Horizon Zero Dawn

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 12419 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10,195 out of 12419
  2. Mixed: 1,140 out of 12419
  3. Negative: 1,084 out of 12419
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  1. juulie
    Feb 28, 2017
    10
    Great Game. Great AI. It has the best AI in all of gaming. Top notch. Everybody that says otherwise is a dumb dumb. Spreading Fake news! My hands are huge
  2. kitalok8
    Feb 28, 2017
    10
    Horizon Zero Dawn is fantastic game.. Graphic, story, gameplay are top notch. Missions don't feel repetitive to me. i am enjoying every minutes of it. Map is huge. i recommend anyone to play this
  3. MarkyShark
    Mar 3, 2017
    5
    It's nothing near what was presented in the trailer. Seems rushed and incomplete all around, could earn a 8 if it was an indie game, but this game doesn't feel like coming from a great publisher at all.
  4. Fuzi0n
    Apr 2, 2017
    9
    Horizon sets itself apart from other open world RPGs by excelling at both story and gameplay. The game does suffer from typical ailments of other open world games, like a claustrophobic map and filler content, but it still an excellent game. I am really looking forward to playing the sequel.
  5. KBurton
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    I don't have much to say. Just Horizon is amazing, it's fresh, it's well-built, it's fast and vast, it's very polished and beautiful. Well done to Guerilla, Horizon is their best game to date!
  6. Zerofgame
    Mar 1, 2017
    10
    First of all if you see a review that has a straight up 0 please click on that name too see what other reviews they have done.... there are some people here who give like 10 out of 10's to PC's but give 0's to PlayStation exclusives. Hatters are indeed going to hate.

    Now that that's out of the way, I will start my review. Story - Right of the bat horizion zero dawn does one hell of a    First of all if you see a review that has a straight up 0 please click on that name too see what other reviews they have done.... there are some people here who give like 10 out of 10's to PC's but give 0's to PlayStation exclusives. Hatters are indeed going to hate.

    Now that that's out of the way, I will start my review.

    Story - Right of the bat horizion zero dawn does one hell of a first impression from ripping out a scene of Jurassic park in that you see these amazing machines for the first time. You are with the outsider that raises you and trains you how to survive in the wild because he was told to do so by the elders. Aloy eventually starts asking questions like why is she also an outsider and who are my parents? kind of thing. So her mentor tells her to take this trial to become a brave that she can get her answers... from there on she goes to train for this trial for years until she is finally an adult and that's were the story really starts. So from there you just have to play the game.

    Gameplay - Your primary weapon is the bow and arrow, latter on the game you get different kinds of arrows like fire arrows or shock arrows.. etc. there is also different weapons like the shock trapper or that sling shot that throws bombs. The AI is only smart if you put it into a decent difficulty setting, granted yes even on easy mode they can still see your traps and actually try to avoid them unless you put them on one of their highlighted paths. Now that's just another thing, the visor. Your character picks up this weird ear piece and she can see all sorts of data from it. She can use it for audio logs or use it for looking at a robots weakness, and later in the game she uses it for controlling the robots. All 30 or so robots in the game each have their own attacks, to some that I didn't know they had when I first killed it. The bigger robots pose more of a challenge in the game, were as the smaller ones can usually be killed in one shot. Though the side quests I feel like could have used more narrative like the witcher series. This games crafting is ripped straight from far cry, so if you ever played any of the far cry games... you should know exactly what I'm talking about. Trust me its harder than it looks to take down some of these machines even if you do know their weakness.

    Graphics - I was pretty shocked that it looked really amazing for an open world game... all the different kind of robots are kind of majestic to look at. Facial animations are not that bad but they are not that special either. The world itself just looks really nice and every area you go into doesn't feel like a copy-paste job either... feels like an actual game world.

    Sound-Music-Voice-
    The sound all works like it should, from you firing and arrow to a metal machine to just hearing the machines themselves. Very good sound design. Music is also really good and first the mood perfectly for every situation unlike in games like final fantasy 15 were the soundtrack was a bit mixed... Voice acting is great for the main characters, but just OK for the side ones. Though they could have been better to be honest with you but its OK for what its trying to do here.

    technical stuff -
    There is acualy an imagine thing that you can change to if you want the graphics more upscalled and the FPS will drop a bit or if you want the graphics to be downscaled a bit and your FPS will rise... I just find that a really good addition in this day and age. For the most part though the FPS never really drops bellow 30, there is no real lag issues.

