User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 12419 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. Mar 12, 2017
    7
    I've not written a review on Metacritic for some time now - it's probably because this site has become a place of zero's and ten's in the "User Reviews" and ridiculous, overbloated scoring from inexperienced "Critics". No doubt my review will be swamped by the plethora of crap that resides within Metacritic these days, but hey, who cares?

    So, onto to Horizon: Zero Dawn (HZD), a supposed
    I've not written a review on Metacritic for some time now - it's probably because this site has become a place of zero's and ten's in the "User Reviews" and ridiculous, overbloated scoring from inexperienced "Critics". No doubt my review will be swamped by the plethora of crap that resides within Metacritic these days, but hey, who cares?

    So, onto to Horizon: Zero Dawn (HZD), a supposed GOTY contender. Heh, really?

    Let's get the visuals out of the way first, as they seem to be the main pull. They're good when you consider it's an open world being run at an almost consistent (30fps) frame rate on a console. Lighting is well done, shadows are good for the most part and textures are more than adequate. For me, the brown filter is horrible (I've always hated brown filters in games) and the whole thing looks so fussy at times, I struggle to differentiate one thing from another.

    CGI moments are good, but nothing that makes them stand out nowadays. Voice acting is good, but often characters will finish talking and the camera will linger on them for a few seconds for no apparent reason. Camera direction in general is a bit odd, on several occasions, the CGI production, i.e. how it's presented, looks amateurish and/or rushed.

    I very rarely enable music in my games (I prefer to NOT feel like I'm a character in a film) so don't care to comment on the musical score. Ambient sounds are OK, but levels can be way out of whack, meaning you'll often not hear anything Aloy is muttering, because some small stream nearby is banging away like Niagara Falls. Speech from NPCs will often playover Aloy's constant mumbling, rewarding you with a mess of audio, and spatial awareness can be hit and miss. Audio is therefore adequate but needs patching.

    The lauded gameplay and RPG elements are where I find other reviews very alarming. I'm seeing "Unique" banded around for HZD quite a bit; have these people been living under a rock? Are they new to gaming? If somebody could tell me ONE feature in HZD that hasn't been done elsewhere better, do please let me know. Within a couple of hours I'd witnessed direct rip-off's of FarCry 2/3/4/Primal, The Witcher 3 and Assassin's Creed; albeit none of these rip-off's are anywhere near as well implemented as they are in their respective game. They all just feel bolted on and clumsy.

    HZD plays like a simple action game, but tries to pretend it's some kind of profound game, with RPG elements stuck all over the place in a failing attempt to stop things become stale quickly. The story is boring, the characters are boring, the meat of the game is repetitive and...boring. I'm actually bored of writing about HZD already. It's basically an open world game that's not as much fun as The Witcher 3, or FarCry Primal, or Skyrim, or Assassin's Creed, or, or, or...

    ...do you see the pattern here? It's obvious that many gamers here are happy with what is a very simple open world game. I can only presume they've not had much experience with other similar games that are far better in all areas. HZD is a technically OK open world game, but surely (especially these days) games of this ilk need to provide a lot more to justify a 8+ score...don't they?

    As far as I'm concerned (a gamer for over 30 years), everything HZD is, has been done before, and that's because HZD has blatantly copied everything that has been before, but failed to equal any of it, let alone improve on it.
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  2. Mar 3, 2017
    10
    Another 10/10 game for the family of Playstation exclusives. You either fall in love with the game's graphics, characters, history and gameplay, or you just own an Xbox or Pc and cant play it. A complete MASTERPIECE and a MUST BUY, if you own a ps4 of course, but lets be honest here...who doesnt? :P
  3. Mar 19, 2017
    10
    Just finished the whole game completing most side quests, so I finally feel I know enough to write a review.

    I was going to give it a 9/10, but after finishing I'm going to have to give it the whole 10 because of the story not faltering, and the awesomeness of playing the ending. I have not enjoyed playing a game this much in many years... the story was great, but even better for this
    Just finished the whole game completing most side quests, so I finally feel I know enough to write a review.

