LEGO Horizon Adventures

Presentation

LEGO Horizon Adventures reinterprets the world of Horizon as a more compact, accessible and humorous action-adventure game. The story is mainly inspired by the events of Aloy's first adventure, but it does not attempt to reproduce Horizon Zero Dawn scene by scene: characters, situations and stakes are condensed and adapted to the lighter tone of this LEGO version.

The game also abandons the large open-world structure of the main series. The adventure is organized around missions across several environments, while the village of Mother's Heart serves as a central hub between expeditions. Forests, mountains, ancient ruins, Cauldrons and other locations inspired by Horizon are rebuilt entirely from LEGO elements.

Combat retains several immediately recognizable principles. Aloy primarily uses her bow and can activate her Focus to highlight certain targets or important parts of the environment. The surroundings can also be used during encounters, for example by firing an arrow through a source of fire to ignite the projectile or certain elements of the terrain.

Machines remain central to combat. Some of their components can be targeted and detached, sometimes disabling a specific ability or temporarily providing a new offensive tool. The game therefore keeps the idea of gradually dismantling machines, but presents it in a more direct and immediately readable form than the main entries.

Gadgets and temporary upgrades reinforce this approach. Some deliberately embrace LEGO humor, such as the Brick Separator, explosive boots or even a hot-dog stand capable of attacking enemies. They can temporarily change the way a fight is approached and complement the weapons used by the different heroes.

Aloy is not the only playable fighter. Varl, Erend and Teersa can also be unlocked and played, each with their own abilities and equipment. Purchased upgrades allow their capabilities to be developed, while certain bonuses can benefit the whole group.

Progression notably relies on LEGO studs collected while exploring levels, destroying certain objects or opening chests. They are used to unlock various upgrades and also contribute to village customization.

Mother's Heart evolves throughout the adventure. Players can alter homes, colors, gardens and decorations and place different LEGO constructions. Characters can also wear numerous outfits inspired by Horizon and other properties associated with PlayStation and LEGO.

Levels encourage exploration beyond the main route. Chests, constructions and different items reward detours, while certain missions can be replayed in altered forms to offer new challenges. The community board in Mother's Heart also adds objectives that help the village and extend progression.

The entire adventure can be played in single-player or two-player co-op. Co-op works both locally and online and keeps both characters within the same game space without split-screen. Players can fight together, use their respective abilities and revive their partner when they are knocked out.

Key points

• A lighter, condensed LEGO reinterpretation of the world and origins of Aloy.
• A structure built around missions rather than the large open world of the main Horizon games.
• Mother's Heart serves as the central hub between expeditions.
• Four playable characters: Aloy, Varl, Erend and Teersa.
• Aloy notably uses her bow and Focus for combat and environmental interaction.
• Machines have different components that can be targeted and sometimes detached.
• Gadgets and temporary upgrades provide new possibilities during combat.
• LEGO studs are used for progression and various unlocks.
• The village of Mother's Heart can be customized and decorated.
• Numerous outfits allow character appearances to be changed.
• Certain levels can be replayed with variations and additional challenges.
• The adventure can be played in single-player or local and online two-player co-op.
• Co-op takes place in one shared game space without split-screen.

Conclusion

LEGO Horizon Adventures retains the immediately recognizable elements of the series — Aloy, the machines, the Focus, ancient civilizations and post-apocalyptic landscapes — while adapting them into a more direct and deliberately humorous adventure.

Combat simplifies some of Horizon's mechanics without abandoning their identity entirely. Identifying targets, using the environment, detaching components and exploiting different gadgets remain central to encounters, but within a structure designed to be understood quickly and shared with a second player.

Mother's Heart, customization and co-op finally reinforce the LEGO side of the project. The game is therefore neither a remake of Horizon Zero Dawn nor a new mainline entry in the series: it is a standalone reinterpretation of Aloy's story aimed both at existing fans and players discovering the universe for the first time.

Good to know

LEGO Horizon Adventures was co-developed by Guerrilla and Studio Gobo, in collaboration with The LEGO Group, and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment.

The game was released on November 14, 2024 for PlayStation 5, PC and Nintendo Switch.

It is the first LEGO video game adaptation of the Horizon universe and draws mainly from the story and characters introduced in Horizon Zero Dawn.

The game world was designed to give the impression that every element could be rebuilt with real LEGO bricks, from machines to buildings and environmental objects.

The adventure can be played entirely in single-player, but also supports two-player local or online co-op. The game does not support cross-play between its different platforms.

Several difficulty levels are available to adapt the experience to different types of players.

A Digital Deluxe Edition mainly adds cosmetic and customization items, including outfits inspired by Horizon, Ratchet & Clank and LittleBigPlanet. These additions are not part of the foundations of the main game.

This entry covers LEGO Horizon Adventures as a standalone work. It is not a complete remake of Horizon Zero Dawn, but a loose, condensed and humorous adaptation of its universe and some of its events.