Horizon Zero Dawn

The Ubistuff stops just short of being too busy. The Batman detective stuff, as pointless as it is, goes by smoothly enough. The Far Cry 3 “I need a trout jaw to craft my quiver from a carrying capacity of 10 to 15 arrows” keeps things moving in enough directions to fill out the character progression. Mounts from The Witcher 3 and Red Dead Redemption are always a gratifying way to get around. The unfortunate fact of Horizon is that most of what it does well, other games have done better, and they did it with a compelling who and where.

Horizon Zero Dawn won’t be remembered for being superbly unique. It’ll be remembered because it’s so well-crafted, lovingly cared for, and downright stupendously executed. It doesn’t chart new territory in gameplay, but it charts plenty of new ground with its world, characters, and more. Guerilla took a major risk shifting IPs and genres, and with Horizon New Dawn they’ve created a universe I can’t wait to explore again. If you own a PlayStation 4, this is a game for you. And if you don’t? Maybe it’s time you bought one.