I recently got my hands on the LEGO Tallneck set, a collaboration between LEGO and PlayStation that brings one of the most iconic machines in Horizon to LEGO form. It's a great set and I had fun putting it together (something I haven't done in years) but it also made me realize that I want to see even more of these kinds of sets from LEGO and PlayStation.
The world of Horizon is a natural choice, with a long list of machines in Horizon Forbidden West to pull from alongside a wide range of gorgeous post-apocalyptic environments. It's also one of Sony's biggest mainline gaming franchises that's rated T, so a tie-in makes more sense than many other games, as it's more approachable for a wider audience.
With the kind of detail that was put into the Tallneck set, I can only imagine how cool it would be to see other similar sets based on machines like the Clawstrider, Thunderjaw, Tremortusk, Shellsnapper, or even my personal new favorite, the Slaughterspine. The sheer variety and designs are ripe with potential, and each one could bundle in a "tiny" machine like with the Watcher that's included alongside the Tallneck.
But that's just the start. I'd love to see other PlayStation-themed LEGO sets in the future. Ratchet and Clank is full of wacky guns, zany worlds, ridiculous monsters, and massive robot enemies, while still being appropriate for a younger audience that many of PlayStation's blockbuster games. It's practically built to be adapted as LEGO sets.
While the franchise itself hasn't seen a completely new entry in a few years now, Uncharted is another great possibility for something that could be easily adapted into LEGO form. It'd be especially relevant with the success of the Uncharted film from PlayStation Productions, as well as Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection coming to PS5 and PC.
Bringing different PlayStation franchises to LEGO would be great for people like me with a (reignited) love of building and putting together sets, but would also be perfect for exposing the worlds of the best PS5 games to an entirely new audience. That's something Sony is already looking to do as the company branches out across mobile games as well as TV and film production, and this would just be another natural step in the process.
It also opens the door for possible new LEGO games. While the LEGO Star Wars titles are near-universally loved and there's a handful of other games, there's plenty of potential for new LEGO games based on sets created with PlayStation. LEGO Horizon Zero Dawn, LEGO Uncharted, and more could open up PlayStation's titles to family-friendly gaming content, something the publisher has historically lacked in favor of other genres.
According to the latest NPD data, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the second best-selling game of 2022 in the U.S. so far. Now, obviously Horizon is not even close to Star Wars in terms of brand appeal, but Horizon Forbidden West is the fourth best-selling game of 2022 in the U.S. so far. A high-profile gaming crossover, backed up by additional sets, could be massive for both PlayStation and LEGO.
Speculating a bit more, the upcoming God of War Ragnarok is set to feature gods and monsters of Norse myth like the great wolf Fenrir and the World Serpent Jormungandr, making it perfect for complex, large-scale sets.
I understand that it is a more mature property than something like Horizon Forbidden West, and LEGO has traditionally adapted licensed material that's not from M-rated games. Still, if the company was to make an exception, the fantastical nature of God of War — and the reduction in adult content following the soft reboot of God of War (2018) — means that it could still be a good fit if the rules around what is acceptable for LEGO ever end up being a bit more flexible.
No matter what route Sony could take, I hope this LEGO set isn't an exception but a sign of other fitting partnerships to come. Yes, there's the cynical perspective that at the it's all just marketing, but at the end of the day, I don't think there's a problem with collaborations that fit, and this definitely does.
This LEGO Tallneck set is really neat, and I look forward to seeing if it's ever joined by other machines or sets from across the PlayStation library.
