HORIZON: ZERO DAWN
Supreme sandbox is a metal marvel
An excellent compilation of combat, hunting and stealth systems, this mysterious sci-fi sandbox is one of the best open-world games in years. The emergent behaviour systems of its robo-dinosaurs alone make you feel like anything is possible. Just wait until you witness two 45-foot AI alligators emerging from a river, hunters whaling on them with spears, as a giant Storm bird pelts ’em with electric bolts.
It’s a dizzying melting pot of mechanics – half a dozen triple-A titles come to mind. The breezy platforming of Uncharted; the beast-on-beast smackdowns of Far Cry; the precision archery of Tomb Raider… Horizon combines lots of elements from big-hitting franchises, and nails every system.
Key facts: embattled human factions eke out an existence alongside a race of AI animals known as the Machines. Yes, yet another dystopian world ravaged by war, but Horizon’s story is not what you’re expecting. It’s consistently well-written and surprisingly thought-provoking, tackling themes as complex as mankind leaving a cultural footprint for future generations, and issues as uncomfortable as ethnic cleansing.
You play Aloy, a nomadic loner who simply wants to know where she came from… y’know, inbetween shooting mechanical hippos. But the real stars are the Machines. You won’t find a more constantly cool clutch of creatures on PS4. Each robotic monstrosity is forever fun to engage, and Horizon gives you so many tools to nullify (or harvest) their powers, encounters never get old.
Horizon’s best feature is its world, though, which is nothing short of breathtaking. Horizon is “most gorgeous console game of the generation” beautiful.
A few early boss battles drag. Story missions devolve into “kill every dude in your eyeline” a smidge too often. But focusing on such flaws is like complaining about a crack on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. If developers Guerilla keep making more games set in this universe, PlayStation’s Horizon is blindingly bright. Dave Meikleham