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Zelda/Horizon: Zero Dawn Comparison Question
- Thread starter Farside
- Start date
I was in the same boat at the Switch launch. I was playing Horizon while also actively looking for a Switch and Zelda.
Once I found a Switch I dropped horizon and haven't been back since. Though I think I was also getting a bit burnt out on Horizon too...meh gameplay, boring world, and some the NPC's felt like they came straight out of a Bioware game. I really loved Zelda on the switch and I think I would have a hard time going back to Horizon so soon after playing Zelda due how well Zelda plays in comparison. Horizon is a solid game that I want to go back to at some though, the story was very interesting, kinda bummed I didnt see it through and now Im at the point where I feel I would need to start over.
I say if you are still loving Horizon then go ahead and finish that first.
I've completed both. They're not really all that similar aside from cursory open world stuff. I much preferred Zelda, but I thought Horizon was great too.
I don't know if I would buy a Switch just for Zelda, but if there is stuff in the pipeline that looks interesting to you then go for it. I doubt it will go on sale this year.
I don't know if I would buy a Switch just for Zelda, but if there is stuff in the pipeline that looks interesting to you then go for it. I doubt it will go on sale this year.
They're really different games aside from superficial similarities.
Do you want a third/person shooter-RPG with a heavier focus on story? Horizon.
Do you want an open-world game that basically is a create-your-own-adventure? Zelda.
If you can get a Switch now, do so. It's only going to get worse towards the holidays.
Do you want a third/person shooter-RPG with a heavier focus on story? Horizon.
Do you want an open-world game that basically is a create-your-own-adventure? Zelda.
If you can get a Switch now, do so. It's only going to get worse towards the holidays.
Equanimity
Member
Are you planning to buy anything else besides Zelda on the Switch?
If you are then go ahead and buy the Switch.
I can't recommend and entire for just one game.
If you are then go ahead and buy the Switch.
I can't recommend and entire for just one game.
Open worlds can be different, depends on what your looking to get out of them.
I preferred HZD as it was more combat focused, better story telling mechanics and a much more detailed open world in general. I can however see why people would like Zeldas over it for the sheer size and exploration aspect.
Although I must say, the mass rush of open world games is getting a little tiring now. I really liked how Yakuza does really compact open worlds that are just filled with stuff to do.
Tricky I Shadow
Banned
Oh?
Was it hidden in the quote? If so that's kind of a dick move to do that and then say "read my post!" A better way would have been to just spoiler that bit of the comment in the first place.
If it wasn't hidden in the quote I apologise for apparently being blind. : P
At this point I've been able to play both and my enjoyment of one has not affected my enjoyment of the other. I played and beat Zelda first and I think it is possibly one of the greatest games of all time. I've played Horizon since and think it is an absolutely stunning game. The visuals are some of the best I have ever seen and the gameplay is pretty fun too. Experience-wise, the two are very different. Horizon is much more of a cinematic, narrative experience. Zelda is a big sandbox of fun and surprise.
That's why I bought one now. I mean I know I want to play Mario XCom and Mario Odyssey, but figured if I wait till October it might be harder to get one, even here in Australia. Plus there's been some discounted deals around lately.
ChronotriggerJM
Member
I don't imagine they'd play similarly OP. I'm playing Horizon now, and it's very much about the combat, very hunting oriented in how you plan encounters. Quite difficult if you plan poorly.
Zelda , from what I've seen anyway, seems much more exploration / adventure oriented. I haven't heard much praise for it's combat, though I'd imagine it's great.
Zelda , from what I've seen anyway, seems much more exploration / adventure oriented. I haven't heard much praise for it's combat, though I'd imagine it's great.
Magicgamer101
Member
Played both and just finished Zelda today actually. Months back when people were arguing which game was better and I was still playing Horizon, I couldn't see Zelda somehow being better than Horizon. Until I played Zelda of course.
Horizon only has combat over it and story. And one of the new best main characters in Aloy.
Horizon only has combat over it and story. And one of the new best main characters in Aloy.
An open world is a tool that can be used for many different purposes.
Horizon uses its world to weave a drama, whether that drama comes through the characters, the ongoing narrative, or the great battles. Aloy is the main driver for this.
Zelda's open world is one which pushes you to go out into an unknown world and go on an adventure. Hyrule is the main driver for this.
