Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
September 12, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
A quiet encyclopedia with a personal desk
Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
How It Works • Games & Tech

Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn is a 2017 action role-playing video game developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Updated September 12, 20261 min readCited sources

Horizon Zero Dawn is a 2017 action role-playing game set in a post-apocalyptic world where robotic machines dominate and humans live in tribal societies.

What it is

Developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Horizon Zero Dawn is the first game in the Horizon series. It was released for PlayStation 4 in 2017, later for Windows in 2020, and received a remastered version in 2024.

Why it matters

The game launched a major franchise, blending open-world exploration with a unique sci-fi premise. Its success led to the expansion The Frozen Wilds and a sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, cementing its place in modern gaming.

Key details

Players control Aloy, a young hunter, in a third-person perspective. The story follows her quest to uncover her past in a 31st-century United States overrun by machines. The game is single-player only.

In short

  • First entry in the Horizon series, released 2017 on PS4.
  • Follows Aloy in a post-apocalyptic world with tribal societies and robotic machines.
  • Developed by Guerrilla Games, known for the Killzone series.
  • Available on PlayStation 4, Windows, macOS, and PlayStation 5.
Canadian angle

The game is available on major international platforms and has an English-language market presence in Canada through PlayStation and PC releases.

Quick questions

What type of game is Horizon Zero Dawn?
It is an action role-playing video game with third-person gameplay.
Who developed Horizon Zero Dawn?
It was developed by Guerrilla Games.
What is Horizon Zero Dawn about?
It follows Aloy in a post-apocalyptic world where machines dominate and human societies live in tribes.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizon_Zero_Dawn
    Supports: Developer, publisher, genre, setting, and third-person action role-playing description
  2. Simple English Wikipedia — https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizon_Zero_Dawn
    Supports: Release year, platforms, protagonist Aloy, and film adaptation note
  3. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizon_(video_game_series)
    Supports: Series placement, regional release timing, and franchise context
  4. German Wikipedia — https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizon_Zero_Dawn
    Supports: Platforms, release dates, engine, and remastered release timing