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GOTY Contender: Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero DawnI've had an absolute blast playing through Horizon Zero Dawn over the past month or so. I enjoyed it so much that I even went to the effort of earning the platinum PSN trophy, something which I've never before done on a Playstation game. It's probably the most I've enjoyed playing a non-Nintendo console game since Burnout: Paradise on the PS3 all those years ago.

Horizon has a few rough edges, but overall, I thought it was spectacular, and well-earned the 60+ hours I put into it. I originally borrowed the game from a friend to play, but after having such a great time with it I had to reward the developers by buying a copy of it myself.

The visuals are amazing, the plot is right up my alley ('robot dinosaurs', enough said), the characters are decent, and the gameplay is very well paced and balanced.

Despite the horrible name, Aloy as a female main character was exceptional; even moreso than Lara Croft in the recent reboot of Tomb Raider. I can't think of a single moment where she was sexualised, and she was both vulnerable and competent when required.

I think I was even adequate at using the PS4 controller for aiming in this game, which probably says more about some unobtrusive auto-aiming system rather than my ability.

Comparing it to the other big sci-fi RPG that I've played this year, it's easy to see which is the better game. Horizon felt more polished, more refined, and overall a much better experience than Mass Effect: Andromeda. This is especially the case when comparing the now-not-taken-for-granted character animations between the two.

If you have a PS4, this game is a must-play.

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