User reviews

Before the game even launched we were already hearing rumors about Sony's hope that this would end up being a new fully fledged first party franchise and after finishing it, with 100% of everything you could do in the game, i can definitely see why! The game might not be perfect but the flaws are minor and there's just so much potential and personality in the game that it's hard not to imagine getting more content eventually, so many locations you only hear or read about, so many interesting facts about the past and future left to discover! And what a BEAUTIFUL GAME! Great characters, great combat(melee combat was a bit lacking though), amazingly interesting and smart storytelling... i just can't wait to get more of it.

First off this is coming from someone who has been playing games for 25+ years. This game is absolutely beautiful. I went from start to finish without even knowing how long I was playing and be fore I knew boom I had a platinum trophy. Story is solid, all characters are awesome especially Alloy, controls are exceptional, music and sound is excellent, and fun factor is through the roof. I am actually replaying the game and going through the DLC Frozen Wilds and they added an extra hard difficulty setting which I love for a real challenge. I guarantee if you pick this game up you wont be putting it down.

What can I say? For me this is the perfect game. Great story. Great setting. Great robot design. A very likeable playable character. Just get it and love it. The Frozen Wilds DLC is also very good.

Pros:

• Good story and protagonist
• Good combat
• Great open world with regional variation
• Fantastic graphics
• Awesome robotic enemies
• A lot to do

Cons:

• Some bland side characters
• RPG elements feel kinda tacked on
• Generic open world structure
• Some repetitive side quests
• Jumping mechanic a little wonky
• Human enemies take too much damage

Verdict: Good game with a mysterious story & likeable protagonist that kept me playing to the end. Good game overall

8 /10.

I was and am still blown away by this game! The amount of detail that went into this game is staggering, both from a visual and developmental standpoint. The characters are interesting, the story is much deeper than I expected, and the world feels truly alive! Playing HZD on the PS4 Pro upscaled to 2160p and with the amazing use of HDR it is truly the best looking game I think I've ever played! Bravo Guerrilla Games for putting so much time and effort into making a realistic world for us to run around in and experience! The Frozen Wilds has gotten me hooked all over again, I now have around 100 hours of game time and having a blast. I don't say this lightly but HZD is a true masterpiece!!!

Masterpiece The story ,graphics and acting is incredible

I have only completed a few games - in fact, you could count them on your two hands. This is not because I seldom play video games, rather because I'm not one to lose time in something I do not enjoy, and I leave many games mid-run.

You must know that I did not own a PS4 before 2/3/2017, and I got it specifically to play this game, which I was super-hyped for. It did not let me down: the main thing I always look for in any experience I throw myself into is the story, and, boy, did this one suck me inside! I will avoid spoilers, but know this: the way the protagonist is introduced to you immediately stimulates your empathy, and everything that follows feels very natural and a very "personal" experience. In fact, it all starts as a "personal" quest for Aloy, which will evolve, going deeper in the mysteries this future holds. But it will never lose sight of Aloy's quest, and this is a thing I want people who play it to notice throughout the story.

The gameplay is extremely fluid, and I got the grip on the controls after maybe 2 hours of gameplay (keep in mind that I had not touched a console in years before Horizon). The combat interactions are amazing, it would be hard to think of many other features or details to make it feel more "realistic". The possibilities are many and many when fighting a Machine or a Herd, and I think the gameplay is what kept me playing for an entire month almost daily: the (main) story does not take this long to be completed, but you can enjoy just being in this open world, taking dozens of different challenges, following the personal affairs of many and many - very charismatic - side characters.

About the graphics I can not add anything useful to what has been said by people who have played many recent games (which I have not done). I will just say that the last game which graphics really excited me was Xenoblade Chronicles, because of its beautiful and extravagant locations. The locations in Horizon Zero Dawn, on the other hand, were very earthly, with not many "alien" features popping up in the environment; despite that, the world felt idyllic (photo mode will totally convince you on the beauty of the game), at peace with itself, and "in balance". Sure, this balance is very fragile, and on the verge of collapse, as any story would require, but nonetheless everything feels "right".

Technical comment: I think the graphic engine is what makes the magic in terms of gameplay and graphics both. In fact there are very few texture bugs, and the character movement and interaction with environment is extremely fluid and natural. And obviously a beautiful world is no good if it does not feel real.

Greetings from Lithuania,

"Horizon: Zero Dawn" (2017) is hands dawn the best PS4 game from 2017. As everything good has been said about this game many times i will be very short of why i loved it.

Graphics were one of the if not the very best on PS4 right now. Game play, combat was outstanding. Story and storytelling were terrific. - can't remember the last time i was that involved into story - of what did happen with humanity that it lead its way into that new world and the outcome was great.

