Forza Horizon 4: LEGO Speed Champions Review

This is most awesome indeed.

You know, for the sheer amount of LEGO games on the market, there’s never been one that lets you drive to your heart’s content. That is, until now, and only if you have access to Forza Horizon 4. But if by some chance you do, then you’re in for a surprise with Forza Horizon 4: LEGO Speed Champions. A very “everything is awesome” surprise.

Game Name: Forza Horizon 4: LEGO Speed Champions
Platform(s):  Xbox One, PC (Reviewed)
Publisher(s): Xbox Game Studios
Developer(s):  Playground Games 
Release Date:
Price: 

Announced during the Xbox E3 2019 briefing is a new spin on the racing genre. Racing with LEGO cars begs to ask why hasn’t anyone done this before. There’s something about being able to drive a LEGO car and watch them get banged up and lose pieces. Something about this has the inner child screaming for more as I zipped around the newly created environment that Forza Horizon 4: LEGO Speed Champions takes place. My inner child is also pretty loud, and he won’t shut up, no matter how hard I tried to silence him.

While Playground Games could have made this a simple event, they didn’t. Instead, they’ve crafted an enticing LEGO world that anyone who has ever had a passing interest in LEGO would enjoy. I’m still finding new and exciting LEGO kits to build, even as an adult. IN fact, I’m enjoying them even more since there’s no one stopping me, outside of my wife, that is. So when I finally was able to play Forza Horizon 4: LEGO Speed Champions, I was grinning from ear to ear. Pretty much if you’ve ever dreamed of a LEGO racing game being created but were sad that it never happened. Then this expansion is everything you’ve wanted. Well, sort of everything.

There’s even something here for those who’ve seen the ‘LEGO: The Movie’ as there’s a radio station that plays “Everything Is Awesome” non-stop. You’d think by now that anyone who’s ever heard this song would be over it. Even still, it’s here, and I admit I’ve listened to that station once or twice while checking out Forza Horizon 4: LEGO Speed Champions. Yes, it’s still as catchy as it was before.

Of course, the best thing about it all is not occasionally stepping on a LEGO brick. We’ve all been there and have done it; it’s quite painful. Once again, Playground Games struts their stuff and makes the cars look like the real LEGOs. Like the other cars in the game, they will also show signs of damage, such as scratches in the paint and losing pieces. You can even take these cars and unleash them onto other tracks in Forza Horizon 4, which is pretty neat if you ask me.

Sure, there’s plenty of racing, but there are also s few goals here, and they’re directly related to the LEGO building experience. Right at the start, you’re told that you’ll need to collect several bricks to build your home, which means completing several objectives and activities that will allow you to do so.  Once you did that, you’re tasked to collect more bricks to build more stuff. I’ll admit that it does get a bit repetitive after a few hours.

Outside of racing, you can enjoy the beautiful, if not chaotic, world that Playground Games has crafted. The map is stuffed full of LEGO, that looks like someone took several kits and just dropped them into the world. From the UFO crash site, the dinosaur bone filed desert or the simply amazing city that needs to be seen, to name a few. Or you can go looking for and smashing bonus bricks, locating landmarks, or completing challenges such as speed zones. There’s definitely plenty to do, or you can cruise around and marvel at this fantastic world. Or if you’re like me, calling friends and family to see, come check out the cool stuff you’re able to do. I know I’ve harassed my wife and daughter several times to go, “Hey, watch this.” I don’t think they were thrilled.

For fans of Forza Horizon 4, the original experience is here, with some LEGO tossed in. The LEGO cars handle just like their real-life counterparts, which is a bit strange the first time you get behind the wheel or controller. Not sure why I expected them to act differently just because they’re made out of LEGOs. I also really enjoyed the tracks that Playground Games added to this expansion. The Falcon Arrowhead and Brickchester Corners Circuit are a blast, as are the other tracks and roads found here. For those wondering if you can bust out your favorite racing beast and take a spin on this track, you can. Everything is accessible to any car in the expansion, LEGO or not.

Despite it all, I’m still a bit disappointed with several aspects of the expansions. For example, why aren’t there more than just three LEGO cars? Outside of the LEGO Mini Cooper, LEGO Ferrari F40 Competizione, and the LEGO McLaren Senna, that’s it. There are so many other cool racing LEGO kits that could be roaming around in this expansion. It’s a bit depressing for someone who is still heavily involved with LEGO’s. I would have loved to have seen the Ford Mustang (10265) make it into the expansion. Lastly, some of the challenges are dependent on knowing where certain locations are on the map, except they aren’t all listed on the map, which causes a bit of an issue if you’re trying to beat that specific challenge.

Outside of that, this expansion is, well, awesome! It’s definitely on par with the Forza Horizon 3 Hot Wheels expansion, which I also loved. Go ahead and race your LEGO heart out. I won’t judge as I’ll be right alongside you.