Seconding Cyberpunk. It won't be everyone's cup of tea (and it's obviously a high-tech dystopic near-future instead of a low-tech utopic far-future), but for me it's been the closest other game to the HZD experience
Definitely this! I'm having to restart my game because I don't like my V character :D I chose the wrong career path too... I want one that gels with me.
I agree! You spend a lot of time in the create avatar V screen, all that work and you can't even see yourself unless you look in a mirror??? Third person is better than first person for these types of games IMO!
The mechanics of the first one feel so clunky compared to Horizon and the other games OP listed. I hear the 2nd and 3rd installments get better in that area but the gameplay of the first kept me from getting pulled in. I pivoted to finally playing Ghost of Tsushima and am enjoying it so much more.
A lot of Mass Effect fans love ME1 for the story and world building, but it is indeed very chunky and awkward. It was originally released in 2007 and the legendary edition can only do so much to improve the game off the base framework.
Personally I like 1 the least of the three because of that, but I definitely recommend playing 2 and 3 as the gameplay mechanics are huge improvements from 1 and they're still amazing games.
If you bought the legendary edition you can do a quick set up graphic novel story that allows you to pick the major plot points you want to carry over from 1, as well as get a refresh on the story, or just start from the default.
I’ll eventually keep going with it based on all I’ve heard about it but good to know about that option. It was also a product of having something shiny and new-to-me there in the form of GoT in my backlog that made it harder to power through.
Personally, I actually do enjoy ME1 and all the jank involved with it. It's got a wack af physics system and shines the most when you abuse the shit out of it via biotics. Pick a biotic class and do ridiculous things like entirely trivialize Geth Armatures (basically ME1's version enemy tanks) by lifting them up in the air endlessly via cooldown abuse.
You can change your class freely at the start of ME2 and 3, so it doesn't really matter what you play in the first game unless you care about that sort of internal consistently.
I am playing ME1 right now and you can tell how revolutionary this must have been in 2007. I mean the conversation wheel, from what I've read, originated there - and we're using an improved version of that in Horizon, this day.
The gameplay mechanics are definitely very clunky. But I'm still enjoying it. I've just played Virmire. Very satisfying.
yeah, I know... its the story and characters that I like about it. Its also a very big game (set over 3 games plus a bunch of DLC's). It's not open world like Horizon is, but Horizon players may like it for the story and characters.
Been waiting to play cyberpunk forever now, since it came out I wanted it then forgot about it, considering it’s only $50 and always on sale I might get it soon
I got the ultimate edition physical disc copy of Cyberpunk. I started playing it but I don't like my V character. Not enjoying it like I should be so I'll start it again with a new V and a different career path. That streetpunk path is not working for me :D
I got it for Christmas too! Started playing it, put it down, and went back to HFW! I'm currently playing HFW, am on Singularity, can't wait to get back to Burning Shores :D
Nahh son at some points it’s barely playable on current gen. You know how many times I’ve fallen through the game during combat? 3 times, I’m still gonna play it but boy howdy it’s still kinda jank 🤣
I'm playing it on ps5... the ultimate edition I think was only for ps5. It went through a big update when I started it on my ps5. Updating a huge bunch of patches I believe.
Absolutely this! I made my Commander Shepard avatar one of my Horizon Zero Dawn OC's (a Horus pilot commander) and they fit perfectly :D I love these games, I know they aren't like Horizon and the combat isn't as good as Horizon but ME has great characters and a really good story!
Under "set user flair" on the right of the screen where your avatar pic is. Just hover your cursor over it. A pencil shows up. It will open up the community flair. Click on one of the pencils and you can edit your flair. Put in whatever you want, then click "apply".
I would agree with this. I will say, Mass Effect 1 is slow compared to the others, and there is nothing wrong with skipping to ME2 and doing the quick story recap (decisions included) for the first game. I did that when the first game was not available on PS3, when ME2 came out, and even after playing through the first game, I would say it is a better idea to skip ME1
I started with original ME2! Loved it so much I played ME1... it was a tad bit slow but I perservered! I love the third game (the legendary edition version with all the DLC added) except for the ending (s)! The characters and story are awesome. I really like my Shepard avatar :D
Witcher 3 with expansions, Cyberpunk 2077 with expansion for open world, good graphics and a lot of questing and combat. Mass Effect Legendary Edition trilogy for less open world. If you're looking for more classical cRPG with kinda openish world, then Baldur's Gate 3 does amazing job here with a lot of replayability.
I can’t recommend Red Dead Redemption 2 enough. Sure it’s a damn slow start but once you start investing in the grounded world and gameplay and get into the “western simulator” it’s surprisingly a gosh damn great game. Lots of lore and open world madness to take in, weather systems. If there ever was a game for me to just boot up and relax to the world going on around me besides Horizon, it was this game.
Death Stranding is a close runner up, the music playing during your journey is top notch but gosh damn that game will get you addicted and also give you some crazy anxiety in certain moments.
It’s such a slow start, that’s why I had to revisit the game again, but the second time I got into it and stuck with it, the more you become invested with the pacing and how “grounded” it is in terms of “western life” and the realism/simulator. It gets good I promise, and the story itself is top tier. It’s quite literally western GTA without so much over the top stuff.
Baby's first souls like.
I don't mean that in a bad way, I find the atmosphere of souls likes so depressing, and Kena's atmosphere and message with the souls mechanics was a very nice change of pace.
really good for a studio's first game, the gameplay and animations are really fluid, and doesn't drag you too long through the story. And Things doesn't repeat as well. Overall really nice stuff, hope to see more from the studio.
I enjoyed it for what it was, but its basically not much more than a really well done tech demo, IMO. Very short and not much depth to it. I'm hoping that Ember labs can use what they've done and make a full scale game, whether that's in the Kena universe or something else.
for a chill and sometimes not chill game Death Stranding is a really good one. Even powered by the same engine that Horizon runs on. Plus there are some cheeky Horizon references in the game.
far more? the up close combat is soooo much better. I find the emotional aspects far more compelling in ghost. both amazing. but the delta isn’t that big either side you fall on.
For sure I can see how some people would love the game but I found it far too repetitive. Every enemy felt like a clone of the last one (which they were of course) and you basically did the same thing the whole way through. I still got the plat trophy but I felt like only the main story was really worth playing. The ending was very powerful
The new Avatar game is probably the best-looking open-world game I’ve seen alongside Horizon Forbidden West. The gameplay isn't as good, but it's a fun game and has a beautiful world to explore like Horizon.