    I was going to give it a 9/10, but after finishing I'm going to have to give it the whole 10 because of the story not faltering, and the awesomeness of playing the ending. I have not enjoyed playing a game this much in many years... the story was great, but even better for this kind of game, the controls were almost never frustrating, and the auto-save points forgiving. In fact the controls felt fantastic, and so many smart choices were made in AI... nothing like summoning a mount while you are running, having it choose to run with you in parallel so you can jump on for a quick escape. It all just feels so fluid. Yes as others have said the animations for other things can at times be a bit off, or lip-syncing in cut scenes a little off. But that is more than made up by the range and beauty of the graphics overall and the attention paid to the primary animations. Other people have had issue with the voice acting but I thought it was mostly well done, and I liked the main character voices.

    I also liked the amount of side quests, enough to keep you busy and earning skill points, but not so many that completing them all felt overwhelming - and there was a lot of variety to what you were doing in each side quest as well.

    Even though I've completed this game I know I'll be back in to play with the range of weapons and techniques to use on different machines, so I see good replay potential as well.

    Such an amazing game, kudos to the developers on something so well polished and stable - rare in todays game market.
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  4. Mar 3, 2017
    10
    Maintaining the balance.
    *rehashes franchises*
    ARA ARA HORR UP HORR UP PUREEZU *censors* HORR UP FAMIRY *makes toaster consoles* SO YU SEIN *denies third party support* SO YU CHAYIN TSU SEI *hires SJWs into Western branches* ARA ESKYUZUU ME SO YU SEIN *cuts content* SO HORRUP MINNASAN *DMCA's let's plays* SO YU CHAYIN TSU SEI *scraps proper Metroid game* WE SOMU KAINA
    Maintaining the balance.
    *rehashes franchises*
    ARA ARA HORR UP HORR UP PUREEZU
    *censors*
    HORR UP FAMIRY
    *makes toaster consoles*
    SO YU SEIN
    *denies third party support*
    SO YU CHAYIN TSU SEI
    *hires SJWs into Western branches*
    ARA ESKYUZUU ME SO YU SEIN
    *cuts content*
    SO HORRUP MINNASAN
    *DMCA's let's plays*
    SO YU CHAYIN TSU SEI
    *scraps proper Metroid game*
    WE SOMU KAINA
    *makes Skyrim clone*
    SOMU FINNA
    *creates physical DLC happy-meal toys*
    WE WAZU
    *haemorrhages customers*
    TARENTORESS
    *loses core profit base so smartphones*
    HACKS N
    *goes bankrupt*
    SHIEET
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  5. Mar 3, 2017
    10
    So, as we know Horizon Zero Dawn came with a lot of hype and anticipation, and so far it lives up. The game is gorgeous even on a PS4, the gameplay is superb and probably some of the best mechanics I have ever experienced.

    Yes, the first few house are story driven and might be slow paced but once you get out of mother land and into the wild. This is truly where the game excels on all
    So, as we know Horizon Zero Dawn came with a lot of hype and anticipation, and so far it lives up. The game is gorgeous even on a PS4, the gameplay is superb and probably some of the best mechanics I have ever experienced.

    Yes, the first few house are story driven and might be slow paced but once you get out of mother land and into the wild. This is truly where the game excels on all fronts. The graphics are bright, vibrant, and jaut overall gorgeous. The look and feel of Aloy is supurb. He robotic dinosaurs are always great and you feel great killing one (especially bigger ones).

