Review: LEGO Horizon Forbidden West Tallneck (76989)!

The LEGO Horizon Forbidden West Tallneck (76989) set was released 1st May 2022 with a surprising amount of interest as the game-inspired set went on backorder the very same day and has rarely been in stock both online and in-store.

I originally missed out on release day and waited several weeks for it to come back in stock online but unfortunately kept missing it. I finally picked up the set but from a different supplier, Smyths Toys.

As the impending doom of the LEGO price increases draw closer I wanted to secure it at its original price point, so I had to shop else where, which is perfectly fine of course.

If you wanted to watch me build this then you’ll find my Instagram live streams below, where I built this set over three different videos. Please follow us here to watch live!

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

The Box & Contents:

If you’re a fan of the PlayStation exclusive game then you’ll instantly recognise what is going on in the box art, with multiple references to both the Tallneck creature and Aloy herself.

Sticking with the 18+ Adults Welcome branding, which will be changing over the last half of this year to ICONS, really makes the art work pop against the dark background.

The usual gumph is on the front such as set name & number (76989), 1,222 piece count, intended age range, and relevant branded logos. Flip the box over and you’ll find a bit more information about the build and that is stands tall at 34cm high and 21cm wide (base).

Inside the box there are eight numbered bags, a sticker sheet, and of course the instruction Manuel. There are a couple of loose parts, a 8×16 green baseplate and some sort of rubbery cord.

The Build:

Bags 1 to 3 are purely for the display base, Watcher creature, and Aloy Minifigure, more on Aloy later in the review.

Starting of with a few brightly coloured bricks and some black slopes & curves we get to work, fleshing out the base in an asymmetrical way, mirroring each half, and finally rounding off the edges with the black parts mentioned above.

Leaving SNOT (studs not on top) bricks exposed along the way, these help to plate and tile the base and give it a more finished look, adding and layering green plates to create an uneven and more natural surface on which Aloy and the Tallneck stand.

The addition of the small Birch tree, long grass, and rusted traffic light is such a great idea and only requires a small amount of pieces. I must say I prefer the Birch tree here to the one included with the LEGO Bookshop Modular.

The next couple of bags, 4 & 5, make the torso and neck of the creature, layering up and overlapping curved tiles to create a staggered look works incredibly well and is pretty much spot on with the Tallneck in the game.

Some of the stickers are applied here on the back and add a nice amount of detail, as I always mention in my recent reviews I don’t actually mind stickers now, as long as there aren’t hundreds of course.

The use of gold swords as jumping platforms works really well, they can be tilted up or down as you wish but they work best as flat/level areas. Being an avid game fan I can confirm that there are five platforms both in-game and here in the set, again making it accurate.

Bag 6 makes up the two back legs, even though the construction is slightly different (mirrored) it does get a little boring and repetitive, thankfully they don’t take that long to finish. The same goes for bag 7 being the front two legs.

Layered up once again all four legs are in keeping with the colour scheme, utilising black, white, tan, and even sand blue elements, sand blue and sand green are my top two Fav LEGO colours, they look awesome in any build!

The below picture is not how the Tallneck is intended to be displayed, it is purely to show just how articulate the joints are once the legs have been attached.

This brings us to the last bag, number 8, which builds the head of the creature. I found it very interesting how the designers put together the disk shaped head by constructing the two halves, securing them together, and finally fastening it to the neck by two hinged pieces.

The last of the stickers are used mostly around the edge of the head, with a couple being added to the top. Each sticker is strategically placed to cover a gap and keep the design flowing nicely. Again the design team have done a great as each sticker is crisp and detailed, just how they should be in a premium set.

Located at the back of the head are four antenna type things only here in LEGO form they’re made up on Technic feet. Building four exactly the same and popping them into the head and finally finishing the set is very satisfying, swiveling each one into position.

On top you’ll see a 1×1 transparent red tile, this represents the spot in which Aloy connects her staff and hacks into the Tallneck, exposing that particular place in the in game map. Trying to recreate this with LEGO and the Minifigure is a little frustrating as the scale just isn’t there along with the way the hands tilt and gold the staff. There are cer ways to get them both to sit right but looks somewhat unnatural in LEGO form. Check out the gallery below for more photos. 

The Minifigure:

Aloy, the main character of the game, is an orphan and was left in the care of an outcast, Roth. Having trained Aloy since she was young the pair has bonded and have a great Father & Daughter dynamic. When Aloy finally becomes of age she can once again gain access to the village and take part in a dangerous trial to be allowed back into the tribe. Something happens and sets Aloy on a new path, to save the tribe, learn about her past, and save the World!

Having played the first game very recently it is all still very fresh in my memory, which makes building this even more enjoyable and had me smiling from ear to ear once the Aloy Minifigure and Tallneck was finished.

Finally I have Aloy in Minifigure form and boy what a great Minifigure it is, the design, the printing, the hair, and accessories are all spot on and make for an extremely impressive Minifigure to have and add to the collection!

There is so much to like about this Minifigure, the new moulded hair piece that has an added transparent disk that exposes the Focus (Bluetooth style device) on the side of her head, the amazing colours printed on the torso, the legs where the design continues, the printed arms, and dual faces.

Aloy’s go to weapons are her white bow and tribe staff, both are great as we haven’t seen a white bow and arrow combo so makes this an exclusive piece. The staff is brick-built which makes it a tad on the flimsy side, well just one part to be exact, the grey tip doesn’t hold much grip when slot into the brown flash light piece and so if knocked repeatedly easily falls out, a small gripe but one I need to mention in an overall outstanding set.

The Conclusion:

Overall the set and Minifigure are superb and one you should definitely grab, regardless if you’ve played the games or not, it makes for an impressive display piece.

The base is full of life and really does capture the aesthetic of the game, with the long grass to hide in, the birch tree, and the rusted traffic lights. The addition of the Watcher creature is nice, although there isn’t much to it brick wise it still resembles its onscreen counterpart rather well.

The Tallneck itself is extremely impressive and stands at 34cm high. I particularly like the amount of articulation and movement it has with all four legs. The way the head is constructed is smart with a lot of SNOT at play.

Including a small sticker sheet to fill in the gaps is OK in my book and one I’ve come to accept.

I think as usual the real draw is the Minifigure, Aloy, as it is truly unique and exclusive to the set. The amount of printing, not just on the torso but the legs and arms too makes this Minifigure well worth grabbing!

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Gallery: