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.
