The Lego Horizon set was released in May 2022 to much fanfare. Many fans of both Lego and Playstation praised the set for how authentic it looked to the game source. Modern Lego designers love to use Lego's vast library of pieces and colors in unique ways to create something that looks less and less like Lego each time.

Recently I had built the Lego Bonsai tree, and absolutely loved it. I'm not really a fan of Lego's aesthetic and blocky models, and both the Bonsai Tree and the Horizon Tallneck sets, as well as many other modern sets, try to hide these features as much as possible.

The Tallneck has so many rounded edges, curved surfaces, and off-angled lines that it looks more like a regular plastic model, rather than a Lego model. Even the joints for each leg have incredible articulation, like an action figure.

Even though the set retails for $100, I was able to get a "used" set from Yahoo Auctions for $40. Used means that the set was already opened and built. They were selling it already built, too. But for that price, I could easily disassemble it and build it up again as if it were the first time.

The package was pristine when I received it in the mail and it included almost all of the original empty bags that hold the pieces. It was really easy to take apart and organize into its newly opened state.

Then, on May 13th, I streamed myself building it.

It was fun putting it together, but I didn't really have the same energy that I had with the Bonsai Tree. Maybe it was because I had already seen it completed, so there weren't any surprises. But, I don't really like the overall look in person. I feel like it still retains some of that block Lego aesthetic even though they try to hide it as much as possible. It's also really big.

Originally, I was planning on modifying the base to add the Bonsai tree to it, but the Tallneck completely towers over the tree. They don't really compliment each other after all.

I had it on my shelf for about a month, but I decided to take it down and take it apart again. You can see this progress in the photos below.

The whole process is kind of like taking apart a puzzle after you build it. And everything fits back into its box.

Overall, it's a pretty fun build, but it just felt too big for my shelf. If I wanted to make any additions to the set, or use it in some other way, it would always be the center piece. Everything else would have to complement it, rather than creating a balanced scene.