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. Captivate
    Apr 19, 2017
    8
    Do you like the new Tomb Raiders or Far Cry Primal? If yes, you'll enjoy this game. The story is really interesting and it looks great, but the gameplay is nothing amazing. Still worth a play (although there's really no replayability in the game, so don't pay $60
  2. tomvs123
    Apr 30, 2020
    2
    This is simply not the game for someone who needs well-written believable characters in a believable world.

    After spending over 10 years playing games specifically to find the most well-written stories, I've come to find that the typical gamer doesn't notice, or isn't bothered by poor writing. Good writing basically means that the characters' actions and the world the characters inhabit    This is simply not the game for someone who needs well-written believable characters in a believable world.

    After spending over 10 years playing games specifically to find the most well-written stories, I've come to find that the typical gamer doesn't notice, or isn't bothered by poor writing. Good writing basically means that the characters' actions and the world the characters inhabit are believable. After a few hours of playing this game, I found that both are completely unbelievable. Since the action/stealth gameplay was doing nothing for me, I found little to like about the game.

    To explain a bit, the protagonist is a modern, politically-correct 20's/30's girl, transplanted into a late-teen's body in a tribal/pre-industrial setting. Our protagonist was isolated as a baby and has lived in the wild, interacting with about three other people for her entire life at the time we take control of her (as an adult). But somehow, she has perfect speech, manners, and ability to deal with 100's of people at once. She's even an expert at sarcasm, which is strange given there's no indication that her guardian taught her to be like that.

    She's also seemingly devoid of most young-girl desires. Love/sex? None at all - maybe she was spayed. Hate/spite? Nope - that would clash with her politically-correctness. Need to fit-in? Nothing here either - it seems like she could care less about her newly-joined society after her childhood-long isolation. Though she does have a seemingly-unfounded need for a mother. This makes little sense unless others were constantly trying to convince her that she needed one. That happened only once in isolation, which isn't enough to ingrain it into someone. Oh, but the plot is about finding her mother, so we must simply accept it...

    So yeah, she just doesn't make sense. Though maybe the game is trying to appeal to people who just want to see themselves in a video game. So we end up with this modern-age generic person that is meant to appeal to as many people as possible, despite a person like this not actually existing.

    The world and setting has several issues too. The tribe you first encounter is tiny and appears to be modeled after nomadic hunter/gatherer tribes. I didn't see any farms large enough to sustain them and they've stayed in one spot for the entirety of the protagonist's lifetime. So how do they get food? They surely don't eat the mechanical creatures within meters of their camps.

    And what about those mechanical creatures? They attack and almost kill me just for walking down the road. How can their children exist with these things so close? And in my first quest, some kid got caught up a tree with machines surrounding her while her dad was stuck on the ground with a broken foot. How are they dumb enough to get in that situation? How did they both not die? I climbed up that same tree later and the machines could attack me easily.

    Oh, and those silly tribal rules seem to be made up on the spot. So the protagonist is outcast because she has no mother - why would anyone make that rule? But she can come back if she completes a deadly challenge when she's an adult - did the same dumb person make this rule? And no one is supposed to talk to outcasts. But everyone is constantly breaking that rule, so why does it exist? And how on earth do we have white people, black people, asian people, and middle-eastern people all in the same tribe? Tribes don't normally work like that, and there's no indication that these people just showed up all at once from different parts of the world to make this tribe.

    This is obviously a game about gameplay and graphics first. The protagonist, world, and beginning of the story is so poorly done that I have no reason to continue. Though I suppose I'll keep it for showing off HDR on my TV.    … Expand
  3. surfacepatterns
    Mar 12, 2017
    8
    The game is mostly amazing. The combat is mostly satisfying, the graphics are fantastic, the story is compelling, the main character is fantastic, and the first half of the game is, in general, on point.

    However, in the second half of the game, bugs start popping up. Like, a lot. I haven't run into anything game-breaking per se, but many of the bugs mess with my immersion. A couple    The game is mostly amazing. The combat is mostly satisfying, the graphics are fantastic, the story is compelling, the main character is fantastic, and the first half of the game is, in general, on point.

    However, in the second half of the game, bugs start popping up. Like, a lot. I haven't run into anything game-breaking per se, but many of the bugs mess with my immersion. A couple examples:

    * Sometimes you'll hear dialogue from enemies you've already killed from afar when you reach a position that's close to where the enemy was positioned. There will be no one around (I snipe quite a bit) to say whatever you're hearing, but there's the audio anyway.