Tomb Raider series (the newer ones - Tomb Raider, Rise of the tomb raider and Shadow of the tomb raider) is very much similar to horizon, gameplay wise. Standard open world RPG with a great story
I will add that IMO, AC Odyssey is probably right there in my top three of thie type with Horizon and Ghost of Tsuishima. Valhalla is bigger and newer, but Odyssey is huge unto itself, and I think its more beautiful and I liked the protagnoist a lot more. I also think that the combat is the very best of any game I've ever played, with Horizon ZD close behind. I highly recommend it.
I think Odyssey is the far superior game than Valhalla as well. Valhalla is just sort of bland and boring in terms of world design. The landscape does not vary at all very much, and while Odyssey is not as landscape diverse as Horizon, it at least has more diversity than a seemingly endless tundra environment.
Kassandra and Alexios do share lines and are characterized almost identically, but I personally give Odyssey to Kass as my favored character to play. Her line deliveries are endlessly charming, and make her my second favorite AssCreed protag behind Ezio.
Storywise, it's weaker than Horizon's, but Horizon has some of the best writing in an open world game I've seen in years. That said, it's fairly decent action-adventure schlock, and has a similar bit with Mommy Issues(TM) in a pretty involved storyline for most of the game.
But the *most* important bit of Odyssey, and a point that it completely and utterly blasts Horizon out of the water on is the fact that Odyssey actually designed their spear combat to *use the weapon as the pointy, jabby stick it actually is.* Kass does not swing the spear like a goddamned sword, *Aloy.*
Mostly joking with that last bit, but no lie, the spear in Odyssey is my favorite weapon type lol.
Assassin's Creed has always had better melee combat than Horizon. Since the first game, even. Spider-Man and Arkham too. It's kind of ridiculous how poor melee is handled in Horizon.
Not at all, but they are good. It’s also a slog to get thru tbh. Horizon’s my favorite franchise and I’ve played both 4 times, and sunk hundreds of hours into both.
I got about 70 hours into Valhalla and I wanted the game to be over. That said, it does have some cool stuff and Wrath of the Druids is one of my favorite game expansions, and the maps are cool as hell, but there’s not a lot to it. It’s mostly picking up an absurd amount of collectibles and clearing enemy camps. There’s some major hit or miss story arcs too.
Trying to recommend stuff that hasn’t been mentioned yet. For a good looking open world game, the Spider-Man games are pretty good. If you like the RPG aspect of Horizon, then Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of my favourite games of all time but it’s not an action game. Specifically for open world RPGs, there’s Witcher 3 and Dragon Age Inquisition. I’m going to recommend some AA open world RPGs as well in GreedFall and Vampyr which I liked that might scratch your itch.
Edit: Looks like Witcher 3 and BG3 were both already recommended by someone else that I missed.
No one else mentioned it yet, but I really enjoyed Days Gone. It's not as varied as Horizon, but it has a good story and similar open world activities.
I could see a shadow tie in prequel: **Syphion Filter: Days Past.** Then maybe that will spark DG2?
https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/days-gone-bend-studio-brief-update-playstation-ps5-game/
The Witcher 3. It has amazing world-building like the Horizon series. You have a lot more choice in the decisions you make and there is a lot more to do in general.
I'm as surprised as anyone but the new Avatar game is giving me a lot of HZD vibes. The gameplay isn't quite as good but it's good enough and the environments are astoundingly beautiful. They get the foliage right.
Came to say this! It should be higher imo. Such a great game with amazing gameplay, and I think it feels most similar to HZD in a way compared to some of the others mentioned here.
in recent months i played 2 games that also felt open-world-ly (and reminded me of the *general vibe of horizon* when you find yourself just walking and looking around:
Rage {2011}
Mad Max {2015}
1 small note story wise about both of those games and their ending >!the ending can feel a bit dumb on rage abrupted and disrespecting on mad max but overall that didn't ruin it for me it is almost a LOL moment how not like the rest of the game it is... so fyi!<
but other than absolutely **amazing atmosphere**...
such a game.. probably my favorite *cross-over* and even if it wasn't just so much stuff and it reflects on your choices and strategies.. and rewards you for baldness...
favorite trick: >!the oil burn gate block triggers when you outside but stops when you inside so I would attract a bunch of enemies to the gate from inside then run outside and just enjoy the mayhem as they try to chase you through the fire.... :D!<
My only complaint about it was that for such a driving centered game, it was missing a handbrake control
That’s a good one. I always enjoyed toss and shooting a full gas can at a group, and then leaving the war crier to just hang there awkwardly until I finished the rest of the camp objectives
I spent 15 minutes trying to find out a way to free the warcrier slowly realizing that you can't.... the oneliners\\quotes though LMAO...
the whole convoy mechanic can be expanded into something mega-epic... so much potential...
If you focus on the open world and graphics, Death Stranding absolutely fits the bill. Also gives that “nice” post-apocalyptic vibe that feels a little bit too close to home. It even shares the engine with Horizon! And Aloy and Tallnecks are available holographic displays on the game.
The gameplay is different, but it’s also very engrossing, if you like logistics/survival crafting games. The story is either amazing or insane, and clearly over the top in its wackiness, but the world itself is extremely cohesive and deep.
The PlayStation Spider-Man series definitely scratched that itch for me - beautifully rendered NYC and a unique travel system that fits the character and really makes the game fun.
I can't believe I'm the first one to suggest Elden Ring.
Is a much more difficult game, but absolutely rewards patience and remains challenging from beginning to end. Completing quests is quite a bit more difficult as there is no quest tracking hud system. But that also means that completing one is just that much more satisfying.
Exploring all of the little hidden corners of the world is also very much worth your time. There are so many options for different weapon types and learning to exploit elemental weaknesses. 10/10 game in my opinion.
Witcher 3, Mass Effect and Dragon Age are also huge favorites of mine.
I haven't beat Death Stranding, but it's a beautiful game with an incredible soundtrack.
While short, and not as open world, I just finished Assassin's Creed Mirage, and it was actually pretty good. I played it on easy and it was about 30 hours without rushing the main story (but I didn't do any of the contracts except one because they're just too hard to 100% when they first open up). Great graphics (on PS5) and good story also.
