Review of LEGO Horizon Adventures

I got around to playing Horizon: Zero Dawn much later than expected. It was during those long COVID days when Sony decided to give away several games for free, one being Horizon’s “Complete” edition with its major DLC, “The Frozen Wilds.” I figured, why not give it a shot? Before I knew it, I was completely absorbed by Aloy’s journey through this post-apocalyptic land filled with robot creatures. After spending over 250 hours on Breath of the Wild, I jokingly dubbed Horizon: Zero Dawn my “Robot Dinosaur Zelda,” because it felt like a natural extension: you’re essentially taking down robotic dinosaurs using bows and arrows, all within a sprawling open world. Its futuristic backdrop and convoluted storyline got me hooked on Aloy’s adventures. I enjoyed it so thoroughly that after diving into the sequel, Forbidden West, I bought a PS5 just to experience the PS5-exclusive expansion, “The Burning Shores.” And yes, it was absolutely worth it.

To put it simply, Horizon is a game series I absolutely adore.

That’s why it caught me off guard when a LEGO version of the original game was announced, and even more so because it’s published by Sony on the Switch. After playing LEGO Horizon Adventures, I’ll admit it still feels a bit odd. This isn’t what I typically seek in my Robot Dinosaur Zelda escapades; the gameplay lacks the fulfilling combat precision that defines the original Sony series, making it feel like a game hunting for its true identity.

On a brighter note, much of the main voice cast is back. Ashly Burch returns as Aloy, joined by JB Blanc as Rost, John Macmillan as Varl, and John Hopkins as Erend. However, this time around, they’re playing more humorous, self-aware versions of their characters, which is a charming touch and often amusing. I felt a bit let down by the replacement for the late, irreplaceable Lance Reddick as Sylens. The new voice is noticeably different, and it’s making me a bit uneasy about the character’s direction in Horizon 3. That said, LEGO Horizon Adventures takes loosely from Zero Dawn’s plot, notably omitting the “Zero Dawn” part entirely, which was actually my favorite.

In this game, you guide a little LEGO Aloy from an overhead perspective with a fixed camera. It works for maneuvering through the beautiful and detailed platforming areas but becomes problematic during combat. These fights are confined to large arenas filled with enemy machines and, occasionally, humans like the Shadow Carja. Aloy can blend into orange grass, quite literally, but any attack immediately reveals her position. Frustratingly, you can’t adjust the camera, leaving you with an incomplete view of the battlefield.

Aloy’s Focus ability, activated by holding the L button, highlights the machines’ weak spots, much like in the original games. However, aiming feels less precise here, lacking the beloved slow-motion feature when drawing a bow, making it rare to knock parts off of machines. The absence of specialized arrows means you rely on finding “special weapons” with limited ammo and “gadgets” with restrictive uses to aid in combat.

The game offers various special weapons, like elemental bows, and gadgets such as flame jet boots, energy shields, a Tripcaster, and the melee-focused “Brick Separator.” While these add a bit of variety, none truly stood out as satisfying to use. There’s little room for strategic planning in LEGO Horizon Adventures, often leading to a hit-and-run approach in battles.

Studs, the game’s currency, are gathered by demolishing things, discovering chests, and defeating enemies. These are used at your base camp, a peculiar hub in the game.

This hub, named “Mother’s Heart,” is where Aloy begins her journey in Horizon: Zero Dawn. Here, it’s presented as a customizable playground where you can modify buildings, buy outfits, check quests, and upgrade skills. Completing chapters unlocks new areas to build more things! However, I found it more of a chore than entertaining, unless a quest required customization.

There is the practical side of this—every purchase generates bonus studs when visiting Mother’s Heart. But fetching these bonuses is time-consuming. Although you unlock new buildings, statues, and costumes at a decent pace, it was disappointing to find most of them weren’t from Horizon. Instead, they hail from universal LEGO themes—City, Ninjago, and even amusement park rides. Fancy a Ferris Wheel in Mother’s Heart? It’s available, though I doubt many imagined they’d need one! Want to see Varl dressed as a hot dog? Go wild!

Eventually, “Apex Missions” become available, challenging you with tougher versions of machines in exchange for “Red Bricks.” Combat isn’t particularly difficult, though I did perish in a few hectic battles. Thunderjaws, predictably, pose the game’s toughest challenges but are thankfully rare, restricted to their own unique arena environments. My favorites were levels featuring the Cauldrons—those mysterious machine-factories from the PlayStation games. They’re just as enigmatic here, emphasizing platforming over isolated combat sequences.

LEGO Horizon Adventures supports both local and online co-op, with the second player choosing between Aloy, Varl, Erend, and Teersa (remember her? Neither did I!). Each character has a distinct playstyle: Varl is spear-wielding yet similar to Aloy; Teersa uses explosive but inaccurate attacks; and Erend favors an all-melee approach with his hammer. You can switch characters in Mother’s Heart or at the start of most missions. I tried them all, enjoying their unique mechanics but always defaulted back to Aloy.

Trying out the couch co-op with kids revealed that, while combat can get chaotic alone, adding another player adds to the confusion. We often got mixed up about which character we were controlling, leading to frequent defeats. If one player gets knocked out, the other can revive them by holding X, though this is risky when surrounded by threats. You’re also linked by an invisible tether, which proved useful. It’s straightforward enough for a fourteen-year-old novice to grasp and temporarily lured him away from Fortnite, which I consider a small victory.

Overall, I appreciated LEGO Horizon Adventures, but to frame it as a pure Horizon game wouldn’t be fair. It’s clearly tailored for younger gamers, sidestepping much of what makes the PlayStation titles special for me. Still, if you’re after a relaxing, humorous action game or something engaging for you and your children, this fits the bill nicely. What I’d love to see next? More LEGO sets from the Horizon series. My Tallneck seems a bit lonely—it deserves some company like a Thunderjaw or Slaughterspine to keep it company.

*Just after we published the review, we found out Tim Russ has taken on the role of Sylens. Known for his portrayal of Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager, Russ is a solid choice, despite not having Reddick’s unique voice quality (who does, really?). I think he’ll seamlessly step into the role for the main series. Sylens has always had a bit of that Vulcan-like logic and sharp wit. Here, the character is portrayed in a more playful way (he’s a DJ!), so comparison isn’t entirely fair.