Horizon: Zero Dawn still has the strongest elevator pitch in modern gaming: "Want to hunt post-apocalyptic robot dinosaurs with a bow and arrow?"
Absolutely. Here is my money.
Three years after its initial release Horizon makes the leap from PS4 onto PCs and it turns out hunting robo dinos is still wicked awesome with a keyboard and mouse.
The game's basic premise is fun enough, but it's backed up by a sprawling open-world adventure that now looks better than ever thanks to enhanced graphic options.
Superior textures and model quality and ultrawide aspect ratio support mean a game that already looked gorgeous on consoles can look genuinely incredible on PC. Apart from boosted graphics settings, the biggest upgrade from consoles is the option to switch to a wider field of view.
This is a literal game-changer for a few reasons. Firstly, the cinematic vistas of the game pop far more when Aloy is viewed through a wider shot. The world has a grander sense of scale and exploration feels more satisfying. Secondly, a more practical benefit, combat encounters become much more coherent when you can take in more of the action.
Whereas most third-person action games rely on audio or visual cues to show when an enemy is about to attack from offscreen, actually being able to see them approaching before they drive into you makes fighting more responsive and less chaotic.
This couples with a precision afforded by a keyboard and mouse to make combat frenetic satisfying. Placing headshots with the bow, quickly scrambling to lay tripwires and rolling to avoid attacks all feel snappier as well as looking better than on console.
The port also supports full control remapping for those who want to customise their setup to suit their playstyle. The PC version also contains all DLC, including the fantastic Frozen Wilds story expansion. Know what's cooler than fighting robot dinosaurs in the savannah? Fighting flaming robot bears in the snow.
Overall, Horizon on PC is a noticeable step up for a game that was extremely fun to begin with. The story of Aloy uncovering the steely secrets of her post-apocalyptic world now looks and feels even better than in 2017.
With a sequel expected next year for the Playstation 5, if you missed this adventure the first time around there's never been a better time to jump in.
4 stars.