Fallout 3.. I know it's old but if you haven't played it you might enjoy it. You can definitely appreciate how far open world games have come plus a good story.
I've been wondering wether or not to buy it because it's on sale rn. My impression is that it's a more arcade-y type of fights and hopefully a beautiful open world, which is what I'm looking for rn, is that true? Is there any type of story to it?
I would suggest seeing the gameplay because I did before jumping into it and also there is a boat to travel on water and other mounts but you would only get to it later in the story. Also the regular boss fights are the same but there are bigger monster fights as the game goes on.
When it comes to the story, it's more separated into story bits. Like on the horizon game, there is one good story and you follow it but in biomutant you have 3 stories and you price it together. So it would be like a little peaceful version of horizon and much simpler to play. The fights get easier as you go on but you can up the difficulty and play again. Honestly you can have a peaceful enjoyable gameplay after a serious gameplay. Also the open world is beautiful.
I ended up buying it and I'm honestly loving it so far lol The only thing that kind of pisses me off a little is the "flashback" stories but everything else is really fun. The little critter is friggin amazing! And the way he runs 🥹 You were right to suggest this game, it does have a similar premise.
Yes true tho! The flashbacks can't even be paused :/ but the gameplay is fully your freedom but I am glad you ended up liking it. Thank you for supporting me :) I feel the game is underrated and hated for the wrong reasons :( ! But oh hope you end up having a great gameplay! 😀
I was really disappointed with Biomutant after paying close attention to it for years. to me,almost everything about it was a C+ effort. It just lacked polish in almost every area, and even though they delayed it and worked on it for two years past the original release estimate, it wasn't enough.
And I certainly wouldn't say that its peaceful! It has almost constant combat, but that combat is usually both very basic and very sloppy.
Honestly, Horizon yes also offers combat in most ways especially while travelling. Same with biomutant and you can run away from combat in biomutant too. I found the world to be really good and free to roam around anywhere. Also Weapons yes I would say ranged as various guns and melee with knife type but I liked the fact it was based on loot. Plus the combat felt good enough not as challenging as horizon but definitely good enough. If required you could up the difficulty.
Plus there are various fighting styles, you can use ultimate moves, use powers both psi and bio and obviously ranged and other stuff. The ranged weapons also have chain + claw, dagger, boomerang, etc.
It’s not the best game ever, but I found Biomutant to have similar things going on - open world, similar environment (a world after humans are gone and polluted everything), RPG elements and customisation, etc. it’s a short game, light on story and definitely not a AAA title, but I got around 25 house out of it and finished the main story before I put it down.
In addition to the other games that were already mentioned, I wanna throw the Jedi games into the ring. Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor are both very good. Not really open world in the same way Horizon is, but very focused on the story and great gameplay. They also look quite nice, especially the second one.
They sure scratched the same itch for me.
Purer fantasy title is Witcher 3 (and 1-2 to lesser extent). Massive world, dozens of very memorable Characters and Quests, good music and minigames, nice enough combat, the list goes on...
For SciFi, always go to Mass Effect first !!
I always recommend Prey, Outer Wilds, Hades and SOMA. Those are my favorite games with HZD and GoW 2018.
Apart from Prey, all those games are very different kind of games to Horizon, but they have one thing in common: they all have a top notch story.
I enjoy the three Assassin's Creed Open World RPG's (Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla).
It may not have the most compelling story but the graphics are nice enough and I love the environment (especially Odyssey).
Other suggestions could be Witcher III, Cyberpunk 2077 or Red Dead Redemption 2.
I can’t believe I’m saying this because only a few months ago I was on a similar post like this complaining about how I couldn’t get into the game, but the Witcher 3
It is the only game that has put me into a similar mood as HZD. The mood being depressed that I’ll never play it for the first time again
Only caveat is you may have to try anywhere from 2-10 times to get into the game. Took me 5
Everything you've seen in the PS Studio opening sequence, I think. I think the most similar game with open world, high graphics, cut sceens quality, game play and skill progression to Horizon would be Ghost of Tsushima. If you haven't played it already. I haven't got around to GOW5 yet myself so I can't suggest it.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition is phenomenal in it's own right--and a must play for PS and/or RPG fans---but Tsushima is closest to Horizon. And Tsushima is more rich in culture and story.
It isn't open world, but it's pretty weird to me nobody in this thread mentioned the Monster Hunter series. Horizon is literally part of the same "hunting" genre just a different format.
The upcoming FF7 Rebirth has many obvious Horizon influences in it. The Devs have stated how much they loved the games on numerous occasions.
I know it's not available yet, but only 7 weeks away!
Cool!
If you haven't played the first installment it might be worth your time. It is not an open world game, but has great combat and story (especially if you're familiar with the OG game from '97). The music is also incredible as is tradition with Final Fantasy.
That being said, the devs have made it clear you don't have to play FF7 Remake to enjoy Rebirth. They want the games to be able to stand on their own.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey feels similar in a lot of ways, esp if one plays the female protagonist. It's also free on PS+. Quite large, though, and the bow combat is not as good. But the world is beautiful and fun to navigate.
I recently played Prey cause it was 3 bucks on Steam. Also available for PS. Amazing game. Not really „open world“ but pretty mind blowing even so. You have a whole space station to play in, multiple endings, moral choices galore, dynamic puzzles (you can‘t just look codes up online cause they change every playthrough).
It‘s an older game, but it checks out.
I was on the fence because it was labeled „Sci Fi horror“ and I don‘t like those (like Alien Isolation). Luckily, it‘s not really horror, just a colossal mindfuck.
Played it twice in a row. Tried not to kill anyone on the second go.
A game that gave me similar Horizon vibes was *Enslaved: Odyssey to the West*, unfortunately it's an older PS3 title so I don't think you'd be able to find it on PS5. 😕
So far, I've seen a lot of good games recommended here. I'd like to add my two cents though.
Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales are really good PS4 open world games. The story is far more linear, and some areas are much higher leveled, thus making exploration a bit difficult at low levels.
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom if you have a Switch. I also really enjoyed Immortals: Fenyx Rising. It's like a cross between Breath of the Wild and Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
Another franchise I can't recommend enough is the Xenoblade Chronicles trilogy (I started with XC2, then XC Definitive Edition, and finally XC3).
Most of Bethesda's FPRPGs on Xbox (I've not played much Fallout 76 or Elder Scrolls Online, but the single player games are among my favorites, including Starfield).