    I hope this review helped and I hope you pick it up and support the team that brought us the Killzone series for years and years. This is their new IP and I couldn't be happier.
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  6. May 4, 2017
    6
    I must say, I was very disappointed by this game considering the reviews and hype around it. I will say that the graphics are AMAZING, some of the best that I have ever seen in a console game to date. However, the gameplay itself is lacking. Very dull melee combat, and while the concept of strategically using traps to take down your enemies is cool (especially mechanical dinosaurs!), theseI must say, I was very disappointed by this game considering the reviews and hype around it. I will say that the graphics are AMAZING, some of the best that I have ever seen in a console game to date. However, the gameplay itself is lacking. Very dull melee combat, and while the concept of strategically using traps to take down your enemies is cool (especially mechanical dinosaurs!), these opportunities are rare and do not usually go according to plan. For example, the game has a trip wire that must be placed between two rocks, but enemies usually occupy flat spaces where this isn't possible. The story is ok, it is interesting and intriguing at first but quickly becomes dull. I would only recommend this game if you enjoy games like Far Cry, if you aren't a fan of open world games this game won't change your mind. Expand
  7. Feb 24, 2021
    7
    I’d mostly give it 7,5/10. The game is very good, but really has many flaws. The dialogue, animations etc. really feel cheap as well as most characters which are simply bland. Expect for Aloy and Sylens which are both great. The game’s beginning is great, then it stumbles for a good while until the last third where the game is really interesting. However, the game doesn’t do anything thatI’d mostly give it 7,5/10. The game is very good, but really has many flaws. The dialogue, animations etc. really feel cheap as well as most characters which are simply bland. Expect for Aloy and Sylens which are both great. The game’s beginning is great, then it stumbles for a good while until the last third where the game is really interesting. However, the game doesn’t do anything that haven’t been done in any other open world game. Side quest are so generic that they feel pointless even doing. The combat with the robots is awesome though. Expand
  8. Jul 22, 2020
    0
    This game is overrated, the world is really boring and doesnt welcome people who want to explore, the gameplay is **** and story is boring
  9. Mar 9, 2017
    4
    Let's take the Witcher 3 but make the terrain hard to traverse and get rid of interesting side quests. Ya and let's take shadow of Mordor's combat but get rid of all the melee features except for "swing spam" and make every enemy take 30 arrows or more to kill. Oh instead of assassin creed towers, let's have assassin's creed tall dinosaurs. Crafting's popular now right, throw that in butLet's take the Witcher 3 but make the terrain hard to traverse and get rid of interesting side quests. Ya and let's take shadow of Mordor's combat but get rid of all the melee features except for "swing spam" and make every enemy take 30 arrows or more to kill. Oh instead of assassin creed towers, let's have assassin's creed tall dinosaurs. Crafting's popular now right, throw that in but don't make it actually have any depth. This game is an amalgamation of every single bland open-world game to ever exist but somehow even more boring. Expand
  10. May 24, 2017
    4
    Graphics: 7/10.
    Not much to say here, pretty good overall. Characters mimics are a joke though and some gfx don't work properly. - 1 point for the absolute joke of a bow animation that the player has to watch throughout the whole game.
    Story: 4/10 Quite original plot and setting. Characters are horrible one dimensional cheesy carricatures though. Main char is ugly as sin and as
    Graphics: 7/10.
    Not much to say here, pretty good overall. Characters mimics are a joke though and some gfx don't work properly. - 1 point for the absolute joke of a bow animation that the player has to watch throughout the whole game.

    Story: 4/10
    Quite original plot and setting. Characters are horrible one dimensional cheesy carricatures though. Main char is ugly as sin and as sympathetic as a brick wall. Overall storytelling is rather boring, doesn't really make one excited for more. The end of the game is horribly portrayed and anticlimatic.

    Sound: 5/10.
    Overall forgettable, but at least not horrible.

    Gameplay: 1/10.
    Gameplay is nice in theory. In practice it's a one trick pony with a lot of questionable decisions and 0 replay value as well as 0 incentive to continue playing. Overall gameplay emits the feeling of this game being made for toddlers that have trouble pressing more than 1 button at the same time. Neither challenging nor rewarding and sometimes comically bad in execution.

