With two of Aloy’s Horizon adventures under my belt, I’m now something of a robot dissection expert. I know how to X-ray any murderous appliance that's out roaming on the plains. I can confidently pick which of their innards may be harvested for parts—or detonated to turn them into bits. Honestly, engaging in that fast-paced, life or death version of Operation on mechanical megafauna is the best part of Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West.
Understandably, it feels a little weird doing everything in reverse with this PlayStation and LEGO collab—cobbling a robosaur together instead of stripping it down for shards and components. Weighing in at 1,222 pieces and shooting up to an impressive 38 cm (15″) in height, the LEGO Horizon Forbidden West: Tallneck #76989 is a towering achievement if you like your builds a little different. The exotic, overlapping armour plating of Guerrilla Games' dinos is unlike any other model out there, stylistically, but a clear love for the source material (plus a bonus Watcher and unique Aloy minifig) make it hard to pass on.
Building the Tallneck
As you'd expect, the groundwork for this set begins with the…well, literal groundwork. The LEGO designers have allowed themselves a relatively small 23 cm (9″) by 17 cm (6.6″) oval on which to depict the nature-reclaimed, post-apoc 31st century. It's nice to have an ovoid base for a change, something that better complements and accentuates the curved headpiece that will tower above it. I also dig the little colour Easter Eggs that are used in the “soil” of the base – subtle nods to the earthy tones and bright streaks of color that characterise the Horizon palette.
Once you've covered those chromatic winks with a layer of overgrown vegetation, it's time to clip in some other neat additions. In 3020, the world has become your gardener's worst nightmare, a fact represented by large overgrown reeds, a towering maple, knee-level weeds and a choking vine. The latter needs to be snaked around a rusting traffic light which has clearly seen better centuries. It's such a clever bit of visual storytelling.
Embedded into all this greenery is the minifig version of Aloy. I'm very happy with her brickification, particularly with her hunting spear and unique hairpiece. The latter does her shoulder length braids justice and even has a focus hardwired in the spot where her ears ought to be. The only downsides to this minifig: a sweptback/ponytail design would have allowed for some head pivoting. Also, while it's similarly unique, I'm not feeling the all white bow and arrow piece. It looks too pristine and plain. Out of place. Some metallic accents would have solved this.
Last but not least, there's a superdeformed version of a Watcher, the very first machine that 'junior' Aloy learns to be wary of. It's a quick study that doesn't require many parts. It doesn't offer as much articulation/posing as I originally assumed (leg joints only). Mind you, I do appreciate that it comes with a few translucent 1x1s which let you communicate its alert level status. For those of you new to the series, they would be: blue (situation normal), yellow (something is up, not good) and red (time for me to disembowel a meatbag).
And for your necks trick
When it comes to the titular Tallneck—everybody's favourite U.S.S. Enterprise-headed robogiraffe—the build process is an absolute pleasure. Construction begins on the torso and that distinctive neck which must be climbed in-game (to initiate an override/map details reveal). Everything is relatively straightforward but also a little repetitious as you're effectively stacking vertebrae and outer armour together.
What the neck construction lacks in entertainment factor, it makes up for in aesthetics. The distinctive 'museum skeleton meets futurism' appearance of a Tallneck is quite pleasing to the eye. What's presented is a more than fair LEGO-ification of the in-game asset which, obviously, is several magnitudes more complex.
The one caveat: though that neck may look ligament-like, the reality is it offers low pose-ability. The best you're gonna get is a very slight tilt forward or backward. No quizical head cocks. Certainly no sexy serpentine twists. MInd you, I don't recall the actual Tallnecks being particularly emotive anyway.
The last thing on our checklist is the big ol' frisbee disc of a melon. Honestly, there aren't a lot of surprises with that one. Because you're effectively building a big circluar bonce in quarters, there's actually a fair degree of build deja vu. Beyond the big capstone node that Aloy must override, the coolest final flourishes end up being the half a dozen antenna 'dreadlocks' that bristle along the Tallneck's back and butt.
When all's said and built, the Tallneck not only looks authentic and all sorts of cool, its legs prove to be way more posable and stable than I'd imagined. Using a simple system of four anchor poles (which slot into dedicated holes in four frankly adorable feet) you can secure your Tallneck to the base. That said, it's just as viable to go for a bit of a walkabout on a flat surface of your choosing. Possibly to the accompaniment of Henry Mancini's – Baby Elephant Walk. Or the Jurassic Park theme.
Whatever way you choose to keep your Tallneck—tethered or free-roam—even a casual observer will recognise that a lot of care and thought has gone into this set. As a fan of Guerrilla Games' work on this franchise, I'm more than satisfied with this tie-in product. Truth be told, it's only made me hungry to hunt down any sister sets that (hopefully) may appear on my horizon. LEGO, my kingdom for a Thunderjaw or Slaughterspine.
Other great games inspired LEGO
Adam’s our Aussie deals wrangler. You can watch him game on YouTube.