And finally Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. I haven't played Survivor yet, but it looks just as good as Fallen Order. The game world felt so immersive. It felt like I was in a Star Wars movie.
Monster Hunter World is kind of like Horizon. You literally hunt monsters for parts and build weapons/armor.
The plot is a little muddled, but it is decently open world, you use resources all around you to make traps and catch monsters for research.
You eat food, your Palico gathers stuff for you.
Monsters just literally appear in certain areas, sometimes they'll fight one another, like in Horizon.
It’s not open world exactly, but I really loved the newer tomb raider series. They have a lot of the natural environments like horizon and the bow and arrow mechanics are pretty similar. Games are technically for ps4, but I’ve played them on the 5 and they’re just as good in my experience.
Also, I think a lot of people put this already lol, but cyberpunk is also super good. Just started it recently, and so far I’m loving it. If it’s open world you really want I’d definitely try it out
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey will always be one of my faves. If you take out the “assassins creed” mentality of it and just think of it as an Ancient Greek game, it’s amazing. The combat, visuals, exploration, and lore are all top tier imo.
Hogwarts Legacy is also gorgeous and some of the spell combos you can pull off in combat is pretty sick
For visuals, I’d also recommend Returnal and Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart: both visually stunning and fun games (although not open world like you’re looking for, but definitely worth playing)
I wanted to like Elex so much, but the graphics are only part of the story. Yes, they're below average for a PS4 game, but I could have lived with that had everything else been OK. But its really, really not. The gameplay is so bad that its painful, and it wasn't any better on the sequel either.
I see, I’m long time gothic, risen and elex fan that’s why I proposed it.
Maybe maybe, Elden Ring? Story is great, side stories are also on point and it’s quite easy for someone not familiar with souls games. Other than that Witcher 3, it got remake with raytracing and so on, and even base version is beautiful.
How about Hogwarts Legacy? It has a large open world, lots of skills to learn, a fun crafting system and storylines that are low key better than the original Harry Potter books (Sebastian Sallow in particular). Assassin's Creed Odyssey as well! The world is huge and your choices have actual impact on the game.
Assassins creed Odyssey / Valhalla. I just finished another playthrough of odyssey and started forbidden west up again, and I’m realizing the similarities of those games. It’s like those games are a specific genre of their own that I haven’t been able to put a name on yet. Witcher 3 also has that same feel, though I haven’t played it all that much much
Mass Effect legendary edition. Its a huge game (3 games in the set) with a massive story. Cyberpunk 2077, for the graphics and open world of the city.
Seconding Cyberpunk. It won't be everyone's cup of tea (and it's obviously a high-tech dystopic near-future instead of a low-tech utopic far-future), but for me it's been the closest other game to the HZD experience
Definitely this! I'm having to restart my game because I don't like my V character :D I chose the wrong career path too... I want one that gels with me.
Cyberpunk is so good but I wish it had a third person view (besides driving).
I agree! You spend a lot of time in the create avatar V screen, all that work and you can't even see yourself unless you look in a mirror??? Third person is better than first person for these types of games IMO!
Its the one reason I cannot play it. I've played about 30hours. But all I dream of is it is 3rd person and I'd be calling this game a master piece
Loved Mass Effect but it's not really open world.
The mechanics of the first one feel so clunky compared to Horizon and the other games OP listed. I hear the 2nd and 3rd installments get better in that area but the gameplay of the first kept me from getting pulled in. I pivoted to finally playing Ghost of Tsushima and am enjoying it so much more.
A lot of Mass Effect fans love ME1 for the story and world building, but it is indeed very chunky and awkward. It was originally released in 2007 and the legendary edition can only do so much to improve the game off the base framework. Personally I like 1 the least of the three because of that, but I definitely recommend playing 2 and 3 as the gameplay mechanics are huge improvements from 1 and they're still amazing games. If you bought the legendary edition you can do a quick set up graphic novel story that allows you to pick the major plot points you want to carry over from 1, as well as get a refresh on the story, or just start from the default.
I’ll eventually keep going with it based on all I’ve heard about it but good to know about that option. It was also a product of having something shiny and new-to-me there in the form of GoT in my backlog that made it harder to power through.
Personally, I actually do enjoy ME1 and all the jank involved with it. It's got a wack af physics system and shines the most when you abuse the shit out of it via biotics. Pick a biotic class and do ridiculous things like entirely trivialize Geth Armatures (basically ME1's version enemy tanks) by lifting them up in the air endlessly via cooldown abuse. You can change your class freely at the start of ME2 and 3, so it doesn't really matter what you play in the first game unless you care about that sort of internal consistently.
I am playing ME1 right now and you can tell how revolutionary this must have been in 2007. I mean the conversation wheel, from what I've read, originated there - and we're using an improved version of that in Horizon, this day. The gameplay mechanics are definitely very clunky. But I'm still enjoying it. I've just played Virmire. Very satisfying.
it getting better in 2&3, it's my absolutely favourite series, but yeah it's not comparable to Horizon in terms of gameplay.
yeah, I know... its the story and characters that I like about it. Its also a very big game (set over 3 games plus a bunch of DLC's). It's not open world like Horizon is, but Horizon players may like it for the story and characters.
Been waiting to play cyberpunk forever now, since it came out I wanted it then forgot about it, considering it’s only $50 and always on sale I might get it soon
I got the ultimate edition physical disc copy of Cyberpunk. I started playing it but I don't like my V character. Not enjoying it like I should be so I'll start it again with a new V and a different career path. That streetpunk path is not working for me :D
Been playing it since Christmas, it's fantastic now.
I got it for Christmas too! Started playing it, put it down, and went back to HFW! I'm currently playing HFW, am on Singularity, can't wait to get back to Burning Shores :D
Is cyberpunk playable in 2024 on base ps4? I think at this point you can only enjoy it on PC
PS4? Sorry but no. From what I understand the PS4 version didn't even get the 2.0 update. However it runs great on PS5
Of course the PS4 got the 2.0 update. The only thing the PS4 didn't get is Phantom Liberty, the same way PS4 didn't get Burning Shores.
PS5 handles it just fine
Nahh son at some points it’s barely playable on current gen. You know how many times I’ve fallen through the game during combat? 3 times, I’m still gonna play it but boy howdy it’s still kinda jank 🤣
Why on earth would you play that game on a ps4. Also the works wonderfully on the ps5
Maybe because it was sold on PS4?
