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Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4) Review
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre: Action RPG / Open-World Adventure
Release: 2017
Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the most ambitious new IPs of the PS4 generation. Guerrilla Games moved away from the Killzone series and created a striking open world where prehistoric-looking tribes coexist with enormous robotic creatures. The combination of science fiction, post-apocalyptic mystery, exploration and tactical combat gives the game a distinctive identity.
At its best, Horizon Zero Dawn is an excellent action RPG built around one of the most satisfying combat systems of its generation. Its biggest weaknesses come from the familiar open-world structure, some repetitive activities and occasionally awkward character animations.
Gameplay & Mechanics
The biggest strength of Horizon Zero Dawn is its combat. Aloy relies primarily on a bow, spear and a variety of specialized weapons rather than simply attacking enemies until their health disappears.
The machines have individual components and weaknesses that can be exploited. Shooting off armour plates, destroying weapons, targeting power cells or hitting vulnerable components can completely change an encounter. Larger machines such as Thunderjaws and Stormbirds become multi-stage battles where preparation and positioning are extremely important.
The Focus is another excellent mechanic. It allows Aloy to scan machines, identify weaknesses, track enemies and discover clues throughout the environment.
Strengths
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Excellent tactical combat.
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Machines have distinct behaviours and weaknesses.
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Wide selection of weapons and ammunition types.
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Skill trees provide useful combat and exploration abilities.
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Stealth is a viable alternative to direct combat.
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Hunting machines provides a satisfying gameplay loop.
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Larger machines provide some genuinely memorable encounters.
Weaknesses
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Melee combat is considerably less developed than ranged combat.
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Inventory management can become tedious.
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Crafting and resource collection can feel repetitive.
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Some encounters become easier once Aloy becomes highly upgraded.
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The basic human enemies aren't nearly as interesting as the machines.
The combat is particularly impressive because it encourages players to learn how machines work rather than simply overpower them.
Exploration & World Design
The world of Horizon Zero Dawn is beautiful and varied. Forests, mountains, deserts, snowy regions, ruins and tribal settlements provide plenty of visual variety.
Exploration is also closely tied to the game's story. Ancient ruins and abandoned facilities contain clues about what happened to the old world, while scattered recordings and holograms gradually reveal the history behind the machines.
The machine population makes travelling across the world particularly entertaining. You never quite know whether you'll encounter a small herd of Grazers or something considerably more dangerous.
The open world does, however, rely on several familiar Ubisoft-style conventions: enemy camps, collectibles, hunting challenges, viewpoints and map markers. These activities are generally enjoyable, but they don't always feel particularly innovative.
The climbing system is also fairly limited compared with later open-world games. Aloy can climb specific surfaces rather than freely scaling the environment.
Story & Themes
The story is arguably Horizon Zero Dawn's greatest surprise.
You play as Aloy, an outcast from the Nora tribe who becomes determined to discover the truth about her origins. What initially appears to be a relatively straightforward tribal mystery gradually develops into a much larger investigation into the origins of the machines and the destruction of the old world.
The game does an excellent job of gradually revealing its mysteries. Discovering abandoned facilities and learning about the civilization that existed before Aloy's world creates a strong sense of curiosity.
The contrast between primitive tribal societies and highly advanced remnants of humanity's past is particularly effective.
Aloy is also a strong protagonist. She's intelligent, independent and capable without feeling completely invulnerable.
The main weakness is that some supporting characters aren't developed as deeply as Aloy. Dialogue can occasionally feel stiff, and the game's facial animations haven't aged as well as its environments.
Nevertheless, the central mystery provides enough momentum to keep the story engaging throughout the campaign.
Mission Design & Progression
The main missions are generally the strongest part of the campaign. They combine combat, exploration, investigation and some spectacular encounters.
Side quests are more variable. Some provide interesting stories and character development, while others feel like conventional open-world errands.
Progression is handled through:
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Experience and levelling.
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Skill points.
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Weapons and outfits.
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Weapon modifications.
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Crafting upgrades.
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Hunting and resource gathering.
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Cauldrons that unlock additional machine overrides.
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Machine overrides that allow Aloy to temporarily control certain machines.
The skill tree is well designed because many abilities directly improve how Aloy plays rather than simply providing boring statistical increases.
Final Verdict
Horizon Zero Dawn is an outstanding PS4 action RPG and one of Guerrilla Games' most impressive achievements. Its greatest accomplishment is taking familiar open-world mechanics and combining them with an original setting that genuinely feels different from its competitors.
The machine combat is the game's defining feature. Hunting increasingly powerful machines, identifying their weaknesses and deciding how to approach each encounter never gets old. Combined with a beautiful world and an intriguing mystery surrounding the collapse of civilization, the game provides plenty of reasons to explore beyond the main storyline.
It isn't perfect. The human combat, repetitive open-world activities, limited climbing and occasionally stiff character animations expose some of Guerrilla's inexperience with the open-world RPG format. However, these shortcomings are outweighed by the quality of the combat, world design, story and presentation.
Horizon Zero Dawn is still one of the standout open-world games of the PS4 generation and an excellent foundation for the series that followed.
Score: 9/10
