with the chance to unlock outfits from other Lego franchises (like Ninjago and City) seems a bit difficult to explain, other than to provide an entry point for younger would-be gamers.

Yet it's in the co-op the game excels, giving younger players the chance to perhaps actively experience the Horizon world, rather than passively watch others run around the original.

Overall, while Lego Horizon Adventures seems a little confused in its raison d'etre in parts, it does offer some light relief from the continual unrelenting triple A blockbusters.

Here's hoping for a Lego God of War next...