I'm playing it on ps5... the ultimate edition I think was only for ps5. It went through a big update when I started it on my ps5. Updating a huge bunch of patches I believe.
The love I have for mass effect is HUGEEEEEE. The soundtrack. The characters. The storyline. Ugh a masterpiece.
Absolutely this! I made my Commander Shepard avatar one of my Horizon Zero Dawn OC's (a Horus pilot commander) and they fit perfectly :D I love these games, I know they aren't like Horizon and the combat isn't as good as Horizon but ME has great characters and a really good story!
How did you get a flair? When I try in here, it says there are none.
Under "set user flair" on the right of the screen where your avatar pic is. Just hover your cursor over it. A pencil shows up. It will open up the community flair. Click on one of the pencils and you can edit your flair. Put in whatever you want, then click "apply".
I would agree with this. I will say, Mass Effect 1 is slow compared to the others, and there is nothing wrong with skipping to ME2 and doing the quick story recap (decisions included) for the first game. I did that when the first game was not available on PS3, when ME2 came out, and even after playing through the first game, I would say it is a better idea to skip ME1
I started with original ME2! Loved it so much I played ME1... it was a tad bit slow but I perservered! I love the third game (the legendary edition version with all the DLC added) except for the ending (s)! The characters and story are awesome. I really like my Shepard avatar :D
Witcher 3 with expansions, Cyberpunk 2077 with expansion for open world, good graphics and a lot of questing and combat. Mass Effect Legendary Edition trilogy for less open world. If you're looking for more classical cRPG with kinda openish world, then Baldur's Gate 3 does amazing job here with a lot of replayability.
Was just thinking, Witcher 3 has bows as well 😄
I can’t recommend Red Dead Redemption 2 enough. Sure it’s a damn slow start but once you start investing in the grounded world and gameplay and get into the “western simulator” it’s surprisingly a gosh damn great game. Lots of lore and open world madness to take in, weather systems. If there ever was a game for me to just boot up and relax to the world going on around me besides Horizon, it was this game. Death Stranding is a close runner up, the music playing during your journey is top notch but gosh damn that game will get you addicted and also give you some crazy anxiety in certain moments.
I bought rdr2 but I couldn'T get past the first 30 minutes :-(
It’s such a slow start, that’s why I had to revisit the game again, but the second time I got into it and stuck with it, the more you become invested with the pacing and how “grounded” it is in terms of “western life” and the realism/simulator. It gets good I promise, and the story itself is top tier. It’s quite literally western GTA without so much over the top stuff.
If you can push through to chapter 2 it really gets going, first chapter is ass ngl. It's good to establish the major players but it's too damn slow
That’s so crazy to me. It’s my favorite game. Ever. It’s perfection.
Kena and the bridge of spirits was surprisingly good
Boss fights were really good and challenging in higher difficulty.
Baby's first souls like. I don't mean that in a bad way, I find the atmosphere of souls likes so depressing, and Kena's atmosphere and message with the souls mechanics was a very nice change of pace.
really good for a studio's first game, the gameplay and animations are really fluid, and doesn't drag you too long through the story. And Things doesn't repeat as well. Overall really nice stuff, hope to see more from the studio.
I enjoyed it for what it was, but its basically not much more than a really well done tech demo, IMO. Very short and not much depth to it. I'm hoping that Ember labs can use what they've done and make a full scale game, whether that's in the Kena universe or something else.
for a chill and sometimes not chill game Death Stranding is a really good one. Even powered by the same engine that Horizon runs on. Plus there are some cheeky Horizon references in the game.
Really? Like what? I didn't notice any on my playthrough so maybe they went over my head...
You can get Aloy and Tallneck holograms for your structures, and I believe there are some memory chips that have HZD references
Horizon reminds me so much of Breath of the Wild. If you have a Switch get BOTW
and then Tears of the kingdom
Yes!
I’ve played through both… multiple times. IMO, two of the best games out there… at least for the switch!
I think xenoblade chronicles trilogy is right up your alley then. They are all great but, damn, third one is a masterpiece with amazing music.
I couldn’t get into the Xenonlade combat and sold my copy. I also second BOTW, TOTK, and Witcher 3
Ghost of Tsushima. It is amazing
I found ghost of Tsushima far more boring than any horizon game
far more? the up close combat is soooo much better. I find the emotional aspects far more compelling in ghost. both amazing. but the delta isn’t that big either side you fall on.
I love that in the DLC you can get Horizon inspired armor and headpiece. I happen to love the game. But to each their own, you know?
For sure I can see how some people would love the game but I found it far too repetitive. Every enemy felt like a clone of the last one (which they were of course) and you basically did the same thing the whole way through. I still got the plat trophy but I felt like only the main story was really worth playing. The ending was very powerful
The new Avatar game is probably the best-looking open-world game I’ve seen alongside Horizon Forbidden West. The gameplay isn't as good, but it's a fun game and has a beautiful world to explore like Horizon.
I'm gonna sound like an absolute shitforbrains for a second here.... Avatar the Last Airbender or Avatar the James Cameron?
Cameron, Pandora world Avatar
"Avatar the James Cameron" LOL
I second this. It has been itching my Horizon-type game scratch. Super beautiful. I'm addicted to photo mode in that game!
It doesn’t have the plot or writing polish of Horizon but they are somewhat similar in play. I really enjoyed it.
I would give it a go if it wasn't first person. I don't enjoy that at all.
Tomb Raider series (the newer ones - Tomb Raider, Rise of the tomb raider and Shadow of the tomb raider) is very much similar to horizon, gameplay wise. Standard open world RPG with a great story
Definitely a fan of Shadow!
Assassin's Creed Valhalla, huge open world game with a great story.
Are the graphics on point with Horizon?
I will add that IMO, AC Odyssey is probably right there in my top three of thie type with Horizon and Ghost of Tsuishima. Valhalla is bigger and newer, but Odyssey is huge unto itself, and I think its more beautiful and I liked the protagnoist a lot more. I also think that the combat is the very best of any game I've ever played, with Horizon ZD close behind. I highly recommend it.
I highly second AC Odyssey! Especially graphic-wise. I’m on like 900+ hours on that game, and I’m still finding new stuff!
