Horizon Zero Dawn, originally released in February 2017 for PlayStation 4, remains one of the most exciting action RPGs on the market today. The story of Aloy, a huntress who sets out to discover who she is, is as compelling as the futuristic and dystopian theme.
Horizon Zero Dawn features am advanced combat system that allows players to employ ranged weapons as well as a spear, to set traps, and to use stealth as players make skill tree progress.
The vast open world in Horizon Zero Dawn might never get boring, but gamers who would like to try similar titles will also enjoy these games.
Horizon Zero Dawn Game Features
 Release Date: | 28 February 2017 |
 Developer: | Guerrilla Games |
 Publisher: | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
 Platforms: | PlayStation 4 Microsoft Windows |
 Genre: | Action role-playing |
 Setting: | Post apocalypse |
 Game Modes: | Single-player |
1. Fallout 4
Horizon Zero Dawn players will find a lot of familiarity in Fallout 4 — this, too, is a post-apocalyptic action RPG, this time set in a world recovering from nuclear winter after a brutal war between China and the US.
Fallout 4 is set in modern-day Boston and surrounding areas, and follows the Sole Survivor. This player character goes off in search of their missing son.
Along the way, they’ll encounter precisely the kinds of challenges that you might imagine from a world decimated by nuclear war.
Switch between first- and third-person perspectives as you go off to do quests, level your combat up, and build ever more complex settlements to survive in this singleplayer game.
Fallout 4 offers a vast world to explore, but the action RPG’s dialogue was masterfully crafted and adds a lot to the game, too.
You might, as the player character, be the sole known survivor in your family, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be alone on your journey.
Pip-Boy, a handy personal computer, will accompany you as you level up hundreds of skills and craft complex weapons and scavenge for the materials you need to move forward.
You’ll also meet plenty of unusual and interesting companions on your quests.
Fallout 4 is as truly immersive as Horizon Zero Dawn is and has a similar theme — and that’s exactly why there’s little doubt that you’ll get sucked in (hard!) soon after launching the game.
- Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
- Release Date: November 2015
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2. Far Cry Primal
Far Cry Primal, a spin-off of Far Cry 4, might be set in a totally different world, but this action adventure game will definitely appeal to Horizon Zero Dawn players.
The world of Far Cry Primal features a prehistoric tribal landscape where massive wild animals roam. The player character, Takkar, has a special gift.
Will Takkar remain a nameless hunter forever, or rise to become a fierce leader?
Whatever happens, players will have no choice but to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. You won’t simply be able to buy what you need, after all, and will spend a lot of time with Far Cry Primal’s complex crafting system.
The weapons you will have access to are just about what you’d expect from prehistory and the tribe members you’ll come across just as volatile as you think, but the wild animals the player tames can come in handy.
Far Cry Primal has interesting quests and an open world well worth exploring, something you’ll be doing from a first-person perspective.
- Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Release Date: February 2016
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition takes players on a journey through the freezing mountainous province of Skyrim.
They’ll be assuming the role of the Dragonborn, a highly-customizable character on a mission — defeat Alduin the World-Eater, a dragon of monstrous proportions, or watch everything they care about slip away into the past.
The set-up is familiar — gamers start with very little, and gradually work to improve their skills, weapons, and armor, as they wonder through a vast open world populated by fascinating NPCs who will send them off on quest after quest.
Players are able to switch between first- and third-person PoVs and will have to take their health, magicka, and stamina into account as they decide whether they’re ready for the next quest.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition has long been one of the most popular action-adventure RPGs around, and if you’ve never played it before, never doubt that this game has stood the test of time and is just as good today as it was when it first came out.
- Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
- Release Date: November 2011
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, Nintendo Switch
4. Monster Hunter: World
Monster Hunter: World is an action RPG played from a third-person perspective, and those gamers who are looking for titles they can play with their friends should start here, because Monster Hunter: World has a multiplayer mode.
Monster Hunter: World unfolds in a fantasy landscape filled with humans and other sentient races. The player character is a hunter with an assistant, and they’ll set off on a quest to find resources for the New World.
Your options are wide open from there, as you choose the weapons, armor, and combat style you prefer and decide whether to kill or capture the creatures you encounter.
Monster Hunter: World features a complex quest system that you’ll have endless hours of fun exploring, six distinct zones, and a selection of unusual tools.
Monster Hunter: World is great in singleplayer, but if you’d like to go for multiplayer, know that this gamemode is cooperative.
- Developer: Capcom
- Publisher: Capcom
- Release Date: January 2018
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
5. The Last of Us Part II
Horizon Zero Dawn fans who would like to stay within the post-apocalyptic genre can’t go wrong with The Last of Us Part II, set in a world overrun by cannibal-zombies infected by a fungal infection that turns them into ruthless killers.
Played from a third-person point of view, gamers can choose between two characters. Ellie is on a quest to get the revenge she deserves, and Abby is stuck in the middle of a fight between a gang and a religious cult.
