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.

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 February 25, 2024, by Michael Llewellyn: Horizon Zero Dawn remains one of the best games on the PlayStation 4. The game holds up beautifully, whether played on the PC, PS4, or the PS5. The dynamic and cinematic battles are hard to match, and Aloy is one of the most memorable protagonists in a long time. Thankfully, there are other games that fans can play once their adventures and battles with robotic dinosaurs have ended. This list has been updated to include another game HZD fans should try.

24 Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora

A Stunning Adaptation Of The Avatar License

Avatar: Frontiers of Tomorrow is like a Far Cry game set in an alien world. However, its world design is one of the most striking and gorgeous worlds seen on any platform. The developers of Massive Entertainment put in the work and attention to detail from the Avatar movies, and it bodes well for Star Wars: Outlaws that they have a good grasp of making games based on a popular licensed property.

It takes a while for Avatar: Frontiers of Tomorrow to open up after getting the flying creature called Ikran. It's left up to the player to discover the world on their own by using the senses of the Navi to navigate the world. There are lots of battles against mechs, and plenty of memorable encounters as the story unfolds.

23 Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon

A Challenging Adventure With Incredible Mech Combat

Stylistically, Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is very different from Horizon Zero Dawn. However, for players who want to even the playing field and fight giant robots and mechs as a powerful mech, Armored Core 6 is among the best. The Armored Core series is from the makers of the Dark Souls trilogy and Elden Ring, and it's arguably challenging but equally rewarding.

Operating the mechs and combat feels so good to play. Moreover, fans of the Souls series appreciate the precision, stats, and timing needed to defeat gigantic bosses in Armored Core 6. It doesn't feature an open world like Horizon Zero Dawn. The mission areas are vast and explorable. However, Armored Core 6's take on the post-apocalypse is more depressing and less colorful.

22 Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Another Powerful Woman Takes Center Stage

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a story-driven action adventure and one of the best cases for video games to be taken seriously as art ever seen. It packs a lot of psychological horror and the inner turmoil of a character struggling with mental health. Fans of strong female leads will love Senua, as she's one of the best-developed characters in gaming.

Senua's Sacrifice is very linear, but the implementation of Celtic and Norse mythology in its narrative is superb. The sound design is some of the best in gaming, and before the opening scenes, it recommends that players wear headphones to appreciate the atmosphere and Senua's struggle.

21 Star Wars: Jedi Survivor

A Vastly Improved Sequel With Better Worlds And Better Combat

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 who 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 worlds, the puzzles, and the feeling of a lone warrior taking on a bigger destiny.

20 Demon's Souls (2020)

A Visually Stunning Remake With Memorable Boss Battles

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.

19 Lost Planet

Epic Boss Fights Against Giant Monsters And Aliens

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.

18 Dragon's Dogma

An Open World Fantasy Game With Excellent Combat

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.

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.

17 Final Fantasy 15

A Sprawling Adventure With A Stunning World

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.

16 Far Cry: Primal

A Prehistoric Open World Adventure Game

Even though Horizon Zero Dawn is set in a post-apocalyptic future, the world returned to its primal roots. The remnants of the human race are divided up by tribes called the Nora, the Carja, and the Osram, and the humans have reverted to their past roots as pure hunter-gatherers.

Far Cry: Primal is a game where the player steps into the shoes of a prehistoric tribesman. The lead character can train and similarly control beasts to Aloy and use them to his advantage. Like Horizon Zero Dawn, the world is dynamic and unpredictable, with events, ambushes, and battles that occur at any time.

15 Days Gone

An Open, Dynamic Zombie Horror Game

Days Gone is a near-future post-apocalyptic horror game set in an open world inhabited by zombie hordes. Mechanically, the two games differ in that Horizon Zero Dawn's Aloy feels a lot more battle-ready and flexible when encountering hordes of zombies.

However, it is the moments of unpredictability when dealing with hordes of enemies at once where the player is forced to think on their feet that fans of HZD will appreciate. In addition, the open world is beautiful and dynamic but filled with dangerous and unpredictable events. Stealth and setting up traps also play a big part in dealing with human and non-human enemies and are mechanically similar to the HZD.

14 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

A Beautiful, Timeless Open World Zelda Game

Horizon Zero Dawn is visually one of the most beautiful games of a generation. This is not because it has better graphical power than its nearest rivals but because its art design helps make it timeless. The color, lighting, and shadows will constantly take the breath away.

The only other open-world game that matches Horizon Zero Dawn in pure artistry and visual beauty is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The easy-to-pick-up combat system easily rivals Horizon Zero Dawn, and just like Aloy, Link is tasked with defeating gigantic robotic enemies using various methods that require skill and thought.

13 Monster Hunter: World

Fight Giant Monsters With or Without Friends

One of the main appeals of Horizon Zero Dawn is the dynamic and unscripted battle with the giant monsters in an open environment that the player needs to use to their advantage. Those looking for a game that has the exact qualities – minus the robots – is Monster Hunter World.

Like the robot battles in Horizon Zero Dawn, every fight in Monster Hunter World requires time, patience, and predicting the creature's movements and attacks to exploit its weaknesses. In addition, Monster Hunter: World's environments are colorful, bright, and a joy to explore.

12 God Of War

A Stunning Reboot With Epic Battles And Set Pieces

God of War is the fourth entry in the franchise, but the game is a reboot and a follow-up to Kratos' exploits in Greek Mythology. Just like Horizon Zero Dawn, it is one of the best-looking games of the generation on both a technical and artistic level.

Taking on the role of Kratos, players get to explore a semi-open world in a third-person action-adventure and battle with giant creatures steeped in Norse mythology. In addition, those who enjoyed Horizon Zero Dawn's story and its use of side quests to reveal more of the lore will love investing their time into God of War's many activities and distractions.

11 Enslaved: Odyssey To The West

A Colorful Post-Apocalyptic Take On A Journey West

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West was a post-apocalyptic adventure game released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was developed by Ninja Theory, who worked on Heavenly Sword, DmC: Devil May Cry, and Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. Unlike most post-apocalyptic games at the time, Enslaved used a colorful setting refreshingly similar to Horizon Zero Dawn's vision of the future.

Taking inspiration from Journey to the West, the 16th-century Chinese novel. It features iconic characters like the Monkey King and others. Interestingly, Enslaved's script was adapted by the writers of 28 Days Later, Alex Garland and Rhianna Pratchett - the daughter of famed author Terry Pratchett - the writer of Mirror's Edge, Tomb Raider, and Heavenly Sword.

10 Assassin's Creed: Origins & Odyssey

Two Massive Open World RPGs Set In Ancient Greece And Ancient Egypt

When Assassin's Creed: Origins was released in 2017, serving as a prequel for the franchise, going even further back in time, it worked as a reboot. Origins was set in Ancient Egypt, and Odyssey was set in Ancient Greece by taking inspiration from The Witcher 3 and offers far more expansive and detailed worlds than their predecessors.

From a gameplay perspective, Origins and Odyssey provide stealth and head-on battle tactics that Horizon Zero Dawn fans will appreciate, and the simple RPG leveling system to unlock new abilities is just as accessible as HZD.

9 Nier: Automata

A Mature JRPG With Multiple Endings And An Emotional Story

Those who love a great science fiction story set in a post-apocalyptic world fighting robots should look no further than Nier: Automata. Nier has an outstanding narrative with well-written, mind-bending, and thought-provoking twists that will stay with the player.

Furthermore, the player is placed in the shoes of a female protagonist, and the action is second to none. The combat system was designed by PlatinumGames, the developers responsible for Bayonetta and Astral Chain, and it is fast but tactical and deliberate, like Horizon Zero Dawn.

8 Shadow Of The Tomb Raider

A Dark And Violent Lara Croft Adventure

The rebooted Tomb Raider origin series would appeal to players of Horizon Zero Dawn. The entry, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, has the most polished combat and stealth. However, it is recommended that players tackle the series to get a handle on the story and appreciate the improvements and character development with each entry.

The game worlds in the Tomb Raider trilogy aren't as open as Horizon Zero Dawn. However, Shadow of the Tomb Raider's stunning semi-open jungle environment is more explorable and flexible than ever. Lara has multiple ways to take down her enemies using stealth or head-on combat, but like HZD, the bow and arrow mechanics are where the game shines.

7 The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt

Influential And Spectacular Open World Fantasy RPG

The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt is hands down one of the most influential titles in gaming. It did for open-world games and RPGs this generation what The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and Skyrim did for the last-gen systems. Its influence and approach to quests and interactions can be seen in the newer Assassin's Creed titles, Days Gone and Horizon Zero Dawn.

The RPG elements are far more prominent in The Witcher 3, and the story is far more layered than Guerilla Games' effort, but that doesn't mean players will feel overwhelmed. Despite its depth, The Witcher 3 is far more accessible than its predecessors. Moreover, fans who enjoy combat with oversized beasts and exploring beautiful landscapes will love Geralt's third adventure.

6 The Last Of Us Part 2

An Epic Cinematic Action Game With Stunning Visuals

Released in 2020, the multi-award-winning mega-hit from Naughty Dog Studios, The Last of Us Part 2, is an epic title action horror. The story can feel a little long as it is played out from the viewpoint of its two protagonists, but that doesn't stop it from being one of the best examples of cinematic storytelling in a video game ever.

It is worth noting that even though the world lacks the openness of Horizon Zero Dawn, each area is much larger than its predecessor and filled with similar character development and lore found in HZD. Moreover, The Last of Us 2 features two fantastic female leads, making players sympathize with both sides and turning the roles of antagonistic and protagonistic characters on their heads.

5 Immortals Fenyx Rising

Humorous Open World RPG Set In Ancient Greece

Released late into 2020, Immortals Fenyx Rising is an open-world action-adventure set in a Greek mythological world by the developers of Assassin's Creed: Odyssey. Immortals are more cartoonish than Odyssey, but many gameplay elements will be familiar to fans of Ubisoft's historical epics.

Visually and mechanically, Fenyx Rising has more in common with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. However, Immortals still does a beautiful job of creating a world of its own. The humor can be hit or miss, but it is filled with side quests, and the taking down of giant mythological beasts like the Cyclops never gets old.