LEGO Horizon is fun even for those who don’t like Aloy’s games – Preview

Before starting this text, I’ll be honest with you: I’m not the biggest fan of the Horizon saga. When Playstation offered us the opportunity to test LEGO Horizon Adventures in their offices, I thought twice before accepting the invitation. That’s because, since the first time I played Horizon Zero Dawn, in 2018, Aloy’s story didn’t hook me.

I don’t know if it was the attack mechanics, the narrative or even the bizarre model of the child Aloy that put me off the game, so I ended up prioritizing other releases. On the other hand, I love the LEGO franchise games.

In the absence of a good Indiana Jones game, it was the LEGO games, based on the franchise by the most famous archaeologist in the world, that brought not only the story, but also introduced Indy to a new audience. This happened back in 2008. Since then, I’ve had fun in Gotham, passed through New York, defeated bad guys in Metroville and traveled to different planets brandishing my lightsaber.

It was then that I thought: why not play Horizon, this saga that never clicked with me, otherwise? Will I still turn up my nose? I’m glad I bit my tongue, and I’ll tell you my first impressions of LEGO Horizon Adventures from now on!

Horizon for a new audience

As with most LEGO games based on movie franchises, the premise here is no different. The game’s story is inspired by Sony’s two hits, Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. Found as a baby in a cave by Rost, Aloy grows up trying to discover her origins in a world where animals have become extinct, replaced by dangerous machines.

The first sentence of the game already gets a good laugh, with the narrator contextualizing us in the LEGO Horizon universe: a world without TV, smartphones or social networks, just nature — which, according to him, is not boring at all — and, of course, dinosaurs robots. During the one hour of gameplay we had access to, this was the constant tone in all the characters’ speeches, even in moments of extreme sadness in the original games. It’s worth remembering that everything is dubbed and subtitled in Portuguese.

The essence of Horizon is still there

One of the things that bothered me when playing Horizon was the system of looking for flaws in enemies to weaken them. Personally, I didn’t like aiming, even though it was one of the important gameplay mechanics. In LEGO Horizon Adventures, this element is not only present, but also the Focus (the augmented reality device from the ancient civilization). Just like in the original games, Focus helps you find enemies’ weak points, making it easier to shoot them down. One of the funniest parts of the gameplay is the reason why all characters can use the device.

Unlike some LEGO games, in LEGO Horizon you can level up your character, gaining automatic attributes that improve gameplay (such as stronger weapons or increased health). Additionally, each phase unlocks specific powers that can be used in subsequent phases. From more common abilities, like double jumping, to more absurd ones, like a hot dog vendor who throws explosive snacks at enemies. Everything is possible.

New LEGO, old habits

During this time of gameplay, it was possible to realize that LEGO Horizon will not be an open world like LEGO DC Villains or LEGO Marvel Super Heroes. It will follow the style of the older games in the franchise, where you access the stages through a hub, based on the series’ universe. I was able to explore the forest hub and see, in the background, a desert hub. As you unlock items in the game, you will also be able to completely customize the hub, with houses, colors and even themes from other franchises, such as LEGO Ninja and LEGO Worlds.

And, of course, character customization is also present, now with even more possibilities. Just like in toys, you can change your character’s torso, head and hair. If you want to play as a firefighter Aloy or a taxi driver Varl, feel free! It has already been announced that skins for Ratchet and Clank, Sackboy and other costumes from the saga will be available. It’s only a matter of time before Uncharted or God of War also appear in the game, or perhaps in their own title.

Will it be successful?

The Horizon saga, among PlayStation’s exclusive franchises, is one of the newest, having only appeared in 2017. This leads us to the question: “Why did they make a LEGO Horizon and not a LEGO Uncharted, LEGO Ratchet & Clank or even a LEGO God of War, which has so many more games?” We may never get that answer, but my guess is they’re testing the waters. After all, if LEGO Horizon succeeds, the other franchises will likely succeed as well.

I don’t know if this is what led PlayStation to invest in the Aloy saga, but, speaking as someone who is not a fan of Horizon, I can say with ease: this one hour of gameplay left me wanting to go back and reevaluate my opinion. I was curious to know more about the universe and compare the changes in relation to the original games. Will Rost be a goofball, like in LEGO? Am I going to lose track of time while throwing exploding hot dogs into some machine made out of blocks?

We will only find out on November 14, 2024, the game’s release date, which will be available for PlayStation 5, PC and Nintendo Switch.

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