    * Sometimes, in a certain zone, enemies will reset and heal all their damage, or will disappear and re-spawn in their original areas, if you run just a little too far. I mean, an enemy can be two steps behind you, and if you run just a little too far from where the enemy spawned, the enemy will just disappear into thin air. You'll come back to the zone, and all of the enemies you killed there previously will be alive again. *Irritating*.

    * If the game crashes before a "boss fight" is about to start and reloads right at the start of the boss fight, then all of the traps that you setup will no longer be setup, and they'll be missing from your inventory. You get to proceed with the boss fight without your careful planning.

    One area in particular was full of bugs. It's like the QA team just didn't bother testing the area. I won't say what that area is here because this review is meant to be spoiler-free.

    Overall, the game is still really awesome. However, these bugs are kind of eating away at my fun. I hope this review doesn't turn into a 7 or 6 by the time I'm done with the game (the game says I'm 71.54% through currently). We'll see.    … Expand
  4. TheDarkAssassin
    Mar 18, 2017
    8
    Horizon Zero Dawn has some very good qualities, and also has some average ones. To start, this game has one of the best stories I have played in a game in a long time. In fact, the story is the best thing about Horizon in my opinion. Paired with fantastic voice acting and great pacing, it takes you on a emotional journey that will make you want to delve into the main plot more and more. AsHorizon Zero Dawn has some very good qualities, and also has some average ones. To start, this game has one of the best stories I have played in a game in a long time. In fact, the story is the best thing about Horizon in my opinion. Paired with fantastic voice acting and great pacing, it takes you on a emotional journey that will make you want to delve into the main plot more and more. As for the side content, it has TONS, which is both good and bad. Some of the side missions are fun and interesting, with dynamic characters, while other missions are clearly in there for padding. As for the gameplay itself, Horizon takes many elements from other popular game franchises, and sort of mashes it all into one. Not necessarily bad, but unfortunately, doing so made the gameplay experience not feel as unique. For instance, it feels like a mix of Far Cry, Assassins Creed, and The Witcher into one game. The robotic dinosaurs felt cool and interesting for sure, but sadly, it wasn't enough to merit a completely unique gameplay experience. On the other hand, the environment in this game was very done. Every small detail and design made the game truly come to life, and of course the amazing graphics blow you away. Overall, if you're looking for a game with an absolutely incredible story, Horizon Zero Dawn is for you. If you're looking for a game that has a truly different gameplay experience, you may not find it here, but I digress, this game is worth your time if you own a PS4.… Expand
  5. chillaxer
    Aug 26, 2021
    6
    Horizon Zero Dawn is significantly overrated. For an action RPG the game is lacking in four main areas. First, almost everything besides the main quests are incredibly boring. Second, close range combat is a joke. It's way too easy to get stuck in close range fights against multiple enemies where you basically just have to load a save game or die and try again. Third, there is barely anyHorizon Zero Dawn is significantly overrated. For an action RPG the game is lacking in four main areas. First, almost everything besides the main quests are incredibly boring. Second, close range combat is a joke. It's way too easy to get stuck in close range fights against multiple enemies where you basically just have to load a save game or die and try again. Third, there is barely any music. To say the game even has a "soundtrack" is a stretch. Fourth, the non-player characters are boring. There is barely any relationship building or meaningful dialogue between the player and the NPCs.… Expand
  6. ivan7788
    Dec 29, 2017
    2
    The game is pretty pale, its only good thing are the superficial presentation because it is good looking on the surface but falls short when you realise that the physics are zero to none, the character is too generic, lacks charm, cliché story. I bet if this game were multiplatform wouldnt be praised as it is, but thats what it is, exclusives tend to be praised too much by the fanboys or xThe game is pretty pale, its only good thing are the superficial presentation because it is good looking on the surface but falls short when you realise that the physics are zero to none, the character is too generic, lacks charm, cliché story. I bet if this game were multiplatform wouldnt be praised as it is, but thats what it is, exclusives tend to be praised too much by the fanboys or x or y console.… Expand
  7. edzep82
    Mar 19, 2017
    8
    Fantastic combat is what makes Horizon: Zero Dawn. The battles, no matter the size never fail to raise your pulse and will satisfy any action/adventure fans needs. The game compels you to mainline the story to uncover the truth. I found side quests to be simply ok, but the main story was very refreshing.
