The new must-play game for Lego and racing fans

Fans of Forza Horizons and Lego, unite. The best hardcore/casual racing game of all time is now also the best Lego game of all time and you are going to want to play it.

Forza Horizon 3’s expansions saw a new tradition born for the series.

The first expansion is weather-related — Blizzard Mountain in Horizon 3, and the stormy Fortune Island in Horizon 4. The second expansion is toy related, and ready to fulfil the childhood dreams of players (and it has dinosaurs, for some reason) — Horizon 3 had Hot Wheels, and now Horizon 4 has Lego Speed Champions.

While the Hot Wheels expansion was good and a logical step for Horizon, this Lego expansion is perfect, and was clearly made by passionate lovers of both Lego and cars.

Unlike the Hot Wheels expansion, you can actually take the three new Lego cars to the mainland and drive them around in the digital reimagining of the UK.

The Lego expansion was clearly made by passionate lovers of both Lego and cars.

In Lego Valley, though, they’ve struck the right balance between having all the buildings and flowers made out of Lego, but keeping some of the trees, and all of the grass and roads realistic. You’re not driving in a toy world, you’re driving in the real world which has been enhanced with toys.

One might think that having all those toys around, and driving a scaled up version of the Speed Champions Ferrari F40 might break the immersion, but the absurdity of it all just added to the fun.

Your aim in Lego Valley is to complete challenges to collect bricks and build the Master Builder’s house, then the Master Builder’s plane, yacht, dinosaur …

What makes the expansion even better is that most, if not all, of the buildings are based on real Lego sets.

As a collector of the Creator Modular buildings, I was delighted to see the Café Corner, Town Hall, and Assembly Square nestled in among many of the other modulars in Brickchester town centre.

There’s also an Easter egg out in the middle of nowhere of Emmett’s house from The Lego Movie.

The absurdity of Lego versions of luxury cars adds to the fun.

There is a new radio station added as well, which doesn’t usually happen in the expansions. However, that radio station only plays one song: Everything Is Awesome from the Lego Movie. If a radio station is going to only play one song on repeat, it may as well be by Tegan and Sara.

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The only slightly discordant note is that the barn find needs to be unlocked with a future update. One presumes it’s an as-yet unreleased Speed Champions set that was supposed to be timed with the game, and it doesn’t detract from the expansion. It’s just an odd thing to do.

Bottom line: The best hardcore/casual racing game of all time is now also the best Lego game of all time, and it’s an absolute must play for Lego and racing fans alike.

FORZA HORIZON 4: LEGO SPEED CHAMPIONS EXPANSION

Overall: 5/5

Available now on: Xbox One, PC.

Price: $29.95

Reviewed on: Xbox One X

Out now.