    Bugs/Glitches -
    Honestly? I haven't really run into any, but it IS an open world game so developers can tend to overlook some areas in the game that do have bugs and glitches.... I can say for certain that none of these are game breaking here.

    Overall -
    This is just one of the most original open world games that I have played in a while... at least since the last guardian from last year. I mean who doesn't love to see a T-Rex type machine with rockets on the side and a laser canon? this game is just too awesome. Go buy It now but do ignore the haters who give it 0 out of 0... which is beyond stupid.    … Expand
  7. Haka
    Mar 1, 2017
    10
    Excellent example of how real open-world game should look like. Another "must have" for platform, "on the tips of the fingers", 10/10. Thank you, Guerrilla Games.
  8. Berrlett
    Mar 6, 2017
    10
    A brilliant open world, fresh, unused setting combining the future with the past, storytelling in gaming at its best. The design of the machines is excellent, their variety and the variety in fighting each one of them is captivating and could be seen as a new venture into the gaming industry. I haven’t played a game where side quests are as enjoyable as this since The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt,A brilliant open world, fresh, unused setting combining the future with the past, storytelling in gaming at its best. The design of the machines is excellent, their variety and the variety in fighting each one of them is captivating and could be seen as a new venture into the gaming industry. I haven’t played a game where side quests are as enjoyable as this since The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt, Horizon: Zero Dawn provided everything I wanted in a game. Great narrative, brilliant story, wonderful incorporation of RPG, fantastic action with different types of approach as stealth is a great feature but above all taking a spare into a machine’s heart or overriding a strider. Well done.… Expand
  9. thanatopsis
    Jul 7, 2017
    9
    This is NOT a zero-star game! I don't know why anybody would give this less than 5 stars. Saying "it is boring compared to the new Zelda" and giving it 0 stars is childish.
    This is a AAA-game all around. Yeah, there are a few bad voice actors and a few weird animations, but overall it has something for everybody.
    I don't typically like open-world RPG-like games. I haven't finished    This is NOT a zero-star game! I don't know why anybody would give this less than 5 stars. Saying "it is boring compared to the new Zelda" and giving it 0 stars is childish.
    This is a AAA-game all around. Yeah, there are a few bad voice actors and a few weird animations, but overall it has something for everybody.
    I don't typically like open-world RPG-like games. I haven't finished any Elder Scrolls or Witcher game. I like the Arkham and Infamous games. But this games makes me like open-world games. It reminds me a lot of a more open Rise of the Tomb Raider, or a less boring Assassin's Creed (I've only played the first game). A bit like Far Cry. It takes aspects of many games, but mixes them together in an enjoyable way.
    There are a couple dozen robot creatures, plus humans, and various animals. There is a lot of detail and thought put into this game.
    There are so many ways to play it. You can be all guns (well, arrow) or be more stealthy. You can do the boring (to me) side quests that are in most open-world games, or you can stick more to the main story.
    It is a well-rounded game about which most people will find something to like. There are others who will bash it because it doesn't have enough of their favorite gameplay element or too much of one they don't like.
    If you're smart enough you will be able to find the elements you like and disregard the ones you don't.    … Expand
  10. pongkrit03
    Apr 4, 2017
    9
    Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the mastepieces. Graphic is beautiful. Facial design of all NPC are exceptional. Story is amazing. The concept of robot's dinosaur is very unique. I have to praise those who come up with the concept for not afraid of new idea. Sidequests are also well done. The idea of tearing some robot's component apart to disable their specific weapon is awesome. It addsHorizon Zero Dawn is one of the mastepieces. Graphic is beautiful. Facial design of all NPC are exceptional. Story is amazing. The concept of robot's dinosaur is very unique. I have to praise those who come up with the concept for not afraid of new idea. Sidequests are also well done. The idea of tearing some robot's component apart to disable their specific weapon is awesome. It adds fresh feeling into its genre. No glitchs no bug I found in my first playthrough with hard difficulty. Gameplay is fun.

    However, there are something holding me back from giving 10/10. It is just a bit but it could be improved.

    1. The game focuses too much on range weapon. There is only 1 melee weapon, spear, and you cannot modify anything. It is fine for those who love range weapon, but for me who like to use melee. It is a bit disappointment since in this era, melee weapon should be use more often. They should have more type of melee weapons, such as axe and shield or sword. At least, the spear should be able to add fire rune or ice rune, for exp.