    To me the ending was an anti climax and all main missions seemed to end by simply    Fantastic combat is what makes Horizon: Zero Dawn. The battles, no matter the size never fail to raise your pulse and will satisfy any action/adventure fans needs. The game compels you to mainline the story to uncover the truth. I found side quests to be simply ok, but the main story was very refreshing.
    To me the ending was an anti climax and all main missions seemed to end by simply facing you with similar enemies or just a higher number of them, which disappointed. The combat however is so good it made up for this and I look forward to the inevitable sequel.    … Expand
  8. hime
    Jul 18, 2018
    7
    Я только одного не пойму - почему она такая однообразная? Место обитания рыскарей, место обитания дуборогов, место обитания бизонов, костёр, костёр, торговец - это разнообразие открытого мира?
    Сюжет очень хороший, побочные квесты тоже радуют, но открытый мир этой игре сделан не для того чтоб его исследовать, а чтобы ты скакал из одной точки в другую.    Я только одного не пойму - почему она такая однообразная? Место обитания рыскарей, место обитания дуборогов, место обитания бизонов, костёр, костёр, торговец - это разнообразие открытого мира?
    Сюжет очень хороший, побочные квесты тоже радуют, но открытый мир этой игре сделан не для того чтоб его исследовать, а чтобы ты скакал из одной точки в другую.
  9. Panzidane
    Mar 8, 2017
    8
    Jogo excelente, porém tem síndrome de Connor, personagem sem sentimentos com um objeto e só. O jogo é muito bem ambientado, seu sistema é ótimo, mas a história estraga toda essa experiência, ainda mais por saber que a personagem não tem carisma.
  10. SANDYkinz
    Mar 8, 2017
    8
    This game was awesome! I really enjoyed my time playing as Aloy in this incredible world. It's such a gorgeous game to look at and the combat is some of the most fun I've had recently, it's not necessarily hard but you can get easily overwhelmed especially at the beginning. I enjoyed the story and most of the side quests even though some were very similar and i found it annoying that i hadThis game was awesome! I really enjoyed my time playing as Aloy in this incredible world. It's such a gorgeous game to look at and the combat is some of the most fun I've had recently, it's not necessarily hard but you can get easily overwhelmed especially at the beginning. I enjoyed the story and most of the side quests even though some were very similar and i found it annoying that i had to back track to the start of the mission just to finish it. I did find myself getting very angry at parkour/wallclimbing though, not being able to climb walls because there wasnt anything to climb there or I couldn't see where to climb because its not clearly marked (this was easily the most infuriating part of the entire game). The NPC's were too robotic for my taste and the writing and voice acting were overall not good and at some points laughable, that being said there were still some characters i really liked. But i was able to overlook it all because of the combat and incredible graphics and well designed world. Entering and completing cauldrons was definitely my favorite part about this game and finding out more about why the world was the way it was kept me happily involved in the story to the end. Definitely a must own, and easily one of the best games on this generations of consoles so far.… Expand
  11. Jon_Demolidor_
    Mar 12, 2017
    8
    Despite the lack of some elements of physics the game has a well made story and impressive graphics.The quests intertwined in a very interesting way.
    Just like the amount of things to do in the game, it really does trap the player
  12. The1MrNate
    Mar 17, 2017
    8
    This game, while not perfect, does a good job at living up to the hype. The pros definitely outweigh the cons, and overall I recommend this beautiful ps4 exclusive.

    Cons: - Sidequests follow the same open-world checklist format that you see in games like Assassin's Creed or Far Cry. Take over a "tower" to reveal an area of the map full of collectibles and tedious side-quests. While the    This game, while not perfect, does a good job at living up to the hype. The pros definitely outweigh the cons, and overall I recommend this beautiful ps4 exclusive.

    Cons:
    - Sidequests follow the same open-world checklist format that you see in games like Assassin's Creed or Far Cry. Take over a "tower" to reveal an area of the map full of collectibles and tedious side-quests. While the world is beautiful and fun to explore, this approach to fluffing open-world game content needs to stop. It just feels like tedious filler most of the time.
    - Inventory management is painful at first, and sadly doesn't get much better. One glaring misstep was not including any way to organize the items in your pack. Scrolling through the chaotic jumble looking for what you can sell is just not fun.
    - The animations are not great. The voice actors are mostly fine, but character lip synching is noticeably poor.

