Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon was released on PS4 in February of 2017 and it is a breath of fresh air in an industry full of rushed, broken, unfinished or repetitive game titles. Without even getting into the story or gameplay you are immediately won over by the sheer beauty and attention to detail that this game delivers.
The story follows the life of Aloy, a young girl born an outcast to her tribe and placed in the care of another outcast, Rost, and the two are sentenced to live out their days outside the protection and comfort of their village. The setting of the game isn't a completely new concept. It is a blend of a dystopian future plagued by aggressive mech creatures and rival tribes who seek to destroy Aloy and her tribe. What this game does better than most is it focuses on story. You can tell the developers spent a lot of time with the lore, the charactes, their dialogue and even the voice acting. This might seem like a common attribute for all games but keep in mind this was released around the same time as Mass Effect Andromeda. You start the game as a young Aloy who learns of a competition that her tribe hosts. The winner of these trials receives the right to ask one favor of any kind. She begs Rost to train her in hopes that winning this competition could grant her re-entry into her village. Thus begins the journey of our young Heroin.
The mix of future tech with primitive weapons allows for some really fun and unique combat. It's kind of a mix of Far Cry Primal and the Last Of Us. You have to use a variety of stealth and combat tactics to bring down enemies of all sizes. The way you develop your skill tree and character is all based around the lore of this world as well. At the beginning of the game Aloy finds a device that allows her to interact with the tech and use it to her advantage as opposed to always running or fighting. It also gives her insight into the ancients that not many other people are familiar with.
Honestly I probably spent about 16 hours behind the wheel on my first play through and I had to force myself to stop playing so I could get some real work done. The replayabaility of this game rivals that of any Bethesda open world titles and I actually see my self putting more hours into this game than I did with Fall Out 4. If you have a PS4 or if you've been tempted to get one you won't regret Picking up Horizon Zero Dawn.