Toy Review · Purchased November 25, 2022 · $87.99 CAD via Amazon.ca
The Setup
The real deal, finally: LEGO’s official 1,222-piece Tallneck set (76989), licensed directly from the Horizon Forbidden West game, complete with a posable neck and legs and included Aloy and Watcher minifigures.
The Review
Having built the unofficial 7,401-piece “plus-size” version back in June, it’s genuinely interesting to compare notes on the official set. This one is a fraction of the size, but LEGO’s design team clearly put real thought into making the posability and screen accuracy work at this scale — the proportions read correctly, the neck and leg joints move naturally, and including Aloy and a Watcher minifigure gives it a sense of scale and story that the giant unofficial version, with no minifigures at all, couldn’t offer.
It’s also just a better build experience end to end — printed manual, genuine LEGO color consistency, and none of the clutch-power quirks that came with the clone bricks. It’s not going to dominate a shelf the way the giant version does, but as one of LEGO’s first major video-game licensed collectible builds outside Minecraft and Super Mario, it’s a well-executed, faithful little model that I’d recommend over the bootleg version to anyone who just wants a genuine, well-made Tallneck rather than a room centerpiece.
What I Liked
- Genuinely well-designed posability and screen accuracy for the scale
- Includes Aloy and Watcher minifigures the unofficial version lacks
- Better fit, finish, and build experience than the clone-brick version
- Faithful, well-executed licensed build for the price
What I Didn’t
- Doesn’t have the scale or shelf presence of the unofficial version
- Retired, so availability is already inconsistent
The Verdict
Rating: 4.5/5
The version I’d actually recommend to most people — a faithful, well-made official build without the compromises of the clone-brick giant.
Where to Buy
- LEGO.com product page (marked retired — check secondary market otherwise)
