Horizon: Zero Dawn is a refreshing new IP in a sea of sequels.
It’s become the norm that new video games these days are set in the same beloved worlds with a two, three, or more tacked on to the end.  Don’t get me wrong – I’m looking forward to Mass Effect: Andromeda’s release tomorrow just as much as the next guy, but Horizon’s engaging environment, challenging mechanics, and epic story make for an inspiring example of a new IP done well.
Horizon: Zero Dawn follows the tale of Aloy, a young girl living in a post post-apocalyptic world. Guerilla Games really cares about telling a compelling story and, right away, it shows. Â Everything about the story works well together and, while there are many unanswered questions presented throughout the story, everything makes near-perfect sense in the end.
The world in which Horizon: Zero Dawn takes place is interesting and full of life.  There are plenty of side quests and collectibles, and the enemies with which you engage range in variety from simple bandits to complex Thunderjaw class “T-Rex” machines.  Speaking of the non-organic enemies of Zero Dawn, the vast majority of them require more than spamming your fire key while still providing you with a myriad of options to take them down.  This, coupled with a wide array of available weaponry, provides for a satisfying experience in each encounter – from steal thing through the bushes to diving beneath an enormous machine for the perfect shot at its weak spot.
Horizon: Zero Dawn is a truly open-world experience.  As soon as you have completed the first few main missions (which lay the groundwork of the world and Aloy’s personality), you can explore the entirety of the map. Weapon and armor progression is gated not by level or story progression, but rather by exploration.  To unlock the better weapons and armor in the game, you must pay a certain amount of currency and, for the best weapons and armor, trade a machine part from increasingly deadly machines which makes for a system in which you truly feel that you have earned your gear.
Horizon: Zero Dawn’s story is engaging at the beginning and mind-blowing in the end – it falters just a bit in the middle.  It’s easy to get sidetracked by the plethora of side quests, collectibles, and breath-taking scenery so much so that it is easy to forget exactly what was going on in the main quest when you return to it hours later.
Similarly, the inventory and crafting system seems to suffer under its own genius just a bit.  When you start out, your inventory space is remarkably small and it can only be improved by hunting for animal parts – fox skin, fish bones, etc – all of which only serve the purpose of crafting larger bags and taking up inventory space. Â
Horizon: Zero Dawn’s achievement list boasts 56 achievements of varying difficulty.  The focus of the achievement list is on exploration, side quests, and combat and includes simple tasks such as discovering the first of a collectible set as well as more difficult (and rewarding) achievements such as finding a (overlookable) powerful armor set.
All of Horizon: Zero Dawn’s achievements can be obtained in a single playthrough and none are missable.
Horizon: Zero Dawn is amazing game and a great debut for what I hope will be a long-lasting IP.
Achievements unlocked: 100%
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