LEGO games have worn a few different faces over the past few decades. The 1997s LEGO Island was an incredibly ambitious open-world adventure game, LEGO Creator was an early sandbox builder, LEGO Racers was one Mario Kart clone and LEGOLAND was a theme park tycoon sim. But then it came LEGO Star Wars 2005, a title that changed LEGO gaming forever, laying the first stones on a path that would eventually lead to LEGO Horizon Adventures.
Horizon is quickly becoming one of PlayStation's most versatile first-party IPs, and LEGO Horizon Adventures is the perfect example of that. LEGO Horizon Adventures is set to give the series a light-hearted, more family-friendly makeover, all while maintaining the series' distinct aesthetic and staying true to its history and lore. On the surface, LEGO Horizon Adventures looks like a typical LEGO adventure game, but a few key differences set it apart from entries like LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.
LEGO Horizon Adventures and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga can be two sides of the same coin
LEGO Horizon Adventures and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga are both licensed action platformers
At first glance, LEGO Horizon Adventures and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga both appear to be similar LEGO projects. Both games are categorized as action-adventure titles, are aimed at younger audiences, are based on major franchises with established characters, and feature that trademark LEGO art style, which injects an otherwise realistic world with toy bricks, creating a distinct sense of charm. But if you dig just one layer deeper, fans will discover it LEGO Horizon Adventures and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga are actually two very different games.
LEGO Horizon Adventures seems to take a different approach to the standard LEGO formula
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga was a bold evolution of Traveller's Tales' LEGO gameplay formula, taking the foundation continuously built upon since the 2005 LEGO Star Warsand expands on its scale exponentially. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga adapted all nine mainline Star Wars movies, delivering the same action, puzzle and platforming that fans have come to expect. These missions were accompanied by over 20 explorable planets, each packed to the brim with side content.
LEGO Horizon Adventureson the other hand, takes a slightly different approach to the standard LEGO game formula. While The Skywalker Saga decided to go as big as possible when it came to missions, side content, collectibles and playable characters, LEGO Horizon Adventures seems to deliver a much more concise experience. Instead of adapting nine full-length films, LEGO Horizon Adventures retells the story of Horizon Zero Dawnwith plenty of its own original moments of charm thrown in for good measure. And while players will still be able to collect new outfits and textures for their hub world, LEGO Horizon Adventures probably won't contain over 1,000 collectibles to find across its levels.
While LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga set a new bar for licensed LEGO games with its larger scope, it was also criticized for having too much filler. LEGO Horizon Adventures might not offer more than 80 hours of content, but it might make for a more refined and concise experience that's a little easier for fans to digest.