    Pros:
    - Absolutely beautiful environments. The true joy of this game is exploring the different biomes that range from lush jungles to frigid mountain waterfalls. For the most part, characters look great as well.
    - The story, while not unpredictable, did a great job of keeping me interested throughout the story missions. Particularly for an open-world RPG, I found the story to be compelling.
    - Gameplay is simply fun. Combat is fast paced, but you also have the option of choosing a stealth approach for 95% of the game. As a lover of stealth games, I appreciated that this was a viable and often preferable option throughout much of the game.
    - Although not a new concept to open world games, I enjoyed the freedom I had to pursue different goals whenever I wanted to. I could take a break from questing to farm crafting materials, or I could go hunt tougher enemies for large amounts of xp and rare items. While sometimes overwhelming, I typically enjoy the nonlinearity of open world games.
    - While Horizon contains many of the clichés and annoyances from other open world games, it also did many things differently. It seems rare to find original ideas in video games anymore, but Horizon surprised me with it's robot dinosaurs and fresh take on a post-apocalyptic world different from any I had seen.    … Expand
  13. BlackmetalGAMER
    Mar 18, 2017
    7
    I was really hoping for me from this game! There's a story that does stick out and has it's moments but the dialogue is weird sometimes and the side quests were very disappointing, as they're no more then errands! Graphically it has a nice appeal also I have this sense that trying to get some real nice over the horizon shots just wasn't going to happen outside of cut scenes otherwiseI was really hoping for me from this game! There's a story that does stick out and has it's moments but the dialogue is weird sometimes and the side quests were very disappointing, as they're no more then errands! Graphically it has a nice appeal also I have this sense that trying to get some real nice over the horizon shots just wasn't going to happen outside of cut scenes otherwise they're horrible draw distances sadly!

    But for an overall thought the game felt very familiar! I felt like I was playing Far cray primal with hints of assassins creed and tombraider with certain things borrowed from both game types might they only be small things but to me being a gamer I notice them! Like when you upgrade in the skill tree it's the exact same sound as it is in Far Cry Primal, the yellow balance ropes and repel from long necks is the almost the same animations as tombraider and then the climbing animations and rolling to dodge was assassins creed! I'm disappointed in that but otherwise it's a good game but no more then a casual experience and not worth more then a 7!    … Expand
  14. TheSparton
    Mar 18, 2017
    8
    My first Metacritic review. This game is incredible. Not a perfect game but incredible. The beginning could of been more engaging, the climbing less "structured" (as a hunter, I wanted to climb anywhere) and the side quests (so far) are forgettable. However....the world is lush, incredibly addictive and exciting to explore (particularly once you find the sci-fi stuff), the machines are aMy first Metacritic review. This game is incredible. Not a perfect game but incredible. The beginning could of been more engaging, the climbing less "structured" (as a hunter, I wanted to climb anywhere) and the side quests (so far) are forgettable. However....the world is lush, incredibly addictive and exciting to explore (particularly once you find the sci-fi stuff), the machines are a BLAST to fight (working out the most efficient way to destroy them) and the hunting and scavenging feels essential and not a chore. The post-apocalyptic tease is fascinating (vantage points...wait till you see those) and the protagonist is strong and believable (great voice acting). Well done.… Expand
  15. Redshirtfailure
    Mar 18, 2017
    7
    The game play was the perk of this game to me, the fact that as the game went on. You did not have the leveling steam roll effect of everything being destroyed by just looking at it. It was more of an experience of weak spots and how to get to them.

    It was a beautiful world aside from the constant ginger hair looking like shes running thru a wind tunnel. I had no complaints with how the    The game play was the perk of this game to me, the fact that as the game went on. You did not have the leveling steam roll effect of everything being destroyed by just looking at it. It was more of an experience of weak spots and how to get to them.

    It was a beautiful world aside from the constant ginger hair looking like shes running thru a wind tunnel. I had no complaints with how the game looked.

    What makes this game a 7 instead of a 10 is the story. As it progressed, i just did not care or really feel immersed in it. Maybe next time we can play as Sylens? His story sounded more interesting than the main one.    … Expand
  16. YurBoyG
    Mar 22, 2017
    8
    The graphics in Horizon and enemy design are absolutely stunning. The gameplay is solid, though it doesn't offer up much new. And, while I enjoyed how the story unfolded in a creative way, I also thought that many of the mid-game quests were not much more than uninspired fetch quests.

