Horizon Zero Dawn Reviews: 12 Critical Reactions You Need To Know

12. It Has A Satisfying, Self-Contained Story

"By the end, Horizon comes to a satisfying conclusion in a way that left me feeling like they should probably never make a sequel. It's a near-perfect story that creates a world and also provides meaningful answers about said world...Games don't do that often enough anymore. The events of Horizon have weight and the game feels less like franchise building and more like a cohesive statement." - Giant Bomb

"I will say it’s surprisingly touching at times, offering a hopeful look at how humanity copes in a crisis, layered in just enough mystery to keep tugging you on through until the post-credits scene." - Telegraph

As promising as Horizon looks, many wondered whether it would be able to fashion a compelling story to compliment its vast open world.

While some critics did comment on the earlier tribal storylines not being too interesting, the easy consensus is that the game does a commendable job with its overarching narrative, with many noting political allusions to contemporary society, and being unexpectedly moved by how it all wraps up.

Horizon has also been praised for actually featuring a mostly singular, contained story, though not without a post-credits tease in the event the game sells well (which, going by these reviews, it most certainly will).