Horizon Zero Dawn is one of Playstation’s best games and players are looking for similar titles. Luckily, there’s plenty on offer.
Horizon Zero Dawn was launched on the PlayStation 4 in 2017. It was developed by Guerilla Games, who were only known for creating the first-person shooter series Killzone. The Killzone series is an entertaining but linear shooter series (touted as a Halo killer for Sony) that offered spectacular visuals and set pieces but very little variety.
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As a result, the open-world actioner from Guerrilla Games surprised fans and critics alike with its world-building and dynamic combat scenarios. Horizon Zero Dawn went head to head with the epic The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at the 2020 Game of the Year awards and is regarded as a must-have PlayStation title alongside God of War and Uncharted. Horizon Zero Dawn and its expansion offer the player a lot of gameplay for their money, but once one has completed everything, other games should be next on the list.
Updated June 3, 2023, by Michael Llewellyn: Horizon Zero Dawn and its sequel sit among the best of PlayStation’s exclusive games. The immersive open world, stunning visuals, and incredible art design complement the epic battles and self-contained stories in this visually appealing post-apocalyptic world. With meaningful side quests and a cinematic campaign, fans may want something similar after they have finished. This list is updated to include more games like Horizon Zero Dawn that fans of Aloy and her adventures will want to play.
The hotly anticipated sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order once again puts players in the shoes of Cal Kestis. Kestis is a more seasoned and skilled warrior in Jedi Survivor, and like Aloy, he is a survivor that must battle against all the odds. Survivor is a bigger game than its predecessor, with more interactivity, monsters to fight, and bounty hunters to ward off.
It also happens to be one of the best games in the Star Wars franchise. Offering much-improved combat over its predecessor, there is no shortage of giant creatures like the iconic Rancor, the monster that Luke defeated in Return of the Jedi. Horizon fans will love the explorable world, the puzzles, and the feeling of a lone warrior taking on a bigger destiny.
Released in 2020 as a launch title for the PS5, Demon’s Souls is Bluepoint Game’s remake of FromSoftware’s 2009 PS3 original. As a Souls title, Demon’s Souls is far more challenging than Horizon Zero Dawn, but fans of HZD’s world-building, secrets, and epic battles will be hard-pressed to find a better game for this new generation.
The visuals are outstanding, but another area that Horizon Zero Dawn deserves credit for is the phenomenal sound design. Hearing the rumblings of giant mechanical beasts in the distance created a sense of immersion and ambiance in the headphones. Demon’s Souls offers a similar sense of immersion, especially with the 3D surround feature switched on. The game will draw the player into its dark world in a way that Horizon Zero Dawn fans will appreciate.
Released in 2007, Lost Planet displays Capcom’s talent for creating original worlds and epic boss fights. The icy planet has an apocalyptic feel that will appeal to fans of HZD, and the feeling of being in danger from alien enemies is far more deadly and powerful than the protagonist.
Fights with these giant insect-like aliens known as the Akrid are done on foot and in large mechanized suits. The battles always feel dynamic, tense, and exciting. Visually, the game holds up very well when played via backward compatibility on the Xbox One and Series X/S.
First launched in 2012, Dragon’s Dogma is an action RPG that merges aspects of Dark Souls and the Monster Hunter series. The game features some of the most dynamic and epic monster fights with combat created by Ryota Suzuki, who worked on Devil May Cry and Final Fantasy 16.
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Like Horizon Zero Dawn, the fights are unpredictable, require strategy, and are satisfying to win. Visually, it does not match up to Horizon Zero Dawn, but the creature design and scale of the fights remain timeless. Dragon’s Dogma is set to get a sequel with more monster fights, pawns to create, and a vast open world to explore.
First released in 2016, Final Fantasy 15 was the first time the series delved into the open-world genre. Compared to the more traditional titles, its world felt empty with the lack of towns, but the battles with the Daemons are almost always epic.
Now that the game has been released in a complete Royal Edition, Final Fantasy 15 is a much better and more coherent title with great characters than it was at launch. The battles with giant monsters, robots, and human enemies are entertaining and empowering when time is taken to adjust to the combat system.
