Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition

This one deserves the Complete Edition Title. A well done, polished version of the base game. I dont't get the drama with data-collection / telemetry, Guerilla didn't choose to put it in there, thank Sony for that. Just use a firewall when using Windows.

So if you expect different classes and lots of choices to affect the storyline, you will be dissapointed. However if you enjoy action open world games with some minor RPG features and good storytelling, then you will enojy this game. I liked the main characters, the side characters are interesting and what I absolutely loved is the world itself - I mean postapo world with animal robots and tribe cultures - that's just so awesome. The combat is also engaging and the visuals are pretty good too. The only thing I didn't like were the climbing mechanics, these are really annoying. However they promised to improve them in the sequel - fingers crossed it's ported to PC eventually.

I am not entirey sure why this game gripped me by the guts and had me playing late nights. That's a rare occurrence these days, with me supposely being a grown-up and all, but I really liked the new, fundamentally optimist take on the apocalypse which is the foundation of so many games these days, and I enjoyed the way the backstory was told: revealed gradually as the main character dug into her background. You have a relative freedom to explore, where a linear overarcing story can be freely mixed with mostly fun and reasonably varied quests. Whether I took short or long sessions with the game, I always found things to do and places to visit. The visuals were beautiful, and my budget GTX1660 GPU had no problems with the highest quality settings. The animations for the main character and for the machine opponents are very nice, with a sometimes stunning attention to detail and lots of variation. Human opponents look and feel less alive and less intelligent, bizarrely enough, but the game is mostly about fights against machines, and they are really well done. Perhaps most notable, though, is the outstanding voice acting for the main character. Aloy is voiced with such passion (by Ashly Burch) that some moments in the dialog had me literally moved to tears or laughing out loud, and even her little comments on the environment and the actions you take are spot on for the character, all the way through. As a Swede being used to cold winters, I love the way the character interacts with deep snow in the DLC, both how she walks and runs in it, and how it deforms to her footsteps and dodge rolls (and, I must admit, the occasional downhill butt-slide I made just for fun). I hope the PS4/PS5 sequel, right now Sony-exclusive, will be ported to Windows as well. This was my most enjoyable gaming experience in years, perhaps in a decade. (FYI, I'm old enough -barely- to have played the original Pong when it was released.)

I came to Horizon: Zero Dawn late—several years late, in fact. It wasn't until a buddy of mine turned me on to the game that I even knew it existed. Boy, did I underestimate how much I'd love it. First off, the visuals are absolutely stunning. From the environment to the lighting to the characters and machines, they all contribute to make this version of Earth a fantastical place indeed. Then there's the gameplay. I'd never played anything like it, nor have I still (other than its sequels). It's dynamic, exciting, challenging, yet ultimately rewarding while refraining from being frustrating. Even having played Forbidden West now, Zero Dawn holds its own in terms of combat. But what really makes the game have a lasting impact are its characters and relationships, and its world steeped in stories. Aloy herself is a poignant and enthralling character. From the first moment we follow her as a child, I was invested in this inquisitive, competent, and tough individual. I think often of her discovery in the ruins ("Daddy sure does love his little big man.") and how it touches on the thing she's missing most at that point in time: a sense of belonging. Aloy's character development doesn't slow down for the rest of the story, either. You have to admire her tenacity as she takes on her society, then the world at large, never slowing no matter the setback she faces. In fact, I love her character so much she was the inspiration for a protagonist in one of my books, The Last Ranger. There are only a few things that hold back Horizon: Zero Dawn for me, and they're fairly minor. I'll admit to tiring of some of the repetitive side aspects to the game, and some of the side quests were less enthralling than others. But none of these truly detract from this towering success of a game. If you haven't played Horizon: Zero Dawn yet, do yourself a favor and snatch up a copy. You're in for the adventure of a lifetime.

Beautiful game, and if you bump up the dificulty it can be a great challange too. story pulls you in and keeps you guessing till the end. Highly recomended