Horizon Zero Dawn: 5 Ways to Know it’s for You

If You Like Open Worlds

Open world have become increasingly common in recent years, with more and more studios able to spread their worlds further across improved hardware. Luckily though, Horizon Zero Dawn does more than just stretch its content across a large map.

Horizon’s world is a sprawling one filled with deadly robots and hidden lore. Hunting Grounds offer combat challenges, Vantage Points reward crafty climbing, and corruption zones require you take down superpowered enemies. Long after you finish the campaign, these challenges will remain, alongside the dungeon-like Cauldrons that will expand your hunting capabilities. You’ll get the most out of your experience if you’re willing to explore it, find its collectibles, and take in its wealth of environmental storytelling. If you’re down for a engaging , Horizon will deliver.

If You Like Awesome Robo-Creatures

Horizon goes all out with its robot dinos, filling its huge world with believable creatures made out of nothing but metal. Scavenging birds tear up carcasses, Grazers wander peacefully, and Chargers sprint across the world, horns-out. Their behaviors have a language all their own, with packs of predators circling you and hunters calling for reinforcements upon engagement. It’s not uncommon to wander across machines warring with NPCs, either, and a helping hand will earn you their gratitude and possibly more physical rewards.

The impressive behavior of these creatures is matched by their intricate designs. Each machine is made up of dozens of moving parts, tensing and lunging with the realism of flesh and muscle. These parts also make for varied encounters as each machine sports its own weaknesses and destructible parts. 

If You Like Action Combat With a Strategic Twist

Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the few games where wielding a bow doesn’t make you wish you just had a gun instead. But while it’s always fun to shoot away, Horizon’s battles also require a little more technique. Because machines come in such complex and dangerous varieties, Aloy needs all of her arsenal to really make a dent in their armor.

A battle with the t-rex-like Thunderjaw is a symphony of tail dodging, metal ripping, missile countering, and explosive trapping. Accessing your Machine Catalogue, you’ll learn that those missile launchers are weak to your special tear-damage arrows. A few moments later, its offensive powers may be weaker, but you’ve still got to get past its layers of protective armor. Maybe once you’ve accomplished that, you’ll find just the right moment to shoot a fiery arrow into its insides. A different opponent will be an altogether different set of requirements and tactics. You may find yourself dodging the blows of a dive-bombing Stormbird or frantically trying to outrun a Watcher. If you’re skilled enough, you may even stealthily override the machine in your sights, turning it into a mount or combat ally, or lure an unsuspecting Grazer into the perfect explosive trap.

Machines feed directly into the fun of Horizon’s combat, making each encounter weighty and that final kill intensely satisfying.

If You Like Great Graphics

It’s hard to overstate how gorgeous Horizon Zero Dawn is, especially on the PlayStation 4 Pro. The world warps between forests, deserts, and snowy mountaintops, all filled with incredible detail.

While creatures are all kind of eye candy, it’s the fauna that really impresses. Trees are covered in hundreds of rustling leaves. Blades of grass catch sunlight individually. Palm fronds stretch toward the sky, catching rays so orange that you can feel the scorching desert. Horizon Zero Dawn is without a doubt the most graphically advanced game of 2017 so far, making the in-game photo mode dangerously addictive.

All of it runs spectacularly on the Pro as well, with no hiccups in framerate, and no gratuitous load times. 

If You Like Likable Protagonists

Action heroes have a tendency to fall into bland or confusing character arcs, but Aloy manages to remain likable throughout Horizon Zero Dawn’s campaign. She begins the story as an outsider, and the only one driven to unearth the secrets of her world. In return, everyone in her tribe thinks she’s batshit crazy, but that’s alright. She leaves home in search for answers, and on a quest to become a fearsome fighter.

Her development really shines through her encounters, both with other tribes and enemies. As you travel through her combat trees, you’ll be able to customize her skills and widen your tactical options in battle. Outside of the RPG-like progression, though, Aloy visibly gains confidence and mastery alongside the player, growing into quite the icon. Her personality is natural, engaging, and strong enough to carry a franchise of her own.