Winner: Horizon Zero Dawn
Best PS4 Exclusive of 2017
Guerrilla Games for years now has been known as the Killzone developer, but they proved to the world this year that they can make much more than just those games.
Horizon Zero Dawn is an incredibly ambitious open-world game, with quite the intriguing setup. Horizon is a post apocalyptic game like no other. Humanity has recovered and developed rich tribal cultures. Giant robotic beasts stalk the land, and the best part of Horizon is facing down these fearsome creatures. The game absolutely nails its combat, pitching intense battles with the giant creatures, and giving players distinct weapons to use. There are a wide variety of enemy types, and each one requires a different strategy to take down.
Horizon also presents a well-paced mystery to uncover within its main narrative. Much of the game’s story is about uncovering what exactly happened to human kind, and how the world arrived at the state it’s in now. There are interesting twists sprinkled throughout, and Horizon’s leading lady, Aloy, is a robust character that gives you a reason to care about the story. Aloy is a strong personality and outside of just being well-written, Ashly Burch does an excellent job as her voice actress, adding emotion and character into the role.
Horizon was a big way for Guerrilla Games to make their mark as something other than the Killzone studio, and boy did they succeed. The game presents a fascinating world, engaging story and main character, and absolutely pulse-pounding battles with its hulking mechanical beasts. It’s one of the best new IPs to come out in recent years, let alone on the PS4 in general. Horizon is easily one of the best games of 2017, and we can’t wait to see where Guerrilla goes next.