    2.Story is very great for beginning and middle, but near the end of main quest is somewhat not strong in my opinion. Some parts I feel irrational but I don't want to say here to not spoil anyone but I hope it ends better and stronger. Final boss is not that impressive.

    3.Aloy has no character's development. She is like a god of hunt, beat everything no sweat but has almost no emotion. She should express herself more. Her character is too stiff and too confident in my opinion. For example, Rost's incident, she get over it too fast .... unrealistically fast.

    4.Music is not epic enough. I cannot remember any songs that catch my ears to feel Wow. It is a shame for the game that is as great as GOTY title but music is not on par with other aspects. Battle music is below average.

    In sum, Horizon Zero Dawn is very great game. If you have PS4, you should not hesitate to buy it. It is not as good as Witcher 3 but still one of GOTY contenders for sure. If you like using bow, this is the game for you. If you are melee guy like me, maybe you love the game or maybe not, but I am sure it will not hurt to try. This game's quaility is still better than most of the game in the current market.    … Expand
  11. JaySilver
    Jul 17, 2017
    5
    Absolutely mediocre. The game really got me hooked at first, but it was sold as the "holy grail of gaming". Sadly, this is not the case. Although its very, very polished, the Quests are repetitive, the combat is boring and the gear looks very similar. The story was well done tough and the facial animations are pretty neat. To sum it up: this game is just as good as any other ubisoft game.Absolutely mediocre. The game really got me hooked at first, but it was sold as the "holy grail of gaming". Sadly, this is not the case. Although its very, very polished, the Quests are repetitive, the combat is boring and the gear looks very similar. The story was well done tough and the facial animations are pretty neat. To sum it up: this game is just as good as any other ubisoft game. It even has "towers" to cover up the map. After a few hours, I just wanted to finish it quickly, so I can put it back into my shelf. Just to be clear: if this game was actually made by ubisoft and not sony, it would've been probably torn apart by butthurt gamers. But thanks to the sony fanboys, thats not the case.… Expand
  12. jcolin
    Mar 28, 2017
    9
    An excellent game with a fresh and interesting setting. The main character, Aloy, really makes the game. The combat is exciting and visceral and the visuals are excellent. It has RPG elements, but they are pretty light, all things considered. Normally, I am all for heavier RPG mechanics, but this game isn't at all about weapon damage or statistics, but rather the myriad of strategies youAn excellent game with a fresh and interesting setting. The main character, Aloy, really makes the game. The combat is exciting and visceral and the visuals are excellent. It has RPG elements, but they are pretty light, all things considered. Normally, I am all for heavier RPG mechanics, but this game isn't at all about weapon damage or statistics, but rather the myriad of strategies you have to employ to take down the varied enemies. There are some flaws, the game can get a little repetitive (but never really boring) and there are some eccentricities which are annoying, such as if you aren't paying attention and run 'out of bounds' it reloads your last save which could have been a while ago, because the save points are scattered about. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing, but I think I'd have preferred it if you could just save whenever. You also never really get much "stronger", as referenced by the RPG-lite mechanics. I have the best weapons in the game and comparing them to the other weapons is just like..."meh...I could probably do without these". I feel like end game items should always be powerful enough to make the game a good deal easier, as you usually have to jump through hoops to get them. Oh, and they should have made a way to rest until night or until dawn. There is no difference to the game between night and day, but I for one like to be able to see what I'm doing. Oh and I almost forgot, I really wish you had more control over Aloy's personality and what she says, but Aloy doesn't give two **** whether or not you want her to say a particular thing, she's going to do her, that's one of the reasons I love her.… Expand
  13. Madmaz
    May 17, 2017
    10
    Had to put a little review up for this game. Was a bit hesitant about getting this I dont why , because it is just fantastic. once in a while a game comes along that just hits the spot. Mass effect 2 did it for me and now this. Graphics on this game on a big HD TV are just jaw dropping. But graphics dont make a game right?

    The gameplay is just outstanding, combat feels sooooooooo good    Had to put a little review up for this game. Was a bit hesitant about getting this I dont why , because it is just fantastic. once in a while a game comes along that just hits the spot. Mass effect 2 did it for me and now this. Graphics on this game on a big HD TV are just jaw dropping. But graphics dont make a game right?

    The gameplay is just outstanding, combat feels sooooooooo good especially after a hard fight , coming of victorious against a T-Rex machine was a fist pumping moment. Absolutely loads to do in this game nice RPG elements . just one more word on the detail and graphics in this game.

