Since its release,Skyrimhas been a comparison reference to other open-world games, not just in terms of hours of gameplay, but also the map size.Skyrimis known to clock in at 300+ hours of gameplay between all of its major storylines and random side quests, filling its map to the brim with lore, history, and secrets to discover. Even so, it’s noted for having great replayability. Nearly ten years later, any open-world RPG is actively compared to Bethesda’s hit fantasy, includingHorizon: Zero Dawn.
Just recently released to PC gamers,Horizon: Zero Dawn’smap is interesting because it’s based on real locations. For example, the Ring of Metal is Denver Stadium, and Meridian, the largest and most developed city in the game, is Eagle Canyon, Utah. While it’s not completely accurate, it still offers a large number of locations and quests for the player to discover, which has brought many fans to compare it to themartyr in the open-world genre,Skyrim.
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Map Size
Broaching the physical size of the map is strange becauseHorizon’s map can be looked at in one of two ways. Most maps likeGrand Theft AutoandWitcher 3can be quantified in square miles, but the same can’t exactly be said about Guerrilla’s adventure title because it projects a rendition of the real world. For this reason, Studio Art Director Jan-Bart van Beek says that every location inHorizonwas scaled to a smaller size.Skyrimis easy; it’s a little less than 15 squared miles. Yet,Horizon’s official map size says it spans 4 miles across. However, this is at a scale to 107.5:1 in the real world. Crossing from one landmark to another in-game can take a mere handful of minutes, while it real life it can take hours.
For this reason, there are different reasons to state theHorizonmap size as either bigger or smaller thanSkyrim’s. Boiling it down to just game scale, tough, it’s clear thatSkyrimis much larger thanHorizon. This is the most logical comparison, asSkyrimisn’t based on a real-world counterpart likeHorizon.
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Density
Many players and critics havepraisedHorizon: Zero Dawnfor its exciting side quests and expansive lore that support the universe of its post-post-apocalyptic world. The map acts similarly to that inFar CryandAssassin’s Creedgames. For example, the Tallnecks act as a climbable vantage point, and hacking into them will reveal that section of the map, unveiling locations such as campfires and settlements. The lands are also riddled with machine sites, similar to animal sites inFar Cry 3. But whileHorizonfeatures lots of quests and gorgeous scenery, it’s nowhere near as packed with discoverable areas asSkyrim.
The province of Skyrim has a nearly uncountable number of locations (at least in terms of how many someone would want to count), both found via marked map locations or hidden spots that only pop up on the map once they are arrived at. Most locations in both games can fall under a category. Examples include bandit camps, dragon locations, caves, andJarl castles inSkyrim, and ruins, cauldrons, and machine sites inHorizon. Still, the number of marked places inSkyrimclock in at a whopping 459, andHorizondoesn’t come close.
Cities are another great example of how much denserSkyrimis compared toHorizon. Aside from Meridian, most settlements inHorizononly have a handful of NPCs, a merchant, and a quest-giver or two. This is due to the nature of the setting, but society inSkyrimis much more developed. Each major city is equipped with a Jarl, each of which offers quests, tasks, and errands to the player character. Homes can be purchased, and dozens upon dozens of quests can be unveiled by speaking with NPCs or finding objects lying around.
Though it’s been up to preference which of the two titles is a better and all-around more enjoyable game, it looks likeThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimtakes the cake with its map. Even so, PC players are excited to have the chance at exploring the post-post-apocalyptic universe and tragic tale ofHorizon: Zero Dawn.
Horizon: Zero Dawnis out now for PC and PS4.