With a crumbling post-apocalyptic world in the background, it is immediately clear that you will have to improve no matter who you play as. That includes weapons and combat, as well as stealth.
With stunningly immersive graphics, players will have no trouble losing track of time as they get lost in the world of The Last of Us Part II, and the game’s challenging AI will keep you on your toes until the very end.
- Developer: Naughty Dog
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Release Date: June 2020
- Platform: PlayStation 4
6. No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky is a stunning action adventure game inspired by the sci fi of the 1970s and ‘80s. Gamers who place a premium on visually gorgeous, dreamy, artwork will love the endless procedurally-generated worlds No Man’s Sky has to offer.
There’s plenty to explore, as well as countless alien creatures to battle, but gamers who enjoy trading and basebuilding will also love No Man’s Sky.
No Man’s Sky can be played from a first- or third-person perspective, and it’s got a multiplayer mode as well as a singleplayer option.
Players take on the role of the Traveller, an alien humanoid who starts off with nothing but a jetpack, suit, and a multitool. The world you spawn into is completely unexplored, and you take charge of the mission.
- Developer: Hello Games
- Publisher: Hello Games
- Release Date: August 2016
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, MacOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, Nintendo Switch, iPad
7. Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima is an exciting action-adventure game released in 2020 and set in ancient Japan. Players take on the role of Jin Sakai, a Samurai on a quest to protect the island of Tsushima during a Mongol invasion.
As you explore the wide open world of Ghost of Tsushima, you will have to decide whether to stay loyal to the code of honor you pledged to uphold as a Samurai, or to leave all your ethics behind to do whatever it takes to win.
Ghost of Tsushima, which is played from a third-person perspective, offers both singleplayer and multiplayer modes.
Combat choices depend on the enemy you are facing, but if you do it right, you will unlock Ghost stance, which makes you all but invincible.
It it not be futuristic, but Ghost of Tsushima certainly has the same post-apocalyptic feel you’ve come to know and love in Horizon Zero Dawn.
Ghost of Tsushima features interesting NPC quests and a world that gradually opens up to you as you advance in the game.
- Developer: Suckerpunch Productions
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Release Date: July 2020
- Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
8. Days Gone
The Days Gone version of a post-apocalyptic America is ravaged by disease and terrifying creatures that apparently used to be humans.
You’ll be playing as Deacon St John, an outlaw biker turned mercenary. Two years post-pandemic, zombie-like creatures called Freakers have taken over, and you’ll find plenty of other foes, too.
Days Gone is played from a third-person PoV, and gamers can explore the world on foot or motorcycle while battling enemies and managing increasingly scarce resources.
Whether you prefer to tackle the enemy head-on or are more tactically inclined, Days Gone’s combat system will keep you entertained as you go off on side quests alongside the game’s main quests.
The amazing graphics and advanced AI are this game’s main strengths, while the story is one that’s already familiar to us all — allowing you to dive straight in!
- Developer: Bend Studio
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Release Date: April 2019
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4
9. Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition
Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition is a fantasy RPG that offers singleplayer and multiplayer modes and was first released in 2017.
You will be playing on the magical world of Rivellon, where the many creatures that roam the land possess a mystical form of energy known as Source.
As monstrous creatures spill from a dark realm into Rivellon, the player character emerges as a so-called Sourcerer, with the ability to harvest this energy to upgrade their combat skills.
Gamers who want to dive right into this exciting world can just pick one the standard characters, while extensive character customization options are also available in this game.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition has a crafting system that makes it possible for players to influence their stats as the fight their way to victory.
- Developer: Larian Studios
- Publisher: Larian Studios, Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Release Date: September 2017
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, MacOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iPad
10. The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series
Anyone who loves post-apocalyptic action games will eventually have to sit down to immerse themselves in the Walking Dead universe.
The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series, the version of the game that includes all of the previously-released seasons, is your very best bet.
Each season invites the player to take on the role of a different protagonist, including some of the most loved characters in the TV show.
Players explore the world as they go on quest, and this story-driven game will open up dialogue trees that shape the plot as you make your way through the world.
The narrative nature of The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series may be a far cry from Horizon Zero Dawn, but you did want to try something different, didn’t you?
- Developer: Telltale Games, Skybound Games
- Publisher: Telltale Games, Skybound Games
- Release Date: April 2012
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, MacOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
11. Dying Light 2: Stay Human
Dying Light 2: Stay Human is a survival action RPG that will definitely scratch your itch if you’re after a brand new game like Horizon Zero Dawn.
This open world game takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting of the zombie variety. Much of civilization has crumbled. What remains of humanity hides itself behind walled cities.
The player character, Aiden, is different. As a Pilgrim, he travels from one human settlement to the next, in the hope of finding his long-lost sister.
