Playing (with) Lego doesn’t have to be pure escapism. In telling Horizon’s story of environmental collapse and capitalism gone wild, Lego Horizon Adventures puts a layer of kid-friendly plastic building block abstraction between the concepts and the increasingly inevitable reality. And that makes it not only manageable, but also shareable.

Too simple and childish for adults, and too one-note to convert the kids, Lego Horizon Adventures does little to recommend it to Horizon fans or newcomers.

LEGO Horizon Adventures from developers Guerrilla Games and Studio Gobo aims to walk an interesting balance between bringing a powerhouse franchise to