Games like Horizon Zero Dawn

If you loved stalking machine herds and exploiting their mechanical vulnerabilities in combat, Forbidden West doubles down on this core loop with expanded tools and environments. The strategic dance of identifying weaknesses, positioning yourself, and executing a takedown remains the heartbeat of both games—it's what makes each encounter feel earned rather than button-mashed.

The third-person exploration and atmospheric world-building that drew you into Zero Dawn carry forward here with tangible upgrades: underwater diving and gliding mechanics transform how you move through the post-apocalyptic landscape. These aren't cosmetic additions; they fundamentally change how you approach reconnaissance and engagement, keeping the familiar feel fresh.

Where Forbidden West diverges is in its story delivery. Rather than the emotional character arcs of its predecessor, this sequel prioritizes spectacle and environmental storytelling—a meaningful tradeoff that some players find less resonant. If you valued Zero Dawn's narrative depth above all else, expect a shift in pacing emphasis.

Critically, Forbidden West addresses the tedious grinding that plagued the original through a more streamlined progression system, making progression feel less like repetitive busywork. Best for hunters who crave refined combat systems and visual spectacle over narrative intimacy.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Horizon Forbidden West.

Hunting for weak points, then turning a tense encounter into a clean, tactical takedown? Rise of the Tomb Raider scratches that same itch with bow shots, stealth kills, and careful resource use, so every fight feels like preparation paying off rather than raw shooting.

It also matches Horizon Zero Dawn in the mix of exploration and discovery: you climb, scan environments, and push into hidden spaces for upgrades and secrets. That loop works for the same reason—curiosity is constantly rewarded, and the world keeps feeding you new tools that change how you approach the next area.

The big tradeoff is tone: Lara’s journey leans more into rugged survival and puzzle-driven tomb raiding than machine-hunting sci-fi. That makes it a fresh angle rather than a copy, while still addressing one Horizon complaint by offering a more focused pace with less repetitive side content.

Best for players who want methodical combat, strong traversal, and a female-led adventure with real momentum.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Rise of the Tomb Raider.

Both titles demand that you treat the environment as a tactical playground where scouting enemy patrols is vital to surviving the wasteland. In Days Gone, you will track massive Freaker hordes with the same calculated precision used to stalk a Thunderjaw. This strategic preparation anchors the experience because your success relies on studying movement patterns and crafting specific tools to exploit environmental hazards.

Where Horizon Zero Dawn occasionally struggles with thin supporting character arcs, this journey provides a more consistently personal narrative that grounds its world-building through meaningful character relationships. You will trade the high-tech Focus for a mechanical survival layer centered on your upgradeable motorbike. This shift transforms travel into a high-stakes resource management puzzle where fuel and repair parts dictate your exploration limits.

Best for players who crave grounded stakes and methodical world exploration.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Days Gone.

Both games demand you study enemy behavior before striking, turning each fight into a calculated puzzle. Observation is the ritual: in Horizon that means dissecting a machine’s components; in Shadow you locate weak spots on enemies and environmental traps.

Strategic weak‑point hunting drives combat, rewarding patience with explosive payoffs. Open‑world traversal pairs with environmental puzzles that unlock upgrades and lore, mirroring Horizon’s use of discovery as narrative fuel.

A lone female protagonist and an orchestral score give each adventure an intimate, epic feel. Shadow shifts the tone from futuristic survival to historical mystery, but keeps the focus on personal growth; if Horizon’s uneven pacing frustrated you, Shadow’s tighter mission flow cuts filler.

The biggest trade‑off is the setting: robot dinosaurs give way to ancient tombs, swapping sci‑fi hunting for archaeological intrigue. Players who love strategic combat, deep exploration, and a story‑rich female lead will find a fresh yet familiar adventure.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Swaps futuristic hunting for grim fantasy intrigue, replacing the female lead with a grizzled monster hunter in a politically complex world. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.

Both games anchor themselves in third-person combat that rewards pattern recognition and exploit-hunting. You'll learn enemy tells, plan your approach, and execute a satisfying tactical loop—just with axes instead of arrows.

The emotional storytelling hits similarly hard, because both games marry character arcs to mythology-driven worlds. This matters: you're not just fighting; you're understanding why.

The critical difference is pacing. God of War tightens its narrative into a compact, linear journey, while Horizon sprawls into open-world repetition that dilutes momentum.

Pick this up if you want stronger narrative focus than Horizon offers, but expect less freedom in how you explore the world.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to God of War.