    Overall, there is no denying that the game has a wow factor. And that wow factor does not go away as    The graphics in Horizon and enemy design are absolutely stunning. The gameplay is solid, though it doesn't offer up much new. And, while I enjoyed how the story unfolded in a creative way, I also thought that many of the mid-game quests were not much more than uninspired fetch quests.

    Overall, there is no denying that the game has a wow factor. And that wow factor does not go away as you play through the game. On the other hand, there are large stretches of gameplay that seems overdone and heavily rehashed from other titles.

    High production value, a super intriguing story, awesome graphics, and cool moments are what keep you hooked. On those fronts, the game is a 9 or a 10. In terms of gameplay, creativity, and overall fun, I think the game is about an 8. I would give the game an 8.5 if I could.    … Expand
  17. NescafeUser
    Mar 20, 2017
    7
    Perfect graphics, fresh setting and interesting story.
    But, let's be honest, this game have a bunch of issues:
    1) This is a face of a PS4 now. 2017, really? Horizon is a perfect title game for 2013-2014. 2) Lot's of stupid side-quests 'Find 10 woods, kill 10 rabbits' 3) Face animation, well it's ok, but not good for AAA game 4) Trading... Hm, all merchants has all the same goods all    Perfect graphics, fresh setting and interesting story.
    But, let's be honest, this game have a bunch of issues:
    1) This is a face of a PS4 now. 2017, really? Horizon is a perfect title game for 2013-2014.
    2) Lot's of stupid side-quests 'Find 10 woods, kill 10 rabbits'
    3) Face animation, well it's ok, but not good for AAA game
    4) Trading... Hm, all merchants has all the same goods all over the map, c'mon
    5) Comparison of this game with Witcher 3, seriously? There is nothing to compare, except Witcher-like detective mode in Horizon    … Expand
  18. EEKtheratbat
    Mar 20, 2017
    8
    This is visually one of the best games ever released on consoles and technically ( framerate etc. ) superb. At first i was a bit sceptical about the capability of this studio to go from a cod type game with no real story depth to a RPG-type actiongame that is more story driven. They did their homework very well and had a checklist of all things that should be in this type of game whichThis is visually one of the best games ever released on consoles and technically ( framerate etc. ) superb. At first i was a bit sceptical about the capability of this studio to go from a cod type game with no real story depth to a RPG-type actiongame that is more story driven. They did their homework very well and had a checklist of all things that should be in this type of game which made the sidequests especially feel kind of fetchy and meaningless but they executed them so well that i didn't even mind them to much. The main story is good, the main character sometimes a bit unlikable ( i'd go for a little less adolescent behavior and more Lara Croft 2.0 strong but also more likable which would suit her character more being through what she had to go through in life ) but the rest of the cast make up for that ( Ross for instance ). I platinumed this game on the PS4 pro and would recommend it to everyone.

    Now to challenge other big studios to also give their teams more creative freedom and make new games instead of just pushing out the yearly COD etc. Big thumbs up to Guerilla for making this transition so well !    … Expand
  19. monkeykid
    Mar 20, 2017
    8
    Overall a great game, it's a game that shows the video game players of modern times that original games can still be made even though we've already been shown many great games and characters already.
    Pros - Voice acting is very well done, graphics are stunning, combat isn't to challenging nor is it to easy, the main character is developed very well, open world is gorgeous, main story is    Overall a great game, it's a game that shows the video game players of modern times that original games can still be made even though we've already been shown many great games and characters already.
    Pros - Voice acting is very well done, graphics are stunning, combat isn't to challenging nor is it to easy, the main character is developed very well, open world is gorgeous, main story is compelling enough to keep us wondering what will happen next and what we can learn from the events that are to come.
    Cons - I personally didn't like the dialogue options because when it tells the player we're doing something bad, good, or smart, that sort of hand holding sort of takes the player out of the game and the choice becomes less dynamic. Players should be smart enough to tell wither their dialogue choice is good or bad because it's help show the consequences of the words that we choose. But that's just my opinion. Maybe it's just because I preferred the way the Witcher 3 did it. Facial animations can be a bit scary, but overall it's still good and very unique in a good way, but I can see this turning some people off.    … Expand
  20. muertefx
    Jan 7, 2018
    7
    Really love this game, but it can be improved in so many ways. Don't know if someone from Guerilla team read the comments, but anyway I will write what I think.