Overall, there aren't basically any big things that i did not highly enjoyed while playing and beating "Horizon: Zero Dawn". If you own PS4 - this is a must play game.

Finally finished Horizon Zero Dawn on Playstation 4. Clocked in 86 hours of gameplay. This explains why many critics, even if they gave it high scores, really didn't understand the brilliance of it. They didn't play it. Most of them claimed they finished it after about 30 hours. No, not possible. All you could have done in 30 hours is rush through the main story without experiencing the vast world that was offered. What a great game. I'd score it a perfect ten if not for some moments of very frustrating platforming, so I'll give it a 9.7. The only thing I didn't finished was getting perfect scores in all the hunting challenges because, my god, that would have added at least another ten hours to the saga and even though this is an excellent game, anything can get old after nearly 90 hours of binging it. Looking at the final credits now and even those are spectacular. Best $40 I've ever spent. (oh, and Lance Reddick should get an Oscar for acting in a video game, if that category ever comes to exist.)

I hope there is a sequel to this one. I can see it's potential and I know the next horizon game will be better then anything we've played. it's a great game and I hope the next one comes out soon(crazy ending) story at times was flat and some of the things it tried to implement didn't feel quite right. I enjoyed killing machines and the bandit camps but not a fan of the heavy armoured bandits and bandit boss fights, kinda felt a bit to much. I can't help but think there's to many machines(flying ones) I would want to have seen them in the next one and be surprised. All in all great game and it's way better then uncharted 4 but not quite as good as god of war(2018) or last of us.

Without a doubt the best game i have ever played, sure it has some flaws, side quests aren't that good and the expression could have some more life in them, but they showed us in the dlc that they ware capable do this right to. But even with these flaws guerrillagames made one of my favorite games, the story, world building and combat where its strongest points.

I recommend it to every living soul on this planet!

At first it felt like a concept that was majorly focused on early humans and crazy machines and it was thought to be a selling point for most people. But it has more than that, the story presents a well explained and intrigued background to origins of the machines. The main character is mixed in all of this and plays a major role in its story, it sounds cliche but it's okay for me because the character is caring and well likeable which is enough for today's video-game standards.

Gameplay is where this game is at. Your level doesn't make a huge impact on combat, what matters is your observation of the machines and finding its weak points by firing various items on it. The many types of machines are vast and are scattered in many locations from snowy regions to Nevada-like deserts. Graphically speaking it was a blast as the map provides many viewpoints to admire the gorgeous nature with wild dino-machines in it.

This game is boring and repetitive. I've attempted to play through it twice now and I just can't get into it. I don't know it can be slightly enjoyable at times but most of the time it just feels repetitive and to drawn out. Overall 5/10 the graphics are nice but good graphics and mechanics can't save an uninteresting story.

'Horizon Zero Dawn (2017)' is an open-world adventure game set in the far future after some sort of cataclysmic event has taken humanity back to its tribal roots. The world is populated with animalistic machines that roam as nonchalantly as their biological counterparts. It's an incredibly unique and inventive setting, essentially set both in the future and in the past, and it makes for a distinctly spectacular sci-fi experience. There's nothing quite like it. The story follows a young, ostracised woman whose inquisitive nature leads her on a path of discovery that eventually reveals what happened to the world and the role she must play to save it. It's a fantastic narrative, sprawling but disciplined. It doesn't take long for you to become engaged in its enigmatic milieu and it moves towards a blazing finale backed up by the genuinely intriguing answers you're teased with right from the start. The game's side-content is just as compelling, seeing you travel to various tribes and help out those in need. It meshes with the main narrative in a natural and rewarding way, so it never feels like busywork. The actual gameplay takes the form of a somewhat typical third-person, range-based action title. It isn't a shooter, though; its weapons all serve a specific purpose and act more like hunting tools than blunt instruments. Your opponents range from innocent machines to ill-intentioned men, each as enjoyable to battle as the last. The different machines all offer a different challenge and feel like they serve a real purpose within the world. The map itself is large and varied, beautifully brought to life with top-notch graphics. It's a treat to simply explore, especially if you commandeer a horse-like machine and tear across the landscape. Overall, this is an astounding experience. It's compelling, creative and entertaining. 9/10

I've briefly returned to console gaming as consolation while searching for a new job. The world is tough out there and sometimes you need to free the mind to roam distant universes and return with a refreshed state of mind.

If you are a sci-fi fan of the Terminator, Elysium apocalyptic type, look no further and jump right in. The story is extremely well developed and following the main storyline, gameplay is most exciting and fulfilling. If you like collecting and upgrading, there are plenty of side quests that are optional and some of them are quite interesting.