    Overall 4/10.
    It could have been 5 if the game at least had some eye-candy. But all the characters look so bad, it kinda makes one want to stop playing, despite the great looking environments.
    I feel sorry for the people that put together the great engine and other graphics, since they got paired up with horrible character artists, writers and even worse game designers.
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  11. Feb 28, 2017
    5
    Horizon Zero Dawn's gorgeous graphics may lure you in, but underneath hides a game with some very shallow and repetitive gameplay, driven by a poor story. Crap art style. Totally forgetable soundtrack..
    For me it's all way too generic.
    After playing for 5 hours I don't see myself enjoying the rest of the game.
    One big let down, don't get fooled by the high rankings!!
  12. May 9, 2021
    5
    The game is flawed in its core mechanic - fighting system. Aloy is too slow in all her actions (spear attack, standing up after knocked down, waiting something after critical strike etc.). Enemies spamming attacks, moves randomly (inertia? no, never heard.) and constantly, they are always locked on Aloy (but player don't have such a luxury). Even the slow motion is not helping much. ArrowsThe game is flawed in its core mechanic - fighting system. Aloy is too slow in all her actions (spear attack, standing up after knocked down, waiting something after critical strike etc.). Enemies spamming attacks, moves randomly (inertia? no, never heard.) and constantly, they are always locked on Aloy (but player don't have such a luxury). Even the slow motion is not helping much. Arrows flies by curved (horizontally) trajectory. When core mechanic is not enjoyable, nothing else matters.
    Only on "easy" this game is fun.
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  13. Mar 14, 2017
    9
    Incredibly intelligently done EVERYTHING in the game. It just incorporates the best features of a console rpg from all the similar games + it has really unique atmosphere and story. I gave 9 just because of the strange lack of locking to an enemy. Since it almost have the evasion system of a souls game - I don`t get while this element of the fighting is neglected ? Maybe because theIncredibly intelligently done EVERYTHING in the game. It just incorporates the best features of a console rpg from all the similar games + it has really unique atmosphere and story. I gave 9 just because of the strange lack of locking to an enemy. Since it almost have the evasion system of a souls game - I don`t get while this element of the fighting is neglected ? Maybe because the hunting style fight is intended with all the ranged weapons and traps. The environment is done with the idea to be the most beautiful game ever created (sorry Skyrim, you know I love you). Since I don`t like the generic atmosphere of Witcher + HZD is Sci-fi => HZD > Witcher. Expand
  14. Dec 27, 2017
    2
    I don't like games that are pretty much just walking simulators with a little bit of combat thrown into the mix like Assassin's Creed. Unfortunately, that's a large part of the game. Sure the graphics are nice, but the environment feels surprisingly empty, making travelling between areas feel like a chore. Combat became very uninteresting very fast. Aloy is overall an unlikable mainI don't like games that are pretty much just walking simulators with a little bit of combat thrown into the mix like Assassin's Creed. Unfortunately, that's a large part of the game. Sure the graphics are nice, but the environment feels surprisingly empty, making travelling between areas feel like a chore. Combat became very uninteresting very fast. Aloy is overall an unlikable main character, mostly due to the horrid voice acting that plagues Aloy and the NPC's. The talking cutscenes are the WORST. No emotion at all during these, just characters standing creepily still and only moving their mouth, which is rather creepy.

