Horizon: Zero Dawn is fine. Definitely above average. But the narrative in Horizon: Zero Dawn is best described as "extremely conventional" with many predictabl

Horizon: Zero Dawn is fine. Definitely above average. But the narrative in Horizon: Zero Dawn is best described as "extremely conventional" with many predictable tropes (it was obvious your father figure was going to die from the first time you meet him). The main (past human) villain also takes a disappointing turn from "relatably misguided" to "mustache-twirllingly evil" in the second half of the game. One illustrative difference is the side quests: I don't remember a single Horizon: Zero Dawn side quest. Nier Automata's side quests, meanwhile, are almost always tied into the main story or its themes - even if you don't realize it at the time you're doing the quest. Nier Automata is rough around the edges, but the whole comes together to be greater than the sum of its parts. Horizon: Zero Dawn, on the other hand, is very polished and well-executed, but it doesn't "gel" as well as Nier Automata, nor does it take as many risks.