    Usually in open world games you find some mode of transport to get around or you use "fast travel"...but i founnd myself either walking or just jogging everywhere because it was so outstanding.
    I played 62 hours of it before i completed the final mission. Im still playing and still finding loads to do. This game is worth every penny . GET IT.    … Expand
  14. Sm0othM0ve
    Mar 2, 2017
    10
    This game isn't perfect. I originally would give it a 9 but there are just too many idiots who are rating this great game 0 for no reason. Graphics are amazing, gameplay is fun and intense especially when you have a giant **** dino robot towering you while you try and take it down with a bow. The story isn't the best but it's good and interesting. The main story takes about 20-30 hours toThis game isn't perfect. I originally would give it a 9 but there are just too many idiots who are rating this great game 0 for no reason. Graphics are amazing, gameplay is fun and intense especially when you have a giant **** dino robot towering you while you try and take it down with a bow. The story isn't the best but it's good and interesting. The main story takes about 20-30 hours to complete excluding side quests, errands, etc. Hands down the best PS4 exclusive game yet.… Expand
  15. valkyre
    Mar 2, 2017
    10
    This game reminds me of why i love videogames.... Guerilla took an incredible and brave risk with this new IP and being a dev that has no prior epxerience with RPGs and open worlds, this game is a TRIUMPH.

    The gameplay is amazing, the visuals are probably the best ever to appear in an open world game, the story is gripping and the characters well designed... Most of all this product    This game reminds me of why i love videogames.... Guerilla took an incredible and brave risk with this new IP and being a dev that has no prior epxerience with RPGs and open worlds, this game is a TRIUMPH.

    The gameplay is amazing, the visuals are probably the best ever to appear in an open world game, the story is gripping and the characters well designed...

    Most of all this product screams that it was crafted with incredible love by Guerilla.

    A big thank you for this amazing experience and congratulations for having the guts to own up to one of the largest risks a developer in this business decided to take!    … Expand
  16. DPtdryste
    Mar 18, 2017
    9
    Simply excellent.

    The combat feels great and the story is good. The story contains commentary very timely for where the species currently is today, with comments on how humans treat the environment, technology, artificial intelligence, religion and war. I would give this game 4 & 1/2 stars, the only bad things I can say about this game is it is annoying that you can't climb everything,    Simply excellent.

    The combat feels great and the story is good. The story contains commentary very timely for where the species currently is today, with comments on how humans treat the environment, technology, artificial intelligence, religion and war. I would give this game 4 & 1/2 stars, the only bad things I can say about this game is it is annoying that you can't climb everything, health regen works in a confusing/time-consuming way and that some great quests are actually "hidden" by seemingly sounding boring/too simple, meaning that players may skip the coolest parts of the game because the "sell" of a particular quest may not have been great. The skill tree in this game also feels very average, but that's more a personal gripe; I know how much I like well-constructed skill trees, so whenever one isn't amazing I dislike that a little.

    Good things: fighting feels unique for a game of this genre, robot enemies are great, Aloy is a great character, story is just about as good as Last of Us (although would have loved to exist in this world for even longer, such a good setting), and graphics are so good that they really help with immersion into this world. Play it mindfully and you can really see the care GG took, and how profound what they want us to think about is.

    This is a great PS4 exclusive that PS4 owners (especially those with a 4k TV and and PS4 Pro) NEED in their lives. If you are avoiding this game until the price goes down, definitely play this eventually, don't miss it.    … Expand
  17. Kouyou
    Mar 21, 2017
    10
    Just finished the game, all sidequests and all collectibles.
    Well, what should i say ...
    - the most visually impressive game for me up to date - incredible and emotional touching story - good and interesting characters - fresh and original One bad thing though: It killed Zelda Breath of the Wild for me due to one simple reason: i guess i grew out of some stereotypic fantasy-stuff    Just finished the game, all sidequests and all collectibles.
    Well, what should i say ...

    - the most visually impressive game for me up to date
    - incredible and emotional touching story
    - good and interesting characters
    - fresh and original

    One bad thing though: It killed Zelda Breath of the Wild for me due to one simple reason: i guess i grew out of some stereotypic fantasy-stuff without something special about it.    … Expand
  18. turumflum
    Feb 28, 2017
    10
    love it! great story. graphics and sound are amazing. Gameplay, although is not radically new is very fun and addictive. a must buy for me, happy that i got it
  19. bartolomeo
    Mar 1, 2017
    10
    un bellissimo gioco! secondo me sarà il gioco dell' anno e non vedo loro di continuare a giocarci! non solo per la trama ma anche per la vastità di cose da fare
  20. MrBramZero
    Mar 1, 2017
    10
    This game is tremendous!
    - Gameplay: 9,5/10
    - Graphics (PS4 PRO with 4K screen): 9/10
    - Storyline: 10/10
    - Music: 10/10

    Glad that I bought this game. In my opinion, if you do not buy this game, you will miss a lot!