    I want to start from AI, it's literally one of the best, especially on ultra hard. I do really like the voices, good job, also Russian voice is pretty good too, it's gorgeous, but lack of lip sync, it's just bad, characters    Really love this game, but it can be improved in so many ways. Don't know if someone from Guerilla team read the comments, but anyway I will write what I think.

    I want to start from AI, it's literally one of the best, especially on ultra hard.

    I do really like the voices, good job, also Russian voice is pretty good too, it's gorgeous, but lack of lip sync, it's just bad, characters continue to speak after the actor stop, you should fix it in future games. Also, main font of Horizon don't support cyrillic, it's you fault, russian letters look just BAD.

    The audio, music, battle themes is gorgeous too, best i've heard for years!

    Facial animations, animations, clothes, armors, skins, and cutscenes are amazing, but ofcourse cutscenes could be more cinematic like. Oh, and snow! Most realistic snow ever, period.

    But, what I don't like. I really miss the choices, the decisions I make, right now it is an illusion of choices, well...we don't even have choices! I choose only character behavior in conversations, and not too often, it is sad. I would like too see consequences in plot depending on what I say, what I choose, what I do.

    Also, what I would like to see is more violence, at least SOME blood, and why the hell there is no romance? I want to see at least some romance. She is live person, she can't think only about machines, right? I am trying too feel the character, but I can't.

    Right now world of Horizon is beautiful, but also empty, we got quests, but got no accidents or random events around the map, every side quest have almost no influence on plot at all. You can't change the ending in any way, it's same everytime and it's a biggest mistake for that game!

    Want to say something about NPCs, to be honest, you can't do much in towns/villages, you can't waste your time by playing some game or drink some vodka in pubs, you can't prove yourself against other hunters - yes, we got it, hunter grounds and....few dialogues in hunter house. You really visit just few NPC, taking quests like in some MMORPG and that's all, you get reward and goodbye. So it is an illusion of city full of life, all NPCs are boring, do nothing and nothing happens, nobody gets killed, BORIIIIIIIIIIIIIING.

    Last push (end fight) could be also bigger, because right now it reminds me a lowbudget scenario. There is no army, just 15-20 machines and you, wow, that's the fight!! And where is nora army? Where is metidian guards? Where is battle? There is no battle.

    What can really be improved is autosave system, it's tragic and totally broken, you die = start all over again, no choice. In other ways, this game is beautiful! But, too much still can be improved!

    It's not YOUR story of Aloy, it's the story of Aloy, and you can't change anything, that is clearly not best move, because of that and by many other reasons, can't give more than 7.    … Expand
  21. ob1foru
    Mar 21, 2017
    8
    Borrowing concepts from other AAA titles like Far Cry, Assassin's Creed, and Metal Gear Solid Horizon: Zero Dawn succeeds in blending elements of survival, exploration, storytelling and gameplay into a post apocalyptic world where the wild is technologically advanced but you aren't.

    - Graphically a marvel and blended with a dynamic weather system, you will find yourself trekking across    Borrowing concepts from other AAA titles like Far Cry, Assassin's Creed, and Metal Gear Solid Horizon: Zero Dawn succeeds in blending elements of survival, exploration, storytelling and gameplay into a post apocalyptic world where the wild is technologically advanced but you aren't.

    - Graphically a marvel and blended with a dynamic weather system, you will find yourself trekking across vast areas of jungle, desert, snowy mountains and lush plains while encountering man and robotic beast ranging from timid to precarious. Everything moves, from the tiny rat scurrying across the ground to the giant Tall Necks in the distance. You can catch yourself simply staring at the changing scenery as it transitions from day to night.

    - Combat and controls drive you to be situational and while most foes can be brought down with bow and arrow; through Hunting Grounds you learn how the right tool for the right prey benefits for each situation.

    - While character models are good; dialog can be... a bit stiff. And... just like this paragraph... you'll often find characters... talking like this. I'm not sure if the development team felt this added to the drama or simply felt line reading like that was effective; in either case it tarnished many conversations and detracted my attention from the moment to ponder the point of the actor/actress was trying to make.

