We currently live in a fantastic gaming era where linear storytelling, once the norm, has given way to the creation of open worlds ripe with countless tales for individual exploration. This article will compare two of the most popular open-world games in recent history – Rockstar Games masterpiece – Red Dead Redemption 2 and Horizon: Zero Dawn from Guerilla Games. Both are stellar games in their own right, having perfected the open-world format.

Each video game has excellent character development, fantastic storytelling, and groundbreaking gameplay. Thus, choosing the better game may not be an easy task. Nevertheless, we will make it so you can select your favorite open-world game!

Let’s start with the gameplay aspect, which makes or breaks the game. Both titles exhibit incredibly creative approaches to the gameplay, setting new standards for creating an immersive experience that has influenced the whole generation. But which one did it better? Well, let’s find out!

Red Dead Redemption 2

Let’s start with Red Dead Redemption 2. Here, you can travel to a wonderful world, the entire western landscapes of the American frontier. The whole concept is declining, and only a few remaining vigilantes are left to roam the world freely. 

The crucial factor that significantly boosted the game's popularity among millions of players was its emphasis on realism. You can observe intricate details such as footprints left behind by your character or horse, the realistic process of skinning animals, and the meticulous gun-cleaning animations.

Additionally, the game offers exciting gunfights, horse riding, and survival