    Thank you Guerilla Games for this epic game.
  21. rockh
    Mar 2, 2017
    10
    This is the best open world game on the planet. Combat is great, controls work perfect. Map is huge and easy to read.I will say you will be busy every minute you are in the game .Crafting is the best in any game i have ever played and i have play almost all rpg.
  22. ByYuxiSs
    Mar 5, 2017
    7
    I thought that this game was going to be something revolutionary in itself, the game is very ok but it is well done, the horizon is a game with very good graphics but in my opinion the story did not meet my expectations.

    Not a bad game but not a great game 7/10
  23. oldskold
    Jan 2, 2022
    8
    It's so good I bought it a second time on PC. I had fun stalking mechanical prey in this game.
  24. metesuzuk
    Jan 14, 2022
    8
    The graphics and world design are very good. It might get boring at the end as the gameplay hasn't changed much.
  25. kappawappa23
    Jan 10, 2022
    8
    + Open World, Enemies, Story
    - Dialogs, German Synchro,
    ....................
  26. tmdrzk
    Dec 11, 2021
    8
    A very solid and a very good title. I'm substracting 2 points, because it felt boring and grindy during some parts. Also the last boss is kind of a joke. Otherwise everything is top notch.
  27. cmonard
    Dec 15, 2021
    8
    Un jeux très sympa mais vite répétitif, un AC like qui donne bien plus envie ceci dit.
    L'histoire se laisse regarder mais ne m'a pas convaincu de faire le 2nd, un comble quand la DA du 1 était la plus inspiré jamais vu.
    Au final on passera 50 bonnes heures en compagnie d'Aloy pour la quête principale et le DLC. Les annexes étant peu passionnant.
  28. Catharsiuse
    Jan 6, 2022
    8
    An absolute masterpiece, from the writing, to the graphics, it's some of the best
  29. Mandulum
    Mar 12, 2017
    9
    Five Word Review: Fantastic open-world. Robot dinosaurs!
    Favorite Thing: Aloy's awesome, the story's great, the world is amazing. It's all so good.
    Least Favorite Thing: They really overused the trope of someone dying immediately after talking to them.

    Completion Date: 2017-03-12
    Playtime: ~ 49h (100% Complete)
    Enjoyment: 9/10
    Recommendation: Absolutely. You need to play this game.
  30. Dadrik
    Mar 12, 2017
    9
    Strong story with an interesting lore, good musics, astounding landscapes and visuals overall running smoothly...
    Add to that a really satisfying combat systems that gets really strategic and challenging when played in hard/very hard mode, and you get one of the best new IPs of the past decade, and a solid GOTY contender, even though it is very likely that BotW will win it (no bias here,    Strong story with an interesting lore, good musics, astounding landscapes and visuals overall running smoothly...
    Add to that a really satisfying combat systems that gets really strategic and challenging when played in hard/very hard mode, and you get one of the best new IPs of the past decade, and a solid GOTY contender, even though it is very likely that BotW will win it (no bias here, it honestly deserves it)    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best PS4 Game of 2017
1
#1 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2017
1
#1 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 115 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 110 out of 115
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 115
  3. Negative: 0 out of 115
  1. Quarter to Three
    May 22, 2017
    60
    The unfortunate fact of Horizon is that most of what it does well, other games have done better, and they did it with a compelling who and where. This is the game you play after you’ve finished The Witcher 3, Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, and Far Cry: Primal. It is the greatest hits compilation of open-world games. Yeah, sure, you might want to own it, but the real connoisseur has the original albums.
    Read full review
  2. App Trigger
    Apr 21, 2017
    95
    Horizon Zero Dawn has an unforgettable protagonist, world, story, visuals, soundtrack and gameplay. Due to minor issues with inventory management and quest selection, I cannot call it perfect but I can say it is absolutely worth your time.
    Read full review
  3. Riot Pixels
    Apr 10, 2017
    75
    There is enough spectacular action to keep you occupied for a couple of weeks, but Horizon is not the hot new killer app for PS4.
    Read full review
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