8 Games Like Horizon Zero Dawn If You’re Looking for Something Similar

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Games Like Horizon Zero Dawn If You’re Looking for Something Similar

If you’re hoping to fill the gap left by Aloy, you’re unlikely to find a better ally. Nintendo’s masterclass butted heads with Horizon Zero Dawn atop almost every Game of the Year contest in 2017, and with good reason: the expansive open world, the challenging and imaginative puzzles found within the many shrines dotting the plains, the shirtless Link, it really had it all.

Combat is just as intuitive as ever thanks to the classic z-targeting system, and like HZD’s crimson-haired heroine, Link is more than proficient with a bow and arrow in hand. In the vast land of Hyrule, you are also tasked with disabling rampaging machines, though obviously, the method for doing so is quite different, requiring you to enter them as dungeons.

More than anything else, it is the quality of this title that makes it a worthy accompaniment to Horizon Zero Dawn. Both games just feel intrinsically right, with design choices and minute details that show the level of care and dedication taken by their respective studios. They are landmark moments that will surely stand the test of time for years to come.

Monster Hunter: World

Games Like Horizon Zero Dawn If You’re Looking for Something Similar

Have you ever felt a little bit guilty as you track down innocent robots and tear their limbs off with reckless abandon? The only thing that could be more morally bankrupt would be doing the same to living, breathing animals, and that’s exactly what you get to do in Monster Hunter. Kudos to you!

Though you could name any of the franchise’s many entries as suitable HZD facsimiles, Monster Hunter: World is the obvious choice, playable on the same console and with a thriving community of eager players just itching to murder some Rathalos. It can be intoxicating scouring the landscape in search of new discoveries, and taking a moment to learn your prey’s movements and habits.

The RPG elements make repeated questing and grinding feel satisfying, buffing up your protagonist until they are an all-powerful demigod. About the only dissimilarity (apparently that is a real word – neat!) is that MHW is a bit lacking as a single player experience, whereas Aloy only ever works alone. It’s certainly possible to go solo, but the game truly shines when you have a merry band of thugs by your side.

NieR: Automata

Games Like Horizon Zero Dawn If You’re Looking for Something Similar

With its open world and dystopian mechanical future, this game is fairly NieR to what’s on offer in Horizon Zero Dawn. …That one felt bad just to type, honestly.

Whereas HZD is grounded in a level of reality that is almost unmatched in something so ambitious, NieR: Automata fully embraces the eccentricities that are synonymous with series creator Yoko Taro. The battles are more melee-focused, fast-paced and frantic, with 2B flitting about the screen like a flea on cocaine. Certainly, both styles of gameplay have their merits, but the major factor where NieR comes out ahead would be in the storyline department. It’s dark and it’s intriguing, and compels you to dig deeper.

Taro himself admitted eerie similarities when asked to rank his top 10 games for 2017 (a list where Horizon Zero Dawn managed second place behind, strangely enough, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp), saying, ‘Their release date was extremely close to NieR: Automata, it was a sci-fi genre title, an action game, and it featured a female protagonist. So much overlap. I thought, “Are you trying to kill me? Give me a break, seriously.”’

If Yoko Taro thinks so, then that’s definitely saying something. Still though – Pocket Camp? For real?

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

8 Games Like Horizon Zero Dawn If You’re Looking for Something Similar

Open world, character skill tree progression, more side quests and superfluous knick knacks than you could ever hope to find… Geralt is like Aloy from an alternate dimension, albeit a much less lithe version that probably doesn’t smell very nice.

The Witcher 3 is an exquisite piece of gaming excellence that is overflowing with content, and should you be feeling an emptiness once you’ve seen and done everything that Horizon Zero Dawn has in it, you’ll be pleased to know that The Continent has a little bit of something for everyone. You want gritty scrapping and gratuitous violence? No worries, that’s Geralt’s favorite! You want sultry ladies to seduce with your masculine charms? Scratch that last part, this is Geralt’s actual favorite. And if you want gripping storytelling that tugs at the heartstrings with its questions of morality and consequence, then look no further – what up, Towerful of Mice.