    Sadly, another AAA game that fell victim to immense hype that didn't deliver.
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  15. Sep 4, 2019
    0
    Игра не интересная, сюжет скучный, геймплей надоедает, графика вообще ни о чём
  16. May 8, 2021
    0
    Story is amazing....that being said everything else is garbage. You don’t control the climbing, the arrows fly in the most ridiculous directions, every side missions is a witcher 3 copycat mission done poorly, and don’t even get me started on the repetitiveness. I have NO idea what the other reviewers played but it definitely wasn’t Horizon Zero Dawn. Good game to play if you haveStory is amazing....that being said everything else is garbage. You don’t control the climbing, the arrows fly in the most ridiculous directions, every side missions is a witcher 3 copycat mission done poorly, and don’t even get me started on the repetitiveness. I have NO idea what the other reviewers played but it definitely wasn’t Horizon Zero Dawn. Good game to play if you have literally nothing else to with your life and it was free. Expand
  17. May 3, 2021
    3
    Flat story, chaotic gameplay. Yes, it looks nice... but theres very little beyond that. It tries to be RPG... but its not. It may be ok for younger players, but as an adult... im looking for "adult" stories.
  18. Feb 23, 2022
    3
    Yikes, this game is not good... I only heard good things about this game when I played it, and yes, I was unimpressed with most of it. The best thing about the game is the visuals. The environments and creatures all look amazing, especially for a PS4 game. The people on the other hand look bad. Reviewers hated on Mass Effect for the facial animations and lip sync. This game was guilty ofYikes, this game is not good... I only heard good things about this game when I played it, and yes, I was unimpressed with most of it. The best thing about the game is the visuals. The environments and creatures all look amazing, especially for a PS4 game. The people on the other hand look bad. Reviewers hated on Mass Effect for the facial animations and lip sync. This game was guilty of it as well. It is stiff, unnatural, and just plain bad. The story was interesting until Erend came into it. I absolutely hated his quests and tried to put them off. The combat was horribly abuseable and repetitive. Melee was useless, as well as stealth. The cauldrons were unnecessary, boring, and luckily could be skipped. Aloy was one of the most boring characters I have ever seen. It was hard to get immersed when she seemed unphased by the new places she explores or the visions into the past she sees. The collectables were useless as well with horrible rewards for getting them all. I painstaking beat the game, just due to the interesting main story. Expand
  19. May 30, 2021
    5
    It was merely a good experience. But it would be much better if it was in the hands of a bigger company. Dodge mechanics are the worst and weapon, armor, etc. variety too. The storytelling was good but mimics of the characters are very bad.
  20. Dec 19, 2021
    6
    [RU]
    Ну... хорошая игра для тех, кто в своей жизни наиграл несколько проектов. А так, ну очень проходная игра. Если вы не графодрочер, а любите НАСТОЯЩИЙ геймплей, тогда проходите мимо. Здесь лишь красивая обёртка.
  21. May 4, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A História não me prendeu muito na minha opinião o jogo de desenrola muito devagar, não me prendeu muito esse jogo. Qm não gosta de jogos longos RECOMENDO NÃO COMPRAR!! 60€ PARA LIXO Expand
  22. May 29, 2021
    4
    This is The worst ex Sony... boring, bad gameplay, stupid crafting... it is so overated. Only graphic is good.
  23. Oct 21, 2017
    9
    Great story put into nice narrative and unique world, decorated with beautiful graphics and soundtrack. I must say it's one of the most addictive games I played last months. It's worth to have PS4 to play it.
  24. Apr 14, 2017
    5
    Very repetitive combat system, dialogue is boring , side missions are all the same. Ai is stupid. Only positive things are graphics and sound effects. I really dont understand why this game is so praised
  25. BFM
    Dec 25, 2018
    4
    I've made a mistake. I've played this game after God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Spider Man.
    This game is just ugly. No - not the okay landscapes, that look like what you expect in a PS4 game, if you view them fro ma distance.
    But the horrible animations, the disgustingly horrific character design (especially children, but also all the costumes), the laughable sound design, the
    I've made a mistake. I've played this game after God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Spider Man.
    This game is just ugly. No - not the okay landscapes, that look like what you expect in a PS4 game, if you view them fro ma distance.
    But the horrible animations, the disgustingly horrific character design (especially children, but also all the costumes), the laughable sound design, the clumsy UI and interface, the embarrassing voice acting performances, the cringy and untalented writing ...

    Nothing in this game is good. You can probably pick any Far Cry game and find higher quality in all those departments.