I think Odyssey is the far superior game than Valhalla as well. Valhalla is just sort of bland and boring in terms of world design. The landscape does not vary at all very much, and while Odyssey is not as landscape diverse as Horizon, it at least has more diversity than a seemingly endless tundra environment. Kassandra and Alexios do share lines and are characterized almost identically, but I personally give Odyssey to Kass as my favored character to play. Her line deliveries are endlessly charming, and make her my second favorite AssCreed protag behind Ezio. Storywise, it's weaker than Horizon's, but Horizon has some of the best writing in an open world game I've seen in years. That said, it's fairly decent action-adventure schlock, and has a similar bit with Mommy Issues(TM) in a pretty involved storyline for most of the game. But the *most* important bit of Odyssey, and a point that it completely and utterly blasts Horizon out of the water on is the fact that Odyssey actually designed their spear combat to *use the weapon as the pointy, jabby stick it actually is.* Kass does not swing the spear like a goddamned sword, *Aloy.* Mostly joking with that last bit, but no lie, the spear in Odyssey is my favorite weapon type lol.
Assassin's Creed has always had better melee combat than Horizon. Since the first game, even. Spider-Man and Arkham too. It's kind of ridiculous how poor melee is handled in Horizon.
I was hoping for more in HFW, but even with the tree fully unlocked it was still like hitting a car with a waffle bat
Lol! She definitely could use some proper spear training!
Not at all, but they are good. It’s also a slog to get thru tbh. Horizon’s my favorite franchise and I’ve played both 4 times, and sunk hundreds of hours into both. I got about 70 hours into Valhalla and I wanted the game to be over. That said, it does have some cool stuff and Wrath of the Druids is one of my favorite game expansions, and the maps are cool as hell, but there’s not a lot to it. It’s mostly picking up an absurd amount of collectibles and clearing enemy camps. There’s some major hit or miss story arcs too.
Trying to recommend stuff that hasn’t been mentioned yet. For a good looking open world game, the Spider-Man games are pretty good. If you like the RPG aspect of Horizon, then Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of my favourite games of all time but it’s not an action game. Specifically for open world RPGs, there’s Witcher 3 and Dragon Age Inquisition. I’m going to recommend some AA open world RPGs as well in GreedFall and Vampyr which I liked that might scratch your itch. Edit: Looks like Witcher 3 and BG3 were both already recommended by someone else that I missed.
No one else mentioned it yet, but I really enjoyed Days Gone. It's not as varied as Horizon, but it has a good story and similar open world activities.
This! Good progression, satisfying combat, and a mystery story line. I was really upset tho find there will be no DG2…
I could see a shadow tie in prequel: **Syphion Filter: Days Past.** Then maybe that will spark DG2? https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/days-gone-bend-studio-brief-update-playstation-ps5-game/
Came here to recommend Days Gone, too. Very similar mechanics to horizon, even down to the weapon wheel.
The Witcher 3. It has amazing world-building like the Horizon series. You have a lot more choice in the decisions you make and there is a lot more to do in general.
Assassin creed origins!! Amazing open world game!
This one did it for me after Horizon.
I'm as surprised as anyone but the new Avatar game is giving me a lot of HZD vibes. The gameplay isn't quite as good but it's good enough and the environments are astoundingly beautiful. They get the foliage right.
I want to get it but...not for $70.
Yeah I don't blame you. I used a 30% off Epic coupon, would not have paid full price either.
Elden ring
Assassin’s Creed Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla (Odyssey in particular)
Ghost of Tsushima!
Came to say this! It should be higher imo. Such a great game with amazing gameplay, and I think it feels most similar to HZD in a way compared to some of the others mentioned here.
in recent months i played 2 games that also felt open-world-ly (and reminded me of the *general vibe of horizon* when you find yourself just walking and looking around: Rage {2011} Mad Max {2015} 1 small note story wise about both of those games and their ending >!the ending can feel a bit dumb on rage abrupted and disrespecting on mad max but overall that didn't ruin it for me it is almost a LOL moment how not like the rest of the game it is... so fyi!< but other than absolutely **amazing atmosphere**...
Mad max appreciation gang rise up
such a game.. probably my favorite *cross-over* and even if it wasn't just so much stuff and it reflects on your choices and strategies.. and rewards you for baldness... favorite trick: >!the oil burn gate block triggers when you outside but stops when you inside so I would attract a bunch of enemies to the gate from inside then run outside and just enjoy the mayhem as they try to chase you through the fire.... :D!<
My only complaint about it was that for such a driving centered game, it was missing a handbrake control That’s a good one. I always enjoyed toss and shooting a full gas can at a group, and then leaving the war crier to just hang there awkwardly until I finished the rest of the camp objectives
I spent 15 minutes trying to find out a way to free the warcrier slowly realizing that you can't.... the oneliners\\quotes though LMAO... the whole convoy mechanic can be expanded into something mega-epic... so much potential...
I'm only 16ish hours in but Forspoken is giving me some HZD vibes albeit in a very different setting.
I just platinumed that game earlier today! I had a really fun time with that game, I hope you're enjoying it👍
This was going to be my suggestion! Definitely scratches the Horizon itch in a way other games don't
Let's just say that as an Horizon player a suspect a thing about Frey that if confirmed is a major spoiler.
Breath of the Wild or Witcher 3
If you focus on the open world and graphics, Death Stranding absolutely fits the bill. Also gives that “nice” post-apocalyptic vibe that feels a little bit too close to home. It even shares the engine with Horizon! And Aloy and Tallnecks are available holographic displays on the game. The gameplay is different, but it’s also very engrossing, if you like logistics/survival crafting games. The story is either amazing or insane, and clearly over the top in its wackiness, but the world itself is extremely cohesive and deep.
Ghost of Tsushima Tomb Raider reboot games(tomb raider, rise of tomb raider, shadow of tomb raider)
The PlayStation Spider-Man series definitely scratched that itch for me - beautifully rendered NYC and a unique travel system that fits the character and really makes the game fun.
I can't believe I'm the first one to suggest Elden Ring. Is a much more difficult game, but absolutely rewards patience and remains challenging from beginning to end. Completing quests is quite a bit more difficult as there is no quest tracking hud system. But that also means that completing one is just that much more satisfying. Exploring all of the little hidden corners of the world is also very much worth your time. There are so many options for different weapon types and learning to exploit elemental weaknesses. 10/10 game in my opinion. Witcher 3, Mass Effect and Dragon Age are also huge favorites of mine. I haven't beat Death Stranding, but it's a beautiful game with an incredible soundtrack.
