There have been many video game spinoffs based on the LEGO brands, and they’ve come from all walks of movie and gaming life. There’s an inherent joy and wonder within the LEGO titles, and many people look forward to when a new one is released or announced. In the case of Lego Horizon Adventures, it was quite a shock to see Aloy and her very dramatic world being rendered in the LEGO space. The team at Guerrilla Games had quite the challenge ahead of them, as they had to not only make this feel like a true part of the game’s world but augment things so that it would appeal to the likely younger audiences that would play it.
In an interview with GameIndustry.biz, the team came together to talk about how things literally came together:
“Guerrilla has tonnes of Lego fans in the studio,” noted Narrative Director James Windeler. “We have people with entire rooms devoted to Lego. Also, some of the developers have been working on Horizon for the better part of a decade, and they’ve had kids at that time. They’re looking for the opportunity to do something a little lighter in tone so that their kids can play.”
He even noted that when they were making the first adventure with Aloy, they used LEGO to prototype some of the monstrous machines that she and others would face. So, in a way, LEGO has been a part of the brand since the beginning.
It goes beyond a desire to make a “kid-friendly” title, though. As he went on to note, many aspects and aesthetics of the world they’ve built works perfectly with the LEGO brand:
“Lego saw us as good partners because of the bright colors of our world, the optimism of the themes that come through in the storytelling. But also, elements of the world just naturally translate. The machines, for example, are just a very good fit for construction. Through organic conversations with them, it just seemed like the perfect fit.”
As for the inevitable humor, Windeler admits that the classic LEGO-style humor will be in the game, and that will help it appeal to children. However, he also noted that some of it are more “self-referential humor,” which helps make the game as deep as the titles it came from.
He also stated that Lego Horizon Adventures isn’t a “retelling” or a “parody.” It’s something that plays off the first game while also giving nods to the next and being unique at the same time.