    - I have run across a few bugs in the game; namely kills rag dolling on me after loot collecting and the occasional kill flopping around on the ground; however, these are few and far between. Also, I've strangely noticed in some situations after clearing out a herd, their sound effects, like hoof stomping or animalistic noises are still audible. But again these are few and far between.

    - Storywise, the game flows nicely. Guerrilla Games gelled consecutive storylines involving humanity's past and the games present into one smooth ride. Combined with the game's side missions, "errands," and a handful of other activities, most feel organic and less of a chore and more of an adventure.

    - Some will be turned off by the (game's) exposition about "the past" however I found it pretty telling. Much like how we glimpse the past through sparse discoveries of artifacts; such is the same in game. And, while some might wish Horizon: Zero Dawn gave us guns and technology to shoot at mechanized soldiers, there is so much backstory, Guerrilla Games could build an entire spinoff prequel if they wanted.

    - In all, Horizon Zero Dawn gives PS4 owners a reason to be proud. It successfully utilizes the hardware to its full potential while delivering a solid game. Guerrilla Games further struck gold by pulling off a "coming of age" story about a female protagonist that goes from "Outcast" to the reluctant hero. Hopefully Guerrilla Games will continue to build upon this title and refine their product in releases to come.    … Expand
  22. Jk82482
    Mar 21, 2017
    7
    This game can be absolutely beautiful and incredibly irritating at the same time. I was so fed up with certain situations during combat that I just wanted to drop the controller and never pick it up again, but i was intrigued enough to continue and ended up pleasantly surprised with the overall package. This will be a series much improved with future installments I'm sure.
  23. JokerMeGreen
    Mar 22, 2017
    8
    Horizon:Zero Dawn gameplay is fun yet does have a familiar feel to it that you may have experienced in other open world games. .
    The enemy's you face in Horizon can be both enjoyable and yet disappointing to face at times as the AI tend to be blind or forgetful which I've noticed only the human AI are mostly acting up and won't attack even though you're face to face with them. Which    Horizon:Zero Dawn gameplay is fun yet does have a familiar feel to it that you may have experienced in other open world games. .
    The enemy's you face in Horizon can be both enjoyable and yet disappointing to face at times as the AI tend to be blind or forgetful which I've noticed only the human AI are mostly acting up and won't attack even though you're face to face with them. Which you may find humanoid enemies less exciting to fight overall as their attack patterns are pretty predictable in most cases and easy to take out compared to certain machines.

    The beautiful environment is something I enjoy the most about the game aside from fighting robots. Exploring every corner of the map to find collectible items and stopping occasionally to use photo mode to take screenshots of the moonlit sky and the machines grazing the fields too seeing ants climbing up trees in certain areas of the map. While exploring the world you'll never feel alone as there's always wildlife,humans and machines down every pathway. If you don't enjoy facing enemies though, you can easily avoid them in most cases.

    The Story this game has to tell is worth to listen too as well.

    This game is definitely a buy.    … Expand
  24. Maugaran
    Feb 28, 2020
    6
    Role playing adventure game for people for whom role playing games are too complicated. Graphics and layout are good. The world is beautiful. The skill system is a disaster. The characters are annoying.
  25. Topegg
    Mar 24, 2017
    8
    My first review on Metacritic. I've always been an Xbox fan boy since the original was released. I've my xbox one since day one and an xbox one s however, the increasing long list of ps4 exclusives was getting to much to ignore. So I got myself a PS4 bundled with this and uncharted 4. And I'm glad to say I haven't even open uncharted 4 yet as this game has me hooked. The graphics areMy first review on Metacritic. I've always been an Xbox fan boy since the original was released. I've my xbox one since day one and an xbox one s however, the increasing long list of ps4 exclusives was getting to much to ignore. So I got myself a PS4 bundled with this and uncharted 4. And I'm glad to say I haven't even open uncharted 4 yet as this game has me hooked. The graphics are beautiful, the story is pretty good and the machines are awesome.

    It is isn't perfect though. The voice acting is a little shaky at times. combat is ok but gets boring, side quests feel like chores. And the world doesn't make me want to explore it like Skyrim did.

