No game in living memory has ever had the distinction of being as subliminally perfect as Horizon Zero Dawn. An open-world third-person action RPG, it was unexpected that this post-post-apocalyptic world with metal dinosaurs and bow and arrow gameplay helmed by Guerrilla Games (Killzone) would pack the punch it did. With a story centred on the unforgettable protagonist, Aloy, as she sets out to discover who she is in a world ravaged by machines and warring tribes, Horizon‘s narrative was touching and impactful, rivalling narrative-heavy game companies like Naughty Dog, CD Projekt RED and Quantic Dream.
Everything about Horizon deserves some celebration (except for its melee combat, perhaps). Guerrilla Games created a world teeming with beauty and personality, creating memorable characters like Rost, Sylens and Eren, who also work alongside Aloy on her quest. Its metal machines, all of which dominate the world, are fearsome foes in any encounter; benefitting from an element of strategy on how best to approach each conflict. The graphics are spalling with beauty, holding up just as well as PS5 heavy-hitters like the remake of Demon Souls (2020) or Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and most gameplay mechanics are crafted to perfection to handle intuitively and swiftly. All of this accumulates into a game of beautiful perfection that easily makes it one of the Playstation’s greatest first-party titles, comfortably alongside God of War and The Last of Us, and without a doubt one of my top three games of all time.
Plus, with the sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, released ten days ago (February 18th), the world of Horizon just got bigger, and no doubt, a whole lot bet!
Horizon Zero Dawn was released on February 28th, 2017 for PlayStation (and recently for PC). You can watch Horizon Zero Dawn’s trailer below:
