LEGO, the versatile Danish toy, has been converted into dozens of great games. Most recently, we’ve enjoyed LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and the Minecraft-inspired LEGO Fortnite. But if we’re being brutally honest, after just shy of 90 minutes of play, LEGO Horizon Adventures is already looking like a standout for the blocky brand – and it’s not even close.

It should be noted that this game is also coming to the PC and Nintendo Switch, and while the contents of this preview pertain specifically to the PS5 code we played, you can expect much of it to also apply to those platforms.

This release rounds out an unusually family friendly year for Sony, which has also marked the critically acclaimed launch of Astro Bot. While we don’t expect this isometric adaptation of Aloy’s inaugural escapade to hit quite the same critical highs as Team ASOBI’s scintillating 3D platformer, there’s clearly something quite special here.

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While visuals aren’t the be-all and end-all, it must be stressed just how stunning LEGO Horizon Adventures looks. While past LEGO titles have settled for a combination of bricks and traditional 3D models, everything you see here could be reconstructed in real-life. That includes the ocean, which uses stop-motion to convey the flow of waves and the sparkle of the sunlight on the water.

There are some tremendous effects on display here. For example, when the heroine goes prone in tall grass, her outline will be transformed into weeds constructed out of familiar bricks to show she’s in stealth. Similarly, if you set fire to something, there’s a wonderful animation where small little flame-shaped bricks dance around until everything’s been burned.

It’s not just artistically impressive: it’s technically astounding, too. A lovely depth of field effect gives density to the 3D scenes, which makes it look like a legitimate diorama, while all of the textures have a plastic look to them; on some of Aloy’s outfits, you can actually see the bumps of the printing and the paint. It remains to be seen how well these visuals will scale to the Switch, but we’re anticipating a vibrant experience on the system’s OLED model at least.

The game is outrageously tactile, too, owing to some excellent use of the DualSense controller, which will presumably be mapped to the JoyCons as well. There’s a click in the pad as Aloy grabs onto cliffs, or a twang as she traverses rope bridges. It really does feel fantastic with the controller in hand, with the bow-and-arrow combat also tight and responsive in a way past titles like LEGO Harry Potter haven’t been.

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We played much of our demo in co-op, where our partner controlled Rost and latterly Varl, for reasons we won’t elaborate upon for those who haven’t played the original game. It’s interesting how Varl has a slightly different combat system to Aloy, using a spear instead of a bow-and-arrow; the controls remain the same, but the spear can actually penetrate opponents.

Gameplay is largely linear, but there are secret areas you can explore off the beaten path which harbour hidden chests containing a familiar currency, known as stubs. These can then be used to purchase customisations in the hub area, as well as different outfits for Aloy and her partners. In addition to costumes inspired by the game, there are even LEGO City and LEGO Ninjago options.

In the opening chapter, we found ourselves returning to the same general location several times in order to collect golden bricks and progress the story, although our routes changed depending on the quest. We do think this repetition of the same general environments could get fatiguing if the full game doesn’t implement enough variety, but it’s hard to say in a demo that lasted less than two hours.

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Combat is inspired by the main games, albeit simplified. When up against giant dinosaur-like machines, you can target weak points in order to do extra damage, with bricks breaking off in satisfying ways. Power-ups can be discovered as you progress, including zany ones like a hot dog vendor, who tosses explosive sausages onto the stage.

The story retells the events of the main game, although it does so in a tongue in cheek manner, picking up on all the plot holes and poking fun at them. The performances are really good, with Aloy’s original voice actor Ashly Burch reprising her role as the character, and giving an effortlessly silly performance which fits the LEGO vibes perfectly.

There are also light RPG elements from the main game, as killing enemies will contribute towards an XP meter, which levels you up as you progress. Each level unlocks a new attribute, like additional health or increased bow damage. There’s also a very simple skill tree you can spend your hard-earned studs on to give you a sense of progression as you work through the campaign.

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All in all, it’s a quite simple game – but that’s by design. This is a Horizon title that will be playable by pretty much anyone, and we really do think it’s going to introduce an all-new audience to Guerrilla’s world. The gameplay is tight, and the visuals are outstanding; while we are concerned it may lack a little variety, we’re already fairly confident this is going to be the best LEGO game to date.

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Is the excellent LEGO Horizon Adventures on your radar? Are you looking forward to this family friendly take on Guerrilla’s acclaimed open world franchise? Sharpen your arrows in the comments section below.