Each game has elements of the other, but they strive for different goals that they nail rather well id say.
Horizon uses its world to weave a drama, whether that drama comes through the characters, the ongoing narrative, or the great battles. Aloy is the main driver for this.
Zelda's open world is one which pushes you to go out into an unknown world and go on an adventure. Hyrule is the main driver for this.
Each game has elements of the other, but they strive for different goals that they nail rather well id say.
SolidChamp
Banned
All I know is, I enjoyed Horizon a lot more than I'm currently enjoying Zelda. Zelda is great for pure exploration, but the lack of narrative pull (and just shit-tier dialogue and storytelling in general), weak combat, and overwhelmingly massive yet completely directionless framework hold Zelda back from being the "GOTY experience" that Horizon was for me.
But I also don't think the comparisons are entirely fair, either.
But I also don't think the comparisons are entirely fair, either.
ReyVGM
Member
What is this about paying $460? The Switch is $300.
LastGamer84
Member
Only if you can find it in stock at retail. Amazon it's usually $400 to $460 dollars.
Damn scalpers.
bukowski81
Member
I havent finished Horizon, but so far I enjoyed Zelda way more.
The main difference for me is that while playing Horizon I feel the urge to get as soon as possible to the next objective, while in Zelda that didnt matter at all. I could just be there not caring at all about the next objective and having so much fun.
The main difference for me is that while playing Horizon I feel the urge to get as soon as possible to the next objective, while in Zelda that didnt matter at all. I could just be there not caring at all about the next objective and having so much fun.
Thanks for this video. Maybe the most fun Zelda video I ever watch.
Gangster Bastard
Member
Not gonna sugarcoat this, I think Zelda blows Horizon out of the water. At least that's my assessment after about forty hours of the former. It would be stupid to miss out.
OP, my advice for you is, before buy a switch, finish Horizon first.
Both are great games. I played Horizon first and I'm playing Zelda right now. If I made the opposite, is very likely that I won't enjoy Horizon as much as I did.
Zelda is a massive game and you will put enough hours on it to be easy to wait for Splatoon and Mario.
Both are great games. I played Horizon first and I'm playing Zelda right now. If I made the opposite, is very likely that I won't enjoy Horizon as much as I did.
Zelda is a massive game and you will put enough hours on it to be easy to wait for Splatoon and Mario.
D.Lo
Member
1) There are not 'over 120 shrines'.
2) On a first run, 120 shrines in 50 (or even 60 taking that '+' to mean 'a bit more') hours sounds impossible without cheating/using guides, which defeats the purpose of the game.
3) You claim to have literally scoured the world for every single major game marker, including one that is literally inside Hyrule castle, but then could not be bothered to finish it, when after that you would be so OP you could wander through the front doors of the castle and finish the game in 5 minutes.
AyaisMUsikWhore
Member
I haven't played Horizon yet but I don't think I need to play it to let you know that these two games couldn't be farther from each other. I'm currently playing zelda and I really don't get the comparisons outside of the fact that they both came out around the same time and both received high scores
Yep. Horizon is good and should be commended for being Guerilla's best output but Zelda is on a different level. The playability, freedom and exploration is on a different level than anything else in gaming. It's both the tightest playing open-world game ever and the most playable/interactive open-world game ever. All of its systems work so damn well and interact so richly.... fuck I cannot wait for the DLC.
bobawesome
Member
How about the terrible "dungeons", empty world (no, 900 Korok seeds do not count as worthwhile content) and forgettable music? I don't mind the combat as much as some others but may as well throw that in, too.
No you didn't.
Switches will be hard to get a hold of later this year, so decide if you want one this year for any other games, or if you just want one for Zelda.
If you only want Zelda out of everything you have seen. Wait until next year and just buy some more PS4 games. Maybe try Nier Automata if you are liking those Horizon/Zelda vibes.
If you only want Zelda out of everything you have seen. Wait until next year and just buy some more PS4 games. Maybe try Nier Automata if you are liking those Horizon/Zelda vibes.
The story, dialogue, voice acting and characters are poor too.
FeenixRising
Banned
I enjoyed Horizon more tbh... mainly due to the story and the combat (the fact her weapons don't fucking break!!!)