Aiden isn’t your typical gunslinger. Instead, his main strength lies in parkour. The thousands of exciting and life-saving parkour moves players are able to engage in are a testament to the developers’ skill and ingenuity, but of course players can expect their fair share of melee and ranged combat as well.
Dying Light 2: Stay Human is a sequel, so of course you can look forward to brand new zombie varieties to slay.
The fact that your enemies slow down during the day gives you the opportunity to plan ahead, but at night, you can make your way through the landscape with Spider-Man-esque parkour moves that keep you safe.
- Developer: Techland
- Publisher: Techland
- Release Date: February 2022
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 &5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, Nintendo Switch
12. Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2, the third installment in the acclaimed Red Dead series, is a thrilling action RPG that takes place in a crumbling 19th century Wild West overrun by gangs and devastated by economic hardship.
Even Horizon Zero Dawn fans who generally despise the Wild West genre might actually really enjoy Red Dead Redemption 2, an exploration-based action RPG that invites the player to go on numerous quests.
You’ll be playing the part of Morgan, an outlaw who takes on quests to progress through the plot in a fairly linear way.
As a true outlaw, though, you won’t always focus on the mission — Red Dead Redemption 2 allows you to explore a vast open world and fight the enemies that will definitely cross your path on the way.
Every choice you make will impact the outcome, and if you don’t feel like playing alone, the fact that Red Dead Redemption 2 has a multiplayer mode makes this game all the more exciting.
- Developer: Rockstar Studios
- Publisher: Rockstar Games
- Release Date: October 2018
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia
13. Ark: Survival Evolved
Ark: Survival Evolved leaves the player stranded on a world dominated by massive dinosaurs and other wild creatures.
The action-adventure game has a massive open world that will leave you guessing what will kill you first — wild beasts, natural disasters, or of course other human beings?
Played from a third-person PoV, Ark: Survival Evolved requires gamers to successfully fight off the countless foes they’ll encounter, as well as setting up a base and upgrading their skills.
Wild creatures aren’t the only threat; if you don’t watch your health, hunger, stamina, and even oxygen (among many other things), death comes easy.
The huge dinosaurs that roam this world aren’t just your enemy, however. By taming this creatures, you will earn yourself the chance to explore the world of ARK much more quickly as you ride them.
Ark: Survival Evolved will appeal to players who enjoy combat but also love to get stuck in a game’s world-building aspects, as you’ll be able to gather resources and erect structures, too.
We nearly forgot to mention that Ark: Survival Evolved has a multiplayer mode, too — something that bears repeating if you’d really like to play with your friends.
Another bonus comes from the fact that this game is available to Linux users.
- Developer: Studio Wildcard
- Publisher: Studio Wildcard
- Release Date: August 2017
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch Stadia
14. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of those must-play games. First published in 2015, it takes the player on a journey through the fresh, and yet somehow familiar, world of Slavic mythology.
You don’t have to have watched the show, or read any of the books, to appreciate the beauty of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
You will controlling the character of the Witcher, Geralt of Rivia. He’s in search of his adopted daughter, but in a vast open world dominated by creatures natural and supernatural, it won’t take long for trouble to find him.
Players won’t just have creatures like elves, monsters, and dwarves to contend with, but also several distinct dimensions.
There’s as much combat as you want. The Witcher can make his way through all the world’s dimensions by walking, climbing, rolling, and swimming (for starters), and he’s also got a full spectrum of weapons at his disposal, with the best choices depending on whether the opponent is human… or something else.
The story-driven dialogue tree found in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and its advanced AI, is what makes the RPG so hard quit playing, though.
- Developer: CD Projekt Red
- Publisher: CD Projekt
- Release Date: May 2015
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, Nintendo Switch
15. Horizon Forbidden West
You wanted games like Horizon Zero Dawn.
You can’t get any closer than Horizon Forbidden West, the game’s exciting 2022 sequel.
We won’t give you any spoilers just in case you haven’t finished Horizon Zero Dawn yet, but we can safely sat that Horizon Forbidden West continues Aloy’s journey through the very same universe.
This time, you will have a larger map to explore.
Getting around is easier, and gamers are able to get a good look at the underwater part of the world, too. You’ll have different tools (as well as most of the same ones), and there’s a brand new reward system.
Same world. New quests. More fun. What’s not to like?
There’s a reason sequels are so popular, and players who were on a quest to find more games just like Horizon Zero Dawn won’t even have to leave the universe they enjoyed so much behind to get just what they wanted.
- Developer: Guerilla Games
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Release Date: February 2022
- Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
A Final Word
Gamers in search of games just like Horizon Zero Dawn have one obvious choice, and that’s the game’s sequel, Horizon Forbidden West. It’s easy to get so into a game that you miss out on titles that aren’t only just as enjoyable, but also brand new, though, and you really can’t go wrong by giving the other games on this list a go, too.
Our favorites are Fallout 4, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, Days Gone, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Do you agree? We guess you’ll have to try all these games out to find out!
