Guerrilla Games' Horizon Zero Dawn proved that the studio could handle much more than just first-person shooters. Set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by robotic creatures known as the Old Ones, Horizon Zero Dawn tells the story of Aloy, a hunter who starts out as an outcast who knows little about the wider world or her own history.
Over the course of a relatively lengthy campaign, Aloy uses a wide array of arrows and trap types to take down massive industrial monsters and more than a few human enemies, while also exploring a gorgeous open-world.
Horizon Zero Dawn is definitely a unique experience, but it shares some similarities with other action RPGs on the market. Here are 10 titles worth playing for fans of Horizon Zero Dawn.
10 Middle-earth: Shadow Of War
Monolith Productions' Middle-earth: Shadow of War improved upon nearly every aspect of its predecessor, with the exception of a terrible final act that was eventually improved through post-release updates. Set in an unwelcoming open-world littered with orcs waiting to take down Talion, the game's protagonist, Shadow of War very much captures the feeling of being one person up against an army.
While Horizon Zero Dawn and Shadow of War have very different combat styles, both games bring an element of strategy to encounters. As capable as Talion and Aloy might be, the large number of enemy personnel means that the heroes can quickly become overwhelmed if they leap headfirst into fights without thinking ahead.
9 Bloodborne
Horizon Zero Dawn's melee combat is satisfying enough, although Aloy's spear is meant primarily for taking out small enemies and as a last-ditch defensive option. When not taking down robotic monstrosities, Aloy spends the rest of her time exploring the impressive but mostly desolate world for resources and side quests.
Bloodborne delivers a similar sense of discovery as Horizon Zero Dawn, albeit one infused with a healthy dose of fear. Like Horizon Zero Dawn's world is home to some truly terrifying creatures that seem to drop out of nowhere just to ruin Aloy's day, Yharnam houses deadly enemies around every corner. Bloodborne's melee combat is punishing but fair, much like Horizon Zero Dawn's gameplay.
8 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Arguably the closest game to Horizon Zero Dawn in terms of storytelling and world-building, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a masterclass of character development and plot progression. For those who enjoyed traversing Guerrilla Games' expansive map and completing Horizon Zero Dawn's various side quests, Wild Hunt must be deemed a must play.
Gameplay-wise, Geralt utilizes a range of weapons, bombs, and magical signs to grant him an edge in battle. Preparation is the key to victory. Now, admittedly, Wild Hunt's combat is somewhat clunky compared to Horizon Zero Dawn's responsive gameplay; conversely, the former's quests are arguably even better than the latter's.
7 Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Although Guerrilla Games did more than enough to differentiate Horizon Zero Dawn from the typical Ubisoft project, some of the latter's formula can definitely be felt in the former. Built upon the foundations of 2017's Origins, Assassin's Creed Odyssey pushed the franchise squarely into RPG territory, and added elements like dialogue options and even branching quests.
Both games feature skill trees tailor-made for specific playstyles, while plenty of time will be spent filling in the maps and unlocking waypoints. Horizon Zero Dawn's parkour system is also not far removed from the one used by Assassin's Creed, even if Odyssey is slightly more combat-oriented than earlier entries in the franchise.
6 NieR: Automata
In truth, NieR: Automata is not particularly similar to Horizon Zero Dawn. The former's gameplay is closer to the combo-based combat of Devil May Cry than Horizon Zero Dawn's third-person shooter style. While not overflowing with humans, the latter's world feels alive, something that can not be said about Automata's (purposefully) hollow buildings and lifeless areas.
Despite these fundamental differences, NieR: Automata and Horizon Zero Dawn are still likely to scratch the same itch. Putting aside the fact they feature powerful female leads known for taking down machines, both games are set in post-apocalyptic worlds defined by past catastrophes that have been largely forgotten. Both games have an air of mystery, tragedy, and a hint of hope.
5 ELEX
While more of a budget option than Guerrilla Games' PS4 epic, Piranha Bytes' ELEX delivers just enough science fantasy goodness to make it worth recommending despite a somewhat underwhelming opening 10 hours and some mediocre combat mechanics.
After a comet left the planet Magalan in ruins and also introduced a valuable new resource called the Elex, the remaining survivors split off into factions defined by different ideologies and visions for the future. The story and characters are nowhere near as memorable as Horizon Zero Dawn's, but ELEX boasts a genuinely ambitious world and gameplay that blends melee, ranged, and magic combat to create something that is (eventually) quite satisfying.
4 Dragon Age: Inquisition
After being shunned for most of her life, Aloy's quest saw her return to the Nora tribe and ultimately become somewhat of a reluctant leader for the remaining humans. Dragon Age: Inquisition instantly places the protagonist in a position of power as the Inquisitor, whose job is to unite people to face off against an impending threat caused by a breach to the barrier keeping the demon world at bay.
BioWare's 2014 action RPG does feel somewhat dated compared to The Witcher 3 and Horizon Zero Dawn, but the action RPG still boasts some solid writing, decent team-based combat, and beautiful locations to gawk at.
3 Final Fantasy XV
By moving away from its traditional turn-based roots towards a more action-focused gameplay style, Final Fantasy XV feels closer to something like Horizon Zero Dawn than Final Fantasy VII.
That said, Final Fantasy XV prioritizes melee over ranged combat, although the JRPG does place heavy emphasis on swapping different types of weapons to change Noctis's attack speed and damage output. Along with a solid progression system, exploration is also a big part of Final Fantasy XV, which has a huge map that is just waiting to be traversed.
2 Far Cry Primal
If Horizon Zero Dawn replaced its Old Ones with woolly mammoths and swapped its third-person camera for a first-person one, the end result could very well be similar to Far Cry Primal.
Now, in all honestly, Primal is not the best place to start for those interested in sampling the Far Cry license; however, the game's prehistoric setting, wildlife taming system, and core hunting gameplay loop make 2016's spin-off entry a suitable companion piece for Horizon Zero Dawn.
1 Monster Hunter: World
Potentially the most obvious recommendation on this list, Monster Hunter: World strips away most traces of a story to get players facing off against towering monsters as quickly as possible. With 14 weapon types, including a bow, Monster Hunter: World is a vastly different beast depending on whether someone prefers a hammer or a sword and shield.
What does not change is the importance of carefully studying a hunt's target to take advantage of its weaknesses, which is comparable to some of the more challenging boss encounters in Horizon Zero Dawn.