If you can’t be bothered putting in the effort, don’t forget that there’s a Netflix television series on its way for you to leer at, too. Will it include such crucial moments as sexual intercourse atop a stuffed unicorn toy? Fingers crossed, boys and girls.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Games Like Horizon Zero Dawn If You’re Looking for Something Similar

There you are, gallivanting through the woods, weapon in hand and a mission firmly in your mind. Before you appears a sinister beast, the likes of which would cause most men to flee in terror. But not you. You stand your ground, the only look on your face one of sheer determination. You open your mouth, take a deep breath, and shout with such ferocity, the creature is flung into the distance like a ragdoll. Yes, the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a bit like Horizon Zero Dawn, just with a lot more yelling.

Taking place through a first-person perspective as opposed to over the shoulder, Skyrim transports players to a world just as fantastical as the one found in HZD, allowing you to build and mold your hero as you see fit. Right from the opening throes of its thrilling prologue, it grabs hold of the reins and rarely lets up, challenging you to keep fighting.

Depending on your preferences, you have a slew of different mediums to enjoy the game, whether you want the pristine graphical prowess of the PS4 or Xbox One versions, or the pocket-sized versatility of the edition on the Switch. For purity’s sake, we still recommend the ultra-moddable PC Skyrim – how can you go past a game that allows you to turn dragons into Macho Man Randy Savage?

Far Cry Primal

Games Like Horizon Zero Dawn If You’re Looking for Something Similar

Another first-person take on the genres of hunting and surviving, Far Cry Primal has more parallels with Horizon Zero Dawn than what may be apparent at first glance. The themes of tribes and superstition are consistent, as well as the utter exhilaration that comes with downing a massive target, writhing in agony as it hits the ground. Plus, you get to hang out with a badger! Everybody loves badgers.

As the two titles take place at vastly different points in time, there are various stylistic differences that lead to a broader gameplay experience. Aloy moves with a confidence and an elegance that is both empowering and fun to watch. Sparks fly off the machines as she peppers them with shots, rolling, dodging and weaving around. Primal is visually appealing, but there is nothing pretty about the methods of our boy Takkar. He may be a natural warrior, but he’s not exactly a tactical whiz, occasionally stumbling into the lairs of deadly animals with such vigor he ends up getting ambushed, and must desperately stave off certain death.

Your days in Primal are filled with unfathomable levels of oopsie, but such is the simple brilliance of it. After all, you’re living in an age where thumping things with aplomb can make you king: that’s how it ought to be, really. Hopefully you’re just adept enough at said thumping to avoid ending up a bloody pile of bones on the cavern floor.

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Games Like Horizon Zero Dawn If You’re Looking for Something Similar

How far we have come in such a short span of time. Lara Croft was one of the first big heroines of gaming, fighting, leaping and thinking her way out of hazardous situations time and time again. Nobody is questioning her capabilities, but her design left a lot to be desired. Flouted as a sex symbol more than anything else, the well-endowed Ms. Croft was most certainly a product of her time.

As time went on, Lara evolved and matured, and has since transitioned into the character she was always intended to be: a tomb raider, first and foremost.

Her journey to credibility helped pave the way for modern heroines like Aloy, an aspirational character that is treated with the dignity and respect she deserves. And on the gameplay front, there are more than a few similarities, too: the catlike agility of these leading ladies makes maneuvering about a battle incredibly enjoyable, and though Lara lacks the benefit of an open world to conquer, it doesn’t make exploration any less fun.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Games Like Horizon Zero Dawn If You’re Looking for Something Similar

Though the title may evoke vague ruminations of draconic attorneys (which would actually be an excellent game that we would totally play), Dragon Age: Inquisition is yet another grand adventure with an extensive world at your fingertips. On a journey to settle civil unrest and prevent demons from messing up everyone’s afternoon, you take on the role of the Inquisitor. This Inquisitor is a pliable sort of hero, much like the eager Aloy, allowing you to tinker until you feel well and truly inquisitive. You may opt for a run-of-the-mill human, or an elf, should you want to appear elitist. Maybe an earthy dwarf is more your style? How about a Qunari? They’re very tall and probably good at getting things off of high shelves. The choice is yours, and yours alone.

The combat is of a slower tempo, and much more methodical – one for the thinkers, really. A far cry from what you’d find in Far Cry, for example. But if you give it your time and attention, you’ll soon find yourself engrossed. In addition, the particle effects that appear during your magical techniques are just dandy to watch, so that’s a nifty bonus.

If you really want to invest your time in this game, it may be best to do a little bit of homework beforehand and learn the ins and outs of Dragon Age’s lore. Trust us, you’ll thank us when you know your Darkspawn from your Kossith, and no, those aren’t brands of clothing.