Before 2022 ended I decided to play Horizon Zero Dawn for the first time. Being a PC gamer I never put that much interest into this game, and yet due to amazing environments, showed on trailer I never quite forget about it either. But I always had something more interesting to play or to watch so Horizon waited, half-forgotten somewhere in my brain. But since 2022 is ending, and this year was so bereft of creativity, beaty and hope for human culture I participated in Steam sale and figured – “Now is the time”.

And I am so glad I did. The game holds amazingly even in comparison to what is currently out in gaming world. The graphics are great, and why do they think of remake is beyond my understanding. But what’s the best about Horizon is the story. This game is a pro storytelling experience no questions asked. Now in this article I am not going to get deep into how the story unfolds or the mechanics work. There is no point in that, since there are already countless materials on Horizon. I am going to focus on something else.

Not every game have an existing theme, a heart so to speak, but Horizon does. At the very center of all our quests very simple core exists: “healing the world”. It’s a deliberate choice by storytellers to frame this process as healing rather than making it better, fixing it, preventing the catastrophe etc. The word “healing” carries a number of different meanings with the same underlying trait – to nurture life. And that is the heart of the game. Every other motif only adds to it or builds up to it. And it’s nothing as trivial as your standard good vs evil conflict.

It was very refreshing to play a game which is affected by that philosophy of higher purpose. Especially since it’s so different to consumption which is driving most od people right now. And it is quite difficult to recall any other latest game that builds on theme so simple and yet so powerful. Horizon uses this theme to the extent of its possibilities. It can be felt by the story, but also accompanying soundtrack and graphics. The world of Horizon is a broken place, a planet in need of healing and we can feel it everywhere – and most of all through the eyes of Aloy, the protagonist of the story.

As to the mechanics, and gameplay, they hold very well five years after it was released. The graphics, even though they can glitch despite the patches are still amazing. And despite 5 years passed since its release I cannot think of any game with worldbuilding so distinctive and vibrant as the world in Horizon. The many tribes, the environments, stories shared from one NPC to another – it’s an amazing place to spent a lot of hours when playing a game.

My only regret is that Horizon is and will remain console exclusive. Being a PC gamer there are a lot of titles that make you wait until there are finally released for PC’s. But for games with such a rich storyline it outward cruel. Knowing that there is a sequel to it and yet not being able to play it. Even today buying a console is a significant expense, and not many can afford it. And only few will decide to make a purchase for the sake of singular game. Of course there are many factors that attribute to it, like pirating. But still such a shame.

In any ways Horizon Zero Dawn get from me 10/10, and as far as reviews go I wholeheartedly recommend it. As it is visually stunning and beautifully written experience.