Sony and Guerrilla Games are releasing the new "LEGO Horizon Adventures" outside of PlayStation as well. The first-party title will be released for the Nintendo Switch, but not for the Xbox, which raises some questions.
The first assumption as to why "LEGO Horizon Adventures" isn't coming to Xbox might be that they simply want to keep the game from the direct competitor platform. However, Narrative Director Jame Windeler has a slightly different explanation, which once again doesn't paint the Xbox in a good light. According to Windeler, it would prevent them from pushing their own hardware (PS5) to its limits, which is the stated goal with "LEGO Horizon Adventures."
In conversation with Stephen Totilo's on Game File Windeler said:
“Right now, we’re just focused on pushing the limits of this hardware and making the game look as fantastic as possible on it. We don’t really have anything to announce about Xbox at the moment,” said Windeler.
Why is LEGO Horizon Adventures being released for Switch then?
This inevitably raises the question of why "LEGO Horizon Adventures" is being released specifically for the Nintendo Switch. It's a significantly weaker platform, which, according to Guerrilla Games' logic, should be holding back the PS5 much more. Windeler also has an answer for this, but one that is completely different and not entirely convincing.
"To make it accessible to a much wider audience, including a family-friendly audience and a younger audience."
The answers regarding the Xbox don't seem entirely honest, which is why it ultimately comes down to competition, and Sony wants to keep the brand off the hands of Xbox players. That's certainly their right, especially given their position as market leader.
LEGO Horizon Adventures is based on the major predecessors Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West, but with a LEGO twist, using colorful LEGO bricks and minifigures instead of realistic graphics. Players take on the role of Aloy, a machine hunter who leads a team of heroes on a quest to save the world from a new threat. Besides a variety of locations to explore, from lush meadows and forests to towering mountains, players can customize their characters and participate in action-packed battles, including cooperative mode.
“LEGO Horizon Adventures” will be released at the end of 2024.
I don't understand the first sentence.
Of course, this is your first time doing this. It's the game's first release.
Or does this refer to the "Horizon" franchise as a whole?
Ah, that's just lawyer PR speak. In the end, the game will be released for all sorts of things. Aside from that, it's a Lego game like any other. Sony is acting like it's a AAA title and a must-have. If the game is even moderately successful, then God of War, Ghost, Last of Us, etc., games will follow.