That pull to crouch in tall grass, line up a shot, and watch an enemy patrol unravel before they ever knew you were there — Assassin's Creed Origins delivers that same deliberate, predatory satisfaction that Horizon Zero Dawn built its best moments around. Both games reward players who observe before they act, turning stealth and positioning into a kind of quiet power fantasy.

The Action RPG loop will feel immediately familiar: gear progression, skill trees, and enemy weak points that make combat feel like a puzzle rather than a brawl. Exploration carries the same weight too — both worlds are dense with discoverable content that makes wandering feel purposeful rather than padded.

Where Origins diverges is tone: swap post-apocalyptic wilderness for ancient Egypt rendered in stunning historical detail, which gives the open world a grounded, lived-in texture that Horizon's world occasionally lacks in its supporting cast and side content.

If repetitive side quests dulled Horizon's shine for you, Origins offers more narrative variety across its missions, with stronger supporting characters that give its world more human weight.

Best for players who love a richly atmospheric open world and want their exploration and stealth to feel intentional rather than incidental.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Assassin's Creed Origins.

Both games excel at world-building through environmental storytelling, tasking you with deciphering the remnants of a collapsed civilization. This shared post-apocalyptic DNA matters because it turns simple exploration into a compelling archaeological investigation.

The primary shift is perspective and tone; you trade Horizon’s acrobatic third-person archery for the claustrophobic, high-stakes gunplay of a first-person survival shooter. While Horizon focuses on majestic spectacle, Metro Exodus demands constant resource management and tactical caution.

Pick this up if you want the same sense of discovery found in Aloy’s journey, but can live without the agile combat and lush, vibrant landscapes.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Metro Exodus.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey shares Horizon Zero Dawn’s core strength in delivering a story-rich single-player experience centered on a deep, choice-driven narrative with a female protagonist. Both games emphasize open-world exploration, making the journey as vital as the action, which greatly enhances player agency and world immersion.

The key tradeoff is Odyssey’s historical setting and RPG elements lean heavily on grinding and repetitive tasks, alongside aggressive monetization not present in Horizon’s more focused sci-fi arc. This can dilute the pacing and tension that Horizon builds through its streamlined combat and machine hunting.

Pick Odyssey if you want expansive player choice and rich mythology but can tolerate more grind and microtransactions, whereas Horizon suits players seeking a tighter narrative loop and strategic combat against robotic foes.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Assassin's Creed Odyssey.

Both games weaponize strategic enemy weak-point targeting as their core combat loop—machine herds in Horizon, mythological beasts in God of War demand you read patterns and strike methodically, not button-mash.

The emotional narrative weight hits similarly hard; both writers use parent-child dynamics as the story's emotional backbone, delivering moments that resonate long after the controller drops.

God of War trades Horizon's sweeping open world for tightly scripted, corridor-style progression—less exploration freedom, but ruthlessly focused pacing that never wastes your time.

Grab this if you want Horizon's combat satisfaction and story depth but can live without the open-world hunting.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to God of War.

Replaces robot dinosaurs with feudal Japan, trading sci-fi archery for samurai swordplay while keeping the sprawling open-world exploration. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Ghost of Tsushima.

Both games excel at environmental storytelling, forcing you to piece together the tragic history of a ruined facility by meticulously scanning your surroundings. This discovery-driven loop rewards curiosity, providing the same intellectual satisfaction found in uncovering Zero Dawn’s ancient secrets.

While Horizon focuses on high-speed tactical combat against mechanical beasts, Prey demands methodical stealth and creative resource management within a claustrophobic space station. You trade the open wilderness for a complex, interconnected labyrinth where every tool serves a dual purpose.

Pick this up if you crave dense, sci-fi mystery and non-linear problem solving, but be prepared to trade Horizon’s fluid third-person archery for a tense, first-person psychological survival experience.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Prey.

Swaps Aloy's tribal hunter for a stylized dystopian warrior, bringing aggressive souls-like combat and high-octane hack-and-slash. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Stellar Blade™.

Shifts from post-apocalyptic wilderness to tomb raiding survival, with a grittier, more linear cinematic adventure. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Tomb Raider.

Swaps robot ecology for brutal martial arts combat against mythological foes, keeping the strategic weakness-exploitation loop but demanding mastery. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Black Myth: Wukong.

Replaces open-world hunting with contained supernatural exploration and psychic abilities, matching the female protagonist and atmospheric sci-fi tone but leaning into horror. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Control.

Exchanges robot-infested wilderness for globe-trotting treasure hunts, emphasizing witty banter and high-octane cinematic setpieces. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection.