Compared to God of War (the most recent game of the year one), gameplay suffers a bit because you cannot upgrade the melee weapon at will and you rely mostly on the bow for long range combat. But once you get acclimated to the controls and have unlocked more powerful skills, you'll have a blast taking on the gigantic robots, even if it means dying multiple times till you get it right. As a tip, you really want to try out all the different bow types because each robot has its own weaknesses and require strategic combat. Nearing the end, with good modification chips, the default hunter bow becomes fast and strong enough to take on any foe.

One thing I would ask future developers of games like this is to maybe add a little bit of liveliness/humour to the lead character. HZD suffers from the same bland personality style as in Witcher 3. They talk in monotonous tone and rarely exhibit any feeling. Lead character personality (or flavor) from Final Fantasy 10 is the benchmark in my mind.

There were times when I was playing this and I had to pause and take a breath. During those times, my mind couldn't help but think: This is the best-looking game I've ever played.

The story is just fine, but the art direction and the graphics are on another level.

One might go into HZD with post-apocalyptic fatigue, but try the game nonetheless because of the hype. One might roll one's eyes at first, but one might still be intrigued by the cognitive estrangement the world presents and might be determined to discover why is that world the way it is. Surely, without any high expectations. The main character, Aloy, has, coincidentally, the same task, although she has a more personal motive. You follow her since she is little, and she happens to develop into a sassy, skeptical, curios and compassionate woman. Which could make one really, really like her and not want to be separated ever again. But I digress. In any case, at the end of the story, one might realize the post-apocalyptic genre still managed to produce something new and relevant. Some might even go as far as to consider it one of the best sci-fi stories they know (yes, talking about myself).

One of my favorite games I've ever played. ALOT of quests and TONS of places to explore. It keeps me coming back(The storyline/plotline especially). Definitely recommend(Also if anyone is a huge fan of Fallout: New Vegas, John Gonzalez, who help write Fallout: New Vegas, helped write this game as well)!!!!

There are some games that are pretty good in the visuals and story. But just the universe dont make me want to dive into the game. Horizon zero dawn is that kind of game. The story is pretty interesting even if its pretty classic. The gameplay is good too but the universe let me cold. Like i m not concern by what happen in this world. Its exactly what i felt wen i played this game. The story let me cold in that kind of universe and dont really feel any identification with the hero and her problem. But there also themes to make us want to play the game but i couldnt get into it really. I played 3 hours and i didnt want to return in this world really. Sad because i know he has some qualities but for me i cant.

I really like the world that the devs have created in this game. The contrast between the the highly advanced, futuristic machines inspired by real life animals, and the simplistic, regressed human societies that have formed around them is something that i find very interesting and exciting about this game.

The characters are alright, although, they don't feel very distinct or memorable a lot of the time. This aspect of the game is made worse by the the lip syncing, which is poor and at times very distracting. The facial expressions of the characters are also very lacking.

The main story is simple and at times dull. However, the lore of this world is fascinating and I really enjoyed learning and discovering about the formation of the world, its people and machines.

The graphics on the other hand are absolutely awesome and very detailed, with minor hiccups. Additionally, the soundtrack is good too. Although, I did get tired of the lack of variety in it.

Lastly, the game play, it's super fun and is amplified by the machines, their behaviour and biology.

The machines and their relation to the world is something I really enjoyed in this game. I felt childish excitement at encountering and learning about them. I also liked alloy as a a character and protagonist. Although, sometimes she also lacked distinctiveness and personality.

Slow story with awful voice acting, poor combat mechanics and extremely repetitive missions. Also it's a pain to constantly have to do boring side quests in order to gain xp just to continue on the story. If you like a fantasy RPG you might like it. But this format has been done to death.

Core to any good role-playing game is a well-written story, of which Horizon Zero Down paid in spades. Not your typical future sci-fi (or primitive past), but rather a rare or new genre defined! We meet characters of a variety of cultures, motives, personalities, and spirits, yet the world is skillfully crafted to bring diversity together as one people.

Gameplay is super slick. I don't like bumbling with a controller trying to relearn how to move my character, but in this game, I was able to pick up and play even months after having a break. Everything is smooth, well thought out, movements feel natural. I may have gotten 'stuck' once or twice where I wasn't sure where to go or what to do, but in a sixty-hour game and considering me as a player, that's quite a feat!

Artwork is incredible, design elements, animation, you could see how much time and detail the development team put into this piece. Combine all these elements, with a fantastic ending that left my heart pounding, and you've got a standing ovation game!