One thing Zelda has that I wish more open world RPGs would adopt is being able to climb every fucking thing. I went back to Horizon after Zelda and that disappointed the hell out of me. I really wanted to climb stuff
I liked the exploration factor in Zelda a bit more too. Horizon I only felt compelled to explore things when the main questline implored me to, but it was fun in HZD too.... I liked finding Tallnecks and overriding them.
One thing Zelda has that I wish more open world RPGs would adopt is being able to climb every fucking thing. I went back to Horizon after Zelda and that disappointed the hell out of me. I really wanted to climb stuff
I liked the exploration factor in Zelda a bit more too. Horizon I only felt compelled to explore things when the main questline implored me to, but it was fun in HZD too.... I liked finding Tallnecks and overriding them.
whyreggielie
Member
Your opinion is ur opinion but I'm so over it. Buy a fucking Switch for Zelda and ignor this completely.
ISee
Member
Both are great games OP. But they are very different. Personally I prefer HZD because of the story it told... for that alone it is a must play imo. The combat is also more fun in HZD.
Botw on the other side is a very good open world/exploration game. It's excellent, but has totally different values.
Botw on the other side is a very good open world/exploration game. It's excellent, but has totally different values.
Care to avatar bet?
Out of curiosity, how old are you?
Granted Zelda could be talked about MORE, but we still have people being wistfully nostalgic about Legend of Dragoon, a SCEI attempt at doing Final Fantasy with a mixed reception, and stuff like God of War is over 10 years old and still looked back upon well.
MarineMountie
Member
If you are like me, you will struggle to get into Zelda because Horizon is just that great. The combat in Zelda is so bad in comparison that it really takes me out of the game. The story is practically non-existent while Horizon had probably the best sci-fi story I have played through. Throw in the massive graphical difference it's just not close.
I'm trying once again to get into Zelda, but the flaws are really hurting my experience.
I'm trying once again to get into Zelda, but the flaws are really hurting my experience.
Jaded Alyx
Member
Yep. Post makes zero sense from top to bottom.
Interesting thread because I got Zelda at launch, completed it around the beginning of April, and then waited a couple of months to start Horizon and am playing through it now.
People are right when they say they're very different but for my tastes Zelda is significantly more appealing. A 10/10 compared to a 7/10.
Horizon certainly isn't a bad game but it's like the ultimate refinement of the Ubisoft template. Despite the open world trappings it's quite guided and cinematic, and you'll be spending a lot of time following icons on your map. The focus is much more on combat and story rather than exploration. Exploration doesn't really reward you in Horizon anywhere near as much as in Zelda (a big part of this is Zelda not putting icons on your map, so everything you discover feels earned).
It's a good game but, even leaving a couple of months between Zelda and Horizon, the latter now feels quite old-fashioned to me, despite the graphics. It's gorgeous and combat is slick but apart from the setting it's very been there, done that.
Zelda is much more about puzzles, exploration and interacting with the world and its physics. Now personally, that's much more to my tastes. Exploration feels organic and there's always several things in the distance pulling your attention this way and that. Gameplay variety is unequivocally much greater. The story is weak but that's just a frame to give you an end goal.
The exploration element in Zelda had kind of raised the bar on what I expect from an open-world game so it's taken me some time to adjust to going back to the standard template. The world design in Zelda is so outstanding in terms of guiding your attention and giving you incentive to explore that going back to the icon following style of game is tough and initially disappointing.
Really though, my experiences with both games can probably be summed up by this:
I'm playing Horizon right now and I play it for maybe 2-3 hours per session. When I'm not playing I don't really think it about it or what I'm going to do in it next time I play. It's enjoyable but it hasn't consumed me in any way.
BotW on the other hand, completely and utterly consumed me. I would wake up early before work to get an extra hour in. A quick session would turn into 10 hours in a flash. I'd skip lunch to carry on playing. When I wasn't playing, I was thinking about playing it. When I was at work I was planning what I was going to do in a game once I got home.
It's years since a game did that to me. Probably going back to Dark Souls 1. Just one of those games that completely redefines what you expect out of a genre. I can see why people might prefer Horizon if they want a game that's more structured and cinematic and combat focussed, and that's totally fine. Zelda just resonated so much more with me.
