3.5/5 ★ – KHFanXIII's review of Horizon: Zero Dawn Complete Edition.

Horizon Zero Dawn, I feel is a good starting place for a potential blockbuster franchise which, I feel, in the future could lead to it being a pillar of the PlayStation brand in the way the Naughty Dog games are. When I first started playing Horizon, I wasn't super impressed. The start of the game is somewhat slow, but I feel like it was designed that way to get you introduced to the protagonist (Aloy) and world of HZD. It wasn't until about the halfway point that the game really started to hook me and get me engrossed in the world. The world of Horizon is definitely the most interesting part of the game. Learning about how the world came to be what we see in-game throughout the journey is incredibly fascinating and the optional audio and data logs do a good job of expanding this, but the story of the game does help narrow the focus and contains the most interesting worldbuilding. The combat I found to be a little hard to get used to at first, but once I got the hang of it, and started getting some crucial upgrades, I was able to become very proficient in combat. I will say though, that until I unlocked certain upgrades, I did avoid most types of combat because I felt I was too underpowered to take on the enemies. Whenever I did have to fight, prior to the upgrading, I found myself cheesing the fights by being in a place the enemies couldn't reach and firing several arrows and laying traps, which may be the way the developers intend you to do the early combat, but I don't know that for sure. One gripe I have with the game is that the animations seem to be somewhat off. Hair movement, facial movement, and facial expressions can just seem very off and low budget at times. I'm also not a super fan of a lot of the story being told in the very simple shot reverse shot technique. I would've liked to have a few more camera angles in these scenes. Another minor gripe is that throughout the game, they hype up these massive machines they call "Metal Devils" which are able to reproduce other machines, and are colossae sized threats and unfortunately you never get to fight one in the game, which I feel is a bit of a missed opportunity. I'm sure they'll be available to combat in a sequel, but with all the talk about them in this game, I really wanted to fight one. Something I should mention, however, is if you're playing the Complete Edition like I was, I recommend not doing the Frozen Wilds DLC until after you beat the game. Yes, it does take place prior, however, due to the gear and modifications you receive, it makes the main game incredibly easy. Either because of that or because I did everything in the game prior to attempting the final level, the final boss was very anticlimactic and easy. One legitimate criticism not regarding my strength at that point though is that the final boss is an enemy that you have faced before just "Corrupted." You should already know how to fight this particular enemy in the game, so even if you weren't incredibly strong like I was, you shouldn't have too much trouble taking this thing out. It feels very much like Breath of the Wild in this regard. The ending, I feel, was slightly underwhelming. The sequence leading up to the ending is pretty great (minus the final boss), but the actual ending of the game leaves a bit to be desired. I wish I could have gotten a bit more closure in regards to what happened 'after' the final battle. They leave it very vague and I would've loved to see a sequence showing the after battle celebration or something. Just something to help close the story of the game out a little better. Overall, I did very much enjoy my time with Horizon Zero Dawn. Some parts need a little improvement, but I'm sure these (along with some lingering questions intentionally not answered by the story) mean a sequel is just what the doctor ordered.