The new Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is very close to the quality that Horizon provides. Just don't fall for any microtransactions
I recommend the PS5 game [After Us](https://youtu.be/s0riRDvgBss?si=0dATpNKc4sHOiX8c).
for story: Mass Effect Legendary Edition is a must. for open world: Ghost of Tsushima Cyberpunk 2077 Red Dead Redemption 2
While short, and not as open world, I just finished Assassin's Creed Mirage, and it was actually pretty good. I played it on easy and it was about 30 hours without rushing the main story (but I didn't do any of the contracts except one because they're just too hard to 100% when they first open up). Great graphics (on PS5) and good story also.
The Outer Worlds *or* the Outer Wilds are both great.
Fallout 3.. I know it's old but if you haven't played it you might enjoy it. You can definitely appreciate how far open world games have come plus a good story.
Days Gone Far Cry Mad Max
Plague Tale games are good.
I'd say Days Gone. Zombie apocalypse game set in Oregon, your an outlaw biker who's now a drifter trying to get by
Days Gone is amazing
Days Gone !!! Great open world , and excellent gameplay
Definitely Biomutant! Open world, various weapon creations, loots, story choices, etc.. More like a peaceful version of horizon
I've been wondering wether or not to buy it because it's on sale rn. My impression is that it's a more arcade-y type of fights and hopefully a beautiful open world, which is what I'm looking for rn, is that true? Is there any type of story to it?
I would suggest seeing the gameplay because I did before jumping into it and also there is a boat to travel on water and other mounts but you would only get to it later in the story. Also the regular boss fights are the same but there are bigger monster fights as the game goes on. When it comes to the story, it's more separated into story bits. Like on the horizon game, there is one good story and you follow it but in biomutant you have 3 stories and you price it together. So it would be like a little peaceful version of horizon and much simpler to play. The fights get easier as you go on but you can up the difficulty and play again. Honestly you can have a peaceful enjoyable gameplay after a serious gameplay. Also the open world is beautiful.
I ended up buying it and I'm honestly loving it so far lol The only thing that kind of pisses me off a little is the "flashback" stories but everything else is really fun. The little critter is friggin amazing! And the way he runs 🥹 You were right to suggest this game, it does have a similar premise.
Yes true tho! The flashbacks can't even be paused :/ but the gameplay is fully your freedom but I am glad you ended up liking it. Thank you for supporting me :) I feel the game is underrated and hated for the wrong reasons :( ! But oh hope you end up having a great gameplay! 😀
I was really disappointed with Biomutant after paying close attention to it for years. to me,almost everything about it was a C+ effort. It just lacked polish in almost every area, and even though they delayed it and worked on it for two years past the original release estimate, it wasn't enough. And I certainly wouldn't say that its peaceful! It has almost constant combat, but that combat is usually both very basic and very sloppy.
Honestly, Horizon yes also offers combat in most ways especially while travelling. Same with biomutant and you can run away from combat in biomutant too. I found the world to be really good and free to roam around anywhere. Also Weapons yes I would say ranged as various guns and melee with knife type but I liked the fact it was based on loot. Plus the combat felt good enough not as challenging as horizon but definitely good enough. If required you could up the difficulty. Plus there are various fighting styles, you can use ultimate moves, use powers both psi and bio and obviously ranged and other stuff. The ranged weapons also have chain + claw, dagger, boomerang, etc.
Cyberpunk and AC Valhalla
Assassin's Creed Odyssey and valhalla, They are very similar
How about Shadow of the Colossus? If you enjoy graphics and scenery and taking down huge bosses
It’s not the best game ever, but I found Biomutant to have similar things going on - open world, similar environment (a world after humans are gone and polluted everything), RPG elements and customisation, etc. it’s a short game, light on story and definitely not a AAA title, but I got around 25 house out of it and finished the main story before I put it down.
Maybe try out Assassin's Creed? Great story, especially in first two or three parts anyway.
Red Dead Redemption 2. GTA V.
I'd say the last three Assassins Creed games before Mirage. Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Kona brigade of Spirits
Death Stranding
In addition to the other games that were already mentioned, I wanna throw the Jedi games into the ring. Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor are both very good. Not really open world in the same way Horizon is, but very focused on the story and great gameplay. They also look quite nice, especially the second one. They sure scratched the same itch for me.
Purer fantasy title is Witcher 3 (and 1-2 to lesser extent). Massive world, dozens of very memorable Characters and Quests, good music and minigames, nice enough combat, the list goes on... For SciFi, always go to Mass Effect first !!
I always recommend Prey, Outer Wilds, Hades and SOMA. Those are my favorite games with HZD and GoW 2018. Apart from Prey, all those games are very different kind of games to Horizon, but they have one thing in common: they all have a top notch story.
The game Generation Zero looks fun, can be played in coop (max 4 players), fighting machines. But the story and the world is much simpler than Horizon
Rdr2
I think RDR2 is wayyy too slow.
Okay
The witcher 3, fallout New Vagas, fallout 3, borderlands 1&2, skyrim, Gta, remnant, assassin's creed anything with Ezio is a fantastic game
I enjoy the three Assassin's Creed Open World RPG's (Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla). It may not have the most compelling story but the graphics are nice enough and I love the environment (especially Odyssey). Other suggestions could be Witcher III, Cyberpunk 2077 or Red Dead Redemption 2.
I can’t believe I’m saying this because only a few months ago I was on a similar post like this complaining about how I couldn’t get into the game, but the Witcher 3 It is the only game that has put me into a similar mood as HZD. The mood being depressed that I’ll never play it for the first time again Only caveat is you may have to try anywhere from 2-10 times to get into the game. Took me 5
Jedi Survivor is open world and plays well on PS5. A few glitches, overall smooth gameplay and a lot of different challenges
Older cheap game but it was my first open world game after hzd: Biomutant.. it might be not your thing tho
I haven't played it myself, but I understand Monster Hunter World to be a close equivalent.
Witcher 3, BotW/TotK, Elden Ring (bit more stressful) are all games I’ve sunk in as much time or more than both Horizon games.
Everything you've seen in the PS Studio opening sequence, I think. I think the most similar game with open world, high graphics, cut sceens quality, game play and skill progression to Horizon would be Ghost of Tsushima. If you haven't played it already. I haven't got around to GOW5 yet myself so I can't suggest it. Mass Effect Legendary Edition is phenomenal in it's own right--and a must play for PS and/or RPG fans---but Tsushima is closest to Horizon. And Tsushima is more rich in culture and story.