People are right when they say they're very different but for my tastes Zelda is significantly more appealing. A 10/10 compared to a 7/10.
Horizon certainly isn't a bad game but it's like the ultimate refinement of the Ubisoft template. Despite the open world trappings it's quite guided and cinematic, and you'll be spending a lot of time following icons on your map. The focus is much more on combat and story rather than exploration. Exploration doesn't really reward you in Horizon anywhere near as much as in Zelda (a big part of this is Zelda not putting icons on your map, so everything you discover feels earned).
It's a good game but, even leaving a couple of months between Zelda and Horizon, the latter now feels quite old-fashioned to me, despite the graphics. It's gorgeous and combat is slick but apart from the setting it's very been there, done that.
Zelda is much more about puzzles, exploration and interacting with the world and its physics. Now personally, that's much more to my tastes. Exploration feels organic and there's always several things in the distance pulling your attention this way and that. Gameplay variety is unequivocally much greater. The story is weak but that's just a frame to give you an end goal.
The exploration element in Zelda had kind of raised the bar on what I expect from an open-world game so it's taken me some time to adjust to going back to the standard template. The world design in Zelda is so outstanding in terms of guiding your attention and giving you incentive to explore that going back to the icon following style of game is tough and initially disappointing.
Really though, my experiences with both games can probably be summed up by this:
I'm playing Horizon right now and I play it for maybe 2-3 hours per session. When I'm not playing I don't really think it about it or what I'm going to do in it next time I play. It's enjoyable but it hasn't consumed me in any way.
BotW on the other hand, completely and utterly consumed me. I would wake up early before work to get an extra hour in. A quick session would turn into 10 hours in a flash. I'd skip lunch to carry on playing. When I wasn't playing, I was thinking about playing it. When I was at work I was planning what I was going to do in a game once I got home.
It's years since a game did that to me. Probably going back to Dark Souls 1. Just one of those games that completely redefines what you expect out of a genre. I can see why people might prefer Horizon if they want a game that's more structured and cinematic and combat focussed, and that's totally fine. Zelda just resonated so much more with me.
Thats cute. Wrong but cute. In 10 years Zelda BotW will be talked about a lot like Assasins Creed 1 gets talked about. Great game, nessecary change in direction but with an infinitely superior sequel.
Horizon will get much more love for being one of the best written stories of the decade, launching a new "Iconic" Character* and being almost the perfect encapsulation of open world gaming up until 2017.
*Actually Iconic, not Ubisoft Iconic. We will probably be so sick of Aloy in a decade. She's going to be everywhere.
They're not too similar but not too different either. They have similar mechanics like climbing towers, stealth, clearing out enemy camps, shooting bows with special arrow ammunition, armor upgrades, looting... etc. Howerver, they felt distinct enough that I didn't feel burnt out playing them back to back.
Ultimately, I felt Horizon was the better game for me, but BotW was still pretty good for Nintendo's first dive into the modern open world game style.
Ultimately, I felt Horizon was the better game for me, but BotW was still pretty good for Nintendo's first dive into the modern open world game style.
The hell does this even mean?
eXistor
Member
I see Horizon as a combat game and Zelda an exploration game. Both are vastly different from each other as far as gameplay goes.
I'm sick of her already. I personally never saw what people like in Aloy. To me she's as standard, generic and bland as any random AAA game protag. I didn't like her at all.
I'm sick of her already. I personally never saw what people like in Aloy. To me she's as standard, generic and bland as any random AAA game protag. I didn't like her at all.
Yup. Zelda is fun to explore, Horizon is fun to take down machines.
CEJames
Member
Typical HZD/BOTW thread. Moving on. OP knew what he was doing.
Stealthcobra
Member
I have both.. Love both.. Couldn't see myself not playing both
Zelda is cool to explore but the payoff is disappointing... You may do some grand task and get 10 arrows. So in zelda its about the journey, not necessarily the destination
Zelda is cool to explore but the payoff is disappointing... You may do some grand task and get 10 arrows. So in zelda its about the journey, not necessarily the destination
TheSadRanger
Banned
Their both great, but I just wanted an excuse to post some Sunhi gifs from the Horizon OT.
CEJames
Member
Oh fuck. She's too sexy in this gif. The Abs...the fire...the slow badass walk...
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