Horizon Zero Dawn
2017
- shooter
- role-playing (rpg)
- adventure
- action
- science fiction
- stealth
- drama
- open world
- single player
The story
Welcome to a vibrant world rich with the beauty of nature – but inhabited by awe-inspiring, highly advanced machines. As a young machine hunter named Aloy, you must unravel the mysteries of this world and find your own destiny.
What it’s like
Sweeping golden-hour vistas over overgrown mesas and rust-red canyons, with sun-warmed grasslands and mossy ruins that feel both ancient and alive. The palette leans into ochre, teal and deep forest green, and the lush landscapes are framed for scale: tiny figures crossing huge open country, herds of gleaming mechanical beasts grazing under long shadows. Score swells in orchestral and tribal percussion during hunts and drops to soft strings and wind across the quiet stretches, and the sound of rain on tall grass or a distant machine's low hum carries much of the atmosphere. The vibe is wondrous and wistful, a hushed sense of discovery tinged with unease, best suited to a long afternoon of exploring or an evening of slow, immersive play. Pacing is deliberate, with long traversal and crafting between bursts of tense, tactical combat, and the arc follows a young outsider piecing together a buried past and carving out her own place in the world. Violence is frequent but stylised: combat against large machines is dangerous and occasionally bloody in a restrained way, with no gore-heavy focus and some dark themes around death and betrayal. For players who love open-world exploration, careful stealth and a grounded, character-driven sci-fi mystery.
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