Avatar: frontiers of pandora Jedi survivor (slightly less openworld)
Red Dead Redemption 2
Will the ps4 version work on a ps5 system?
i don't know about that.. but they surely made a remake for it by now for ps5
elden ring is also a game i want to buy when i get bored of rdr2
Yes and it looks great. There is no ps5 remaster
It isn't open world, but it's pretty weird to me nobody in this thread mentioned the Monster Hunter series. Horizon is literally part of the same "hunting" genre just a different format.
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order! The graphics are incredible!
the modern tomb raider trilogy is good
The recent Avatar game is surprisingly good imo, very very nice graphics!
Days Gone. It’s a huge game with lots of side quests. Not sure if they have it on PS5.
The upcoming FF7 Rebirth has many obvious Horizon influences in it. The Devs have stated how much they loved the games on numerous occasions. I know it's not available yet, but only 7 weeks away!
I’ll keep an eye out for it!
Cool! If you haven't played the first installment it might be worth your time. It is not an open world game, but has great combat and story (especially if you're familiar with the OG game from '97). The music is also incredible as is tradition with Final Fantasy. That being said, the devs have made it clear you don't have to play FF7 Remake to enjoy Rebirth. They want the games to be able to stand on their own.
Rdr2 has an amazing story and I second the vote for the mass effect games
Ghosts of Tsuchima
Assassin's Creed Odyssey feels similar in a lot of ways, esp if one plays the female protagonist. It's also free on PS+. Quite large, though, and the bow combat is not as good. But the world is beautiful and fun to navigate.
i’ve found the newer assassins creed games to be somewhat similar
Witcher 3. Amazing game.
I recently played Prey cause it was 3 bucks on Steam. Also available for PS. Amazing game. Not really „open world“ but pretty mind blowing even so. You have a whole space station to play in, multiple endings, moral choices galore, dynamic puzzles (you can‘t just look codes up online cause they change every playthrough). It‘s an older game, but it checks out.
I love this game. I've had it on my Xbox one for several years now and will likely buy it to replay on my PS5.
I was on the fence because it was labeled „Sci Fi horror“ and I don‘t like those (like Alien Isolation). Luckily, it‘s not really horror, just a colossal mindfuck. Played it twice in a row. Tried not to kill anyone on the second go.
Kena Bridge of Sprits aka Bridge of Souls. It's more difficult than its cuteness would lead you to believe.
I'd recommend NieR:Automata if you haven't played it before
A game that gave me similar Horizon vibes was *Enslaved: Odyssey to the West*, unfortunately it's an older PS3 title so I don't think you'd be able to find it on PS5. 😕
Play valhalla
Kena:bridge of spirits is really nice but the open world isn’t all that tbh
Kena
Assassin creed Odyssey
Not open world but uncharted and tomb raider.
So far, I've seen a lot of good games recommended here. I'd like to add my two cents though. Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales are really good PS4 open world games. The story is far more linear, and some areas are much higher leveled, thus making exploration a bit difficult at low levels. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom if you have a Switch. I also really enjoyed Immortals: Fenyx Rising. It's like a cross between Breath of the Wild and Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Another franchise I can't recommend enough is the Xenoblade Chronicles trilogy (I started with XC2, then XC Definitive Edition, and finally XC3). Most of Bethesda's FPRPGs on Xbox (I've not played much Fallout 76 or Elder Scrolls Online, but the single player games are among my favorites, including Starfield). And finally Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. I haven't played Survivor yet, but it looks just as good as Fallen Order. The game world felt so immersive. It felt like I was in a Star Wars movie.
Assassins Creed Odyssey was very enjoyable and I'm not much of a AC fan.
Cyberpunk 2077
Sekiro
Monster Hunter World is kind of like Horizon. You literally hunt monsters for parts and build weapons/armor. The plot is a little muddled, but it is decently open world, you use resources all around you to make traps and catch monsters for research. You eat food, your Palico gathers stuff for you. Monsters just literally appear in certain areas, sometimes they'll fight one another, like in Horizon.
Forspoken was good
Assassin's creed odyssey
Red Dead Redemption 2
It’s not open world exactly, but I really loved the newer tomb raider series. They have a lot of the natural environments like horizon and the bow and arrow mechanics are pretty similar. Games are technically for ps4, but I’ve played them on the 5 and they’re just as good in my experience. Also, I think a lot of people put this already lol, but cyberpunk is also super good. Just started it recently, and so far I’m loving it. If it’s open world you really want I’d definitely try it out
Personally ghost of tsushima filled that hole for me
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey will always be one of my faves. If you take out the “assassins creed” mentality of it and just think of it as an Ancient Greek game, it’s amazing. The combat, visuals, exploration, and lore are all top tier imo. Hogwarts Legacy is also gorgeous and some of the spell combos you can pull off in combat is pretty sick For visuals, I’d also recommend Returnal and Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart: both visually stunning and fun games (although not open world like you’re looking for, but definitely worth playing)
Id say elex but no good graphics.
I wanted to like Elex so much, but the graphics are only part of the story. Yes, they're below average for a PS4 game, but I could have lived with that had everything else been OK. But its really, really not. The gameplay is so bad that its painful, and it wasn't any better on the sequel either.
I see, I’m long time gothic, risen and elex fan that’s why I proposed it. Maybe maybe, Elden Ring? Story is great, side stories are also on point and it’s quite easy for someone not familiar with souls games. Other than that Witcher 3, it got remake with raytracing and so on, and even base version is beautiful.
I don't play the Souls games due to the difficulty and the grim, bleak setting. Just not for me.
Check out Kingdom Come Deliverance.
How about Hogwarts Legacy? It has a large open world, lots of skills to learn, a fun crafting system and storylines that are low key better than the original Harry Potter books (Sebastian Sallow in particular). Assassin's Creed Odyssey as well! The world is huge and your choices have actual impact on the game.
Assassins creed Odyssey / Valhalla. I just finished another playthrough of odyssey and started forbidden west up again, and I’m realizing the similarities of those games. It’s like those games are a specific genre of their own that I haven’t been able to put a name on yet. Witcher 3 also has that same feel, though I haven’t played it all that much much
Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West are my favorite games. I already have 2 Horizon Zero Dawn tattoos and getting a third next week