Trades serious sci-fi survival for vibrant anime adventure, featuring multiple playable characters and fast-paced action RPG combat. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA.

Swaps sci-fi machines for medieval plague rats, offering a darker, emotionally crushing tale of sibling survival. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to A Plague Tale: Innocence.

Norse mythology replaces machine hunting, but retains the cinematic storytelling and atmospheric third-person combat that defined Horizon. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to God of War Ragnarök.

Replaces Aloy's tribal stealth with a feudal Japanese assassin's lethal precision, blending historical swordplay and ninja tactics. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Ditches realistic tribal aesthetics for existential anime noir, pairing a battling female android with haunting philosophical storytelling. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to NieR:Automata™.

Star Wars setting trades robot ecosystems for Jedi combat and Force abilities, maintaining exploration and Souls-like challenge within a tighter linear-to-open structure. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order.

Focus on tactical melee combat and an innovative enemy hierarchy system that replaces wild machine hunting with high-stakes, personality-driven Orc warfare. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.

Shifts Horizon's post-apocalyptic machines to a dark fantasy world driven by mature drama and cinematic spectacle combat. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to FINAL FANTASY XVI.

Alternate-history Soviet sci-fi and first-person perspective replace post-apocalyptic exploration, keeping robots and atmospheric mystery but in confined industrial spaces. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Atomic Heart.

Cyberpunk indie pixel-art sidescroller trades open-world scope for 2D Metroidvania exploration and hacking gameplay, retaining female protagonist and sci-fi atmosphere at smaller scale. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Dex.

Alien sci-fi and Souls-like difficulty replace machine ecosystems and hunting strategy, maintaining exploration and female protagonist but demanding precision combat mastery. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Scars Above.

Historical Vikings replace mechanical dinosaurs and offers character customization, preserving epic scope and exploration but prioritizing stealth and AC's signature parkour. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Assassin's Creed Valhalla.

Trades machine dinosaurs for Chernobyl's irradiated horror, delivering a first-person supernatural thriller with crafting tension. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Chernobylite.

Exchange the nomadic tribal survival of the post-apocalypse for satirical corporate space politics and branching player-driven dialogue choices in the stars. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Outer Worlds.

While less expansive, this robot-filled journey offers a more intimate, character-focused buddy dynamic that echoes Aloy's struggle against a metal-dominated world. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.

Pairs narrative-driven supernatural horror with co-op decision-making instead of solo machine hunts, preserving emotional storytelling and dark atmosphere with cinematic presentation. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden.

Offers a colorful fantasy adventure starring a female lead, featuring Souls-like combat and LGBTQ+ representation over Horizon’s tribal sci-fi. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Eternal Strands (PC) - Steam Gift - GLOBAL.

Shift from natural, wild landscapes to the neon-drenched, supernatural density of modern Tokyo, utilizing first-person elemental magic instead of technological bow skills. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Ghostwire: Tokyo.

Abandon the high-tech wilderness for an surreal, psychological descent into nightmare realms where your tactical hunting skills become desperate survival against horrors. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Evil Within 2.

Ditch the expansive machine-hunting combat for a focused, linear, and emotionally harrowing journey centered on protecting family amidst historical supernatural threats. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to A Plague Tale: Requiem.

Extends Horizon’s post-apocalyptic science fiction with crafting and time travel in a more difficult, dystopian experience. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Cronos: The New Dawn.

Combines vibrant anime style and martial arts-inspired Souls-like action with multiplayer elements, diverging from Horizon’s solo, machine-focused world. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Gujian 3.

Trade the vibrant, sun-drenched future for a claustrophobic, resource-starved tunnel crawl where darkness and ammunition scarcity drive the terrifying, grounded experience. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Metro 2033 Redux.

Fantasy magic and customization replace machine hunting, delivering comparable epic scope and exploration with a lighter tone and deeper RPG progression systems. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Hogwarts Legacy.

Swap Aloy's open-world archery for systemic stealth and intricate steampunk assassinations within a rigid, vertical, and highly reactive urban environment. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Dishonored 2.

Embrace a more chaotic, parkour-driven traversal system in a high-fantasy realm where magical spell-crafting takes precedence over grounded, mechanical combat. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Forspoken.

Reimagines action RPG exploration through pixel art and tough Souls-like combat, emphasizing player choices and dynamic narration. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Drova: Forsaken Kin.

Moves Horizon’s ground exploration into space with open-world flight and loot-driven shooter mechanics amid a futuristic sci-fi backdrop. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Everspace 2.