5 Reasons Why Horizon Zero Dawn is a Masterclass in the Open World Genre

An Innovative And Bold Thematic Setting

Open worlds are unquestionably the contemporary zeitgeist in gaming. As quantity becomes ever more attached to a game’s value, the open world formula has become the go-to platform for extending game time, offering replay value, and keeping players engaged for the longest time possible. But the popularity of the genre has also meant that we’re totally inundated with open world games and in real danger of over-saturation. Developers, somewhat understandably, seem intent on playing it safe; sticking to the molds of convention for the sake of a guaranteed bottom line level of interest. But what we need is a developer that takes the essence of the open world genre and mixes it with a fresh and interesting premise.

Enter Horizon Zero Dawn: a blend of highly polished gameplay with one of the most outlandish and exciting thematic settings ever seen in gaming.

On paper, a Skynet-esque post-apocalyptic world where robotic dinosaurs prey on neolithic tribespeople sounds like the nonsensical fantasy of a day-dreaming schoolboy, but that’s exactly what makes it so brilliant. Video gaming is about escapism. We’ve seen far too many video games focus on realism in recent times such as The Division, Mafia 3, and Grand Theft Auto. In bringing to life such a wondrous and imaginative environment, Guerilla has given Horizon Zero Dawn a point of difference. Sure, the game has open world tropes such as fetch quests, trials, collectibles etc. But when it’s all tied together with such a mysterious and bold thematic setting, one feels more impetus to explore its expanses and uncover every nook and cranny.

Map Unlocking System

There’s no denying that Horizon Zero dawn expands on gameplay features seen in many other open world games. The map unlocking system is certainly reminiscent of Ubisoft games, in particular, similarly requiring players to climb a high peak to reveal points of interest in the surrounding vicinity. But where Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry merely had players climbing tall buildings, Horizon Zero Dawn goes one step further, employing awe-inspiring giant dinosaurs as walking towers.

Platforming up Horizon Zero Dawn’s Tall-neck robot dinos never feels dull. It demands careful scouting, avoiding enemies while seeking an appropriate place to jump on top of and begin climbing their massive bulk. With a polish typical of the whole game, the unlock system is a feature inspired by games-gone-by, but through employing a combination of tactical gameplay, tight platforming, and a whiff of badassery, is made to feel totally unique and exciting.

Combat Variety

Combat is absolutely one of Horizon Zero Dawn’s best attributes. This is a game that does not feature a huge range of spells or special abilities, and there certainly isn’t a massive armory of customizable guns, either. Yet, Horizon Zero Dawn’s combat trumps other open world games because it focuses on giving players the tools to approach situations tactically and entirely to their own preference. It encourages experimentation, rewarding patient players that invent their own strategies, while at the same time not restricting those that prefer the intensity of a frontal assault.

Although weaponry might be fairly light in number, each of them offers a different quality, and these can be combined to varied effect. No two encounters need ever be the same, with both stealth and action a viable option. Beyond just those black and white options, though, the environment always feels like a genuine tactical sandbox that caters to everything in between, as well. It is this variety that puts gameplay firmly at the forefront of Horizon Zero Dawn’s replayability.

A Balance Between Map Size And Performance

Open world games, by their nature, are about non-linearity and freedom, which often translates to a game environment’s sheer size. And when it comes to the scale of its map, Horizon Zero Dawn certainly doesn’t disappoint. This is a very big game, full of substance, dense with human and robotic NPCs, and with a varied topography that never feels sparse or empty.

Yet, as is often the case with large maps, size typically comes at the expense of graphical fidelity and the stability of frame rate. No such issue with Horizon Zero Dawn. Whether you’re playing on the base PS4 or PS4 Pro, the game runs at a fairly stable frame rate, despite its colossal size. Additionally, character models, lighting, and textures are all top notch, normally befitting of a map much less ambitious in proportion.

Credit has to be given to the team at Guerilla for their work on the Decima engine, which was originally used for Killzone Shadowfall and was modified for Horizon Zero Dawn. It goes to show what a game optimized for a specific console is capable of, rather than one that is stretched across different platforms such as The Witcher 3 – a gorgeous game, but one that often struggles with a stable frame rate.

Dungeons

Horizon Zero Dawn’s post-post-apocalyptic setting is full of mystery, and the question of quite how its world became overrun by these strange robotic creatures is always at the forefront of one’s mind when playing. The Cauldrons are Horizon Zero Dawn’s equivalent of dungeons, and every time that players enter their eerie abyss, it feels like a quest to uncover this curiosity. It is a curiosity that always remains prevalent, but isn’t necessarily the impetus of the game’s main story, and that’s what makes each journey into a Cauldron so exciting – it’s like getting back a mission to solve an ultimate question, one of an importance far above the politics of Aloy’s tribal world.

It is this motivation to understand Horizon Zero Dawn’s extraordinary setting that makes exploring the intricacies of the Cauldrons so exciting. And it also gives them a substance beyond just ticking a checkbox or levelling up a character/finding an item. The Cauldrons have a mystery that is connected to the story – they are a foreboding place with a different ambience to the game’s open world – they draw Aloy closer to her personal imperative to understand the world in which she lives.

In other games, dungeons typically serve less of an important role in understanding this sort of overarching question. Instead, they are typically just a distraction to level a character or function as an alternative area to loot a specific item. Consider FFXV, a game that features excellent dungeons from a design point of view, but whose primary purpose is ultimately just a path toward finding a special weapon. The Witcher 3’s dungeons rarely relate to its main story arc either, featuring in optional side quests and never inspiring wonder in the same sort of way as Horizon Zero Dawn’s Cauldrons.

Even beyond the wider meaning of their purpose, the Cauldrons are equally accomplished with respect to their gameplay and aesthetic appeal, too. Swapping the wild and open expanses of its open world for a cramped, almost cyberpunk interior brings a different challenge to platforming and combat. It never feels overly restrictive in this more linear locale, though, where there’s often multiple pathways offered through verticality. In the Cauldrons, Horizon Zero Dawn suddenly feels more like an early Metal Gear Solid title, where Watchers patrol hallways that require delicate control of Aloy to stealth past their vigilant gaze. Barren of tall grass or convenient foliage, maneuvering for silent takedowns demands much more precision, and that ultimately makes for a refreshing change of pace to gameplay.