    This is one hell of an overrated video game, and even though I got it for less than 20 bucks, It highly regret this purchase.
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  26. Apr 21, 2018
    3
    An overhyped, overrated trash heap of good ideas with horrible execution. The combat is a chore as the enemies have hitboxes larger than your dodge rolls meaning you will get hit EVERY TIME, the weapons are about as useful as a toothpick against a sword unless you're playing on super easy mode, the story is an illogical mess with some interesting world building mechanics, the charactersAn overhyped, overrated trash heap of good ideas with horrible execution. The combat is a chore as the enemies have hitboxes larger than your dodge rolls meaning you will get hit EVERY TIME, the weapons are about as useful as a toothpick against a sword unless you're playing on super easy mode, the story is an illogical mess with some interesting world building mechanics, the characters are about as deep as a kiddy pool in a hotel resort, and the main character never shuts the hell up. I finished this game and was only left with a headache, hundreds of questions, and surprisingly a desire to commit suicide (Very few forms of media have actually pushed me to contemplate ending my own life.) All in all, this game had great ideas but the worst execution possible. I mean, how do you **** up robot dinosaurs? Expand
  27. Aug 28, 2017
    9
    not bad fo a new ip, the combat system is good but too frantic on some occasions, graphics superb but no physics, openworld very good with great lore and nice to visit.

    i never liked guerrilla, but they done a nice good step. i think that horizon can be like uncharted 1 and become a masterpiece with the second chapter.

    well done sony and guerrila, you must be proud of horizon
  28. Mar 18, 2017
    10
    This game is fantastic. I don't get how people gave it a zero. It must be all XBOX One users or employees. I was a little worried about the storyline for this game but I have to say it is one of the most original and intriguing stories in a game that I have played in awhile. The graphics are beautiful and the frame rate never seems to drop. I wish all games would have stories as good asThis game is fantastic. I don't get how people gave it a zero. It must be all XBOX One users or employees. I was a little worried about the storyline for this game but I have to say it is one of the most original and intriguing stories in a game that I have played in awhile. The graphics are beautiful and the frame rate never seems to drop. I wish all games would have stories as good as this one.

    The only issues I would say are some side quests don't have enough story to them. In the Witcher 3 they were more in depth and you go to know the characters more. I wish they could have put more writing into this. The second issue was the collectible rewards aren't great except for one.

    I would def play a second one and I look forward to it.
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  29. Apr 28, 2019
    1
    I really don't understand the adulation for this game. It has major technical flaws (considering the modern generation) and yet people praise it like as if it were the 8th world wonder.

    From star this game gave me a good impression. But the more i played, the more i was getting bothered. Then i realized why: this game contains a heavy political agenda especially diversity and feminism.
    I really don't understand the adulation for this game. It has major technical flaws (considering the modern generation) and yet people praise it like as if it were the 8th world wonder.

    From star this game gave me a good impression. But the more i played, the more i was getting bothered. Then i realized why: this game contains a heavy political agenda especially diversity and feminism.

    Have you guys ever noticed how the two genders are portraied in that world? ALL females are noble, braves, wise, self-centered; the males fits two types: or they are horrible villains (slave traders, murderers, traitors,etc.) or weak minded subordinates.....to the women. Yes, virtually all the key positions are delegated to the ladies (the guy who raised the protagonist doesn't count, since he is an exiled and dies in 15 minutes).

    I understand that's a pos-apocalyptical world but the structure of roles is ridiculously unbalanced. How can someone explains to me that half of the world's population is good and the other half is bad?

    Overall, i didn't like it because it's a feminist game.
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  30. May 11, 2020
    0
    Story is so bland graphics are good but story is cringeworthy won’t be bothered by 2nd one. Main character is boring and unrelated to me hence I am not a women and they are boring characters and should stick to being side characters or romantic interest. But overall hated it to much sjw for me.
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 115 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Negative: 0 out of 115
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.