Horizon Zero Dawn

Guerrilla Games, until then known mainly for the Killzone shooters, surprised everyone with a complete change of genre and tone. Aloy, an outcast huntress raised outside tribal society, journeys through a post-apocalyptic world a thousand years after the fall of our civilization, where nature is ruled by mechanical creatures resembling dinosaurs and other animals. Combat is built on archery, traps, and tactically shooting the weak points of giant machines, turning every encounter into a miniature puzzle rather than pure action.

The key tool is the Focus device, with which Aloy scans her surroundings, reveals patrol routes and vulnerable spots, and identifies weaknesses to particular elements. The player then chooses the type of arrows, tripwires, or a rope to pull a running machine to the ground, and after clearing special underground complexes, gains the ability to override smaller machines and use them as allies or as mounts. The open world blends tribal mythology with a gradually revealed sci-fi past involving an artificial intelligence named GAIA and a catastrophe called the Faro Plague, so the game works simultaneously as a fantasy adventure and a detective sci-fi story pieced together from the recovered logs of long-dead people.

Visually, it was among the most impressive titles on PlayStation 4 at launch, showing what the console was capable of, while an elaborate photo mode let players capture stunning sunsets over overgrown skyscraper ruins. Critics praised the originality of the concept, the rich lore, and the strength of Aloy as a heroine; the game became one of Sony's most successful new franchises and launched a series continued by Forbidden West. The Frozen Wilds expansion added a snowy mountain range and new machine types, while a later PC release showed that Sony treats its new franchise as a long-term investment it intends to keep returning to beyond its own consoles.