    But i bought a PS4 for this and i am not disappointed !!    … Expand
  26. FrayDabson
    Mar 25, 2017
    8
    8/10 - This game is a great game. Though not the 10/10 people praise it to be (in my opinion)

    I am about 20 hours into the game, I am enjoying it, but there is something about it... It just doesn't jump out at me like I thought it would. With games like Witcher 3, or Zelda BOTW, I just don't get the same awe effect as I do in those games. Either way, it has been a great game that I    8/10 - This game is a great game. Though not the 10/10 people praise it to be (in my opinion)

    I am about 20 hours into the game, I am enjoying it, but there is something about it... It just doesn't jump out at me like I thought it would. With games like Witcher 3, or Zelda BOTW, I just don't get the same awe effect as I do in those games.

    Either way, it has been a great game that I would recommend to people.    … Expand
  27. VaiberHD
    Mar 27, 2017
    8
    Its a very well made amazing looking game, yet its almost identical to many other games like far cry primal, so good game but lacks originality, and the story is not that bad
  28. oldschoolgamer7
    Mar 27, 2017
    6
    The first 2-3 hours of this games seemed very promising. but in the end it just turns out to be a poor tomb raider clone,. it becomes a repetitive process of following quest markers to get to a mission that was almost entirely like the last and there is no incentive to continue playing. I have been playing it on hard and its to be honest a mixture between being too easy and frustrating inThe first 2-3 hours of this games seemed very promising. but in the end it just turns out to be a poor tomb raider clone,. it becomes a repetitive process of following quest markers to get to a mission that was almost entirely like the last and there is no incentive to continue playing. I have been playing it on hard and its to be honest a mixture between being too easy and frustrating in boss fights. The story is pretty boring and there are not enough RPG elements to keep you hooked. The ai becomes too easy to just run away from and take pot shots from a distance and the traps and gadgets just become a waste of time. in summary its a weak version of Tomb Raider. So many good games just dropped on PS4 recently don't bother with this until its in the bargain bin.… Expand
  29. legalravishment
    Apr 6, 2017
    7
    I had to make an account to give this title a fair review.

    Overall the game was not bad, but not worth a perfect score - it has some issues. The graphics and initial hour introduction were spot on - one of the best tutorial hours in a videogame ever to get you attached to the heroine, Aloy. After that, the character development was flat, and the story a bit stale, side missions are    I had to make an account to give this title a fair review.

    Overall the game was not bad, but not worth a perfect score - it has some issues. The graphics and initial hour introduction were spot on - one of the best tutorial hours in a videogame ever to get you attached to the heroine, Aloy. After that, the character development was flat, and the story a bit stale, side missions are very, very repetitive. It has about 40 hours of total gameplay to platinum.

    Pros:
    Graphics are great
    Combat is initially fun and difficult - that changes quickly
    Map is well designed on the surface, but lacks depth.
    Controls are fairly good - the only annoyance was when you changed ammo on accident when you bring up the wheel to craft more ammo.
    Cons:
    LOOT FATIGUE - i understand having resources in the game, but 100 resource slots is very limited at one point or another, and it becomes more time managing inventory than playing toward the end.You get tired of picking stuff up and then having to drop it anyways.
    BAD/LIMITED GEAR - you don't get an upgraded spear until very late in the game, and even then it is not much different from the one you start with. The gear is not varied at all, you don't really get a chance to go down a "build path". Until the ancient armor mission the gear is all very similar, then you are practically invincible. Very strange way to manage gear. The ranged weapons get boring quickly once you learn that you just max your stock bow Fire damage and kill everything quickly. Expected different stat boosts with different weapons, but revolves around "modifications" which are very basic. You don't "upgrade" weapons really, you just craft more ammo slots, kind of lame.
    TOO SHORT - Main story line can probably be completed in around 8-10 hours, with 40 hours to platinum and do everything the game has to offer. That is just simply too short for a title like this to me.
    SHALLOW MAP - map looks good on surface, but there are no real dungeons/caves/"metal ruins" to go to outside of the main story. Sort of like having Skyrims map with no explorable dungeons, gets boring quick. No reason to explore because you never get better gear by doing so.
    EASY TO BREAK - if you get the blast sling early, you can down all machines with ease, taking very little strategy.

    TLDR; if you go into Zero Dawn looking for the Witcher, Fallout/Skyrim RPG experience, you wont get it. You will get a very "face value" game that will win a ton of awards at the end of the year. Worth the play through, but zero replayability or longevity.    … Expand
  30. AstroBoy
    Mar 15, 2022
    0
    I've spent almost 300 hours in the game, so what I can tell. The game is great, the story is brilliant and I really love it.
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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.
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  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.
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  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.
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