When talking about video games, everyone tends to speak from their point of view without realizing that not all proposals are designed for oneself. That is the reflection I have made after playing LEGO Horizon Adventures, a family game that adapts the famous title of the same name from Guerrilla Games and one of the strongholds of the PlayStation ecosystem. Thus, during the celebration of the Summer Game Fest, I had access to a playable demo that lasted approximately half an hour.
This time it has been Guerrilla itself in collaboration with Studio Gobo who have taken charge of the project instead of TT Games, creators of LEGO Batman, Harry Potter or the most recent LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. This translates into a different title within the brand, but with many interesting points to comment on.
Aloy moves to the world of LEGO
At first glance, it does not seem that Horizon Zero Dawn is the most appropriate story to bring to LEGO due to its emotional and dramatic component, but with a little humor, it is easy to adapt its universe and focus it on a younger audience. Thus, what we find in this title is the story that many already know, but simplified for the little ones.
We are talking about a family title, one designed, in the words of Guerrilla herself, “so that the youngest can learn the story of Horizon Zero Dawn”, but also for followers of Aloy’s adventures who simply want to have fun. In fact, the essence is perfectly captured and we can even see that in the English version it is Aloy’s own voice, Ashley Burch, who repeats the experience.
The main role is the gameplay. LEGO Horizon Adventures presents a world where everything can be destroyed, just as I experienced. With a camera with an isometric perspective as a novelty, the levels appear to be simple in appearance, but they have some space to find secrets. Many external LEGO licenses have been added within the game, so it is easy to find nods and collectibles in this regard. This occurs through a simple platform in which we can climb cliffs, jump or slide down a rope.
I was able to experience two different moments of the game: one corresponding to the beginning in which the basic controls are taught, and another more advanced one that I played in company through local cooperative. Needless to say, getting the controls does not require any difficulty: Aloy attacks with her bow from a distance, being able to control the direction of the shot and uses such striking objects as an exploding hot dog stand or launching a shark. If by chance the shot goes through a campfire or similar, the arrow will become a burning projectile. In the same way, there is a stealth mechanic that, rather than being necessary due to complexity, is very fun to watch, because Aloy hides in the grass in a quite comical way.
Throughout the demo, there were different confrontations with bosses, the experience being much better in company. After all, it is a game designed to unite the little ones with the older ones. During those moments of fighting, it was best to be able to combine skills, have one deal with lesser enemies, etc. With all this, and despite being easy to play, the truth is that the experience is fun and in large part it is thanks to all those animations that occur during the action moments that make you smile. There is no difficulty, at least in what I saw, but there is sympathy.
Everything you can do in Lego Horizon
In the same way, I was able to verify that we are faced with a title that has decided to reduce what we can do beyond fighting compared to previous LEGO games. I am referring to the skills system, which is still a simple version of a common tree. These skills are purchased with in-game currency, lego pieces, and that’s all there is.
Now, what there is is a customization system through which the character can be transformed with different appearances, both from Horizon Zero Dawn and external. Like if you want to dress Aloy as a little bee ! But in addition to that, there are also some fun details about it like the fact that you can take a random NPC, put him inside the closet that gives us access to customization, and lock him up so that he comes out with a new appearance.
The minimalism in the progression system is offset by the existence of a camp that promises to grow, according to the previews, more than I could see. But I was able to verify that customization also extends to the type of cabin that we can build. I chose one with a roller coaster on the roof. And, in that sense, the humor follows the line that other installments have shown.
Now, it is true that graphically I have perceived certain areas with textures to improve, and I have also found some bugs such as passing through characters. At first glance, it seems to me that it does not reach the level that we saw in, again, The Skywalker Saga where, for example, the light spectacularly hit the objects, although it is true that they have added small details such as your footprints being marked in the snow. All in all, LEGO Horizon Adventures is expected in December of this year, so we will have to see if there is any improvement in this regard.
There isn’t much more to say about this small preview, but the feeling after playing is that it is a game made with love that, although it lacks some details of other installments, continues in line with what we could expect. The lack of difficulty for adults is compensated by humor accessible to everyone and the cooperative is perfect for playing with the family. Therefore, I return to the idea that not all games are aimed at the same audience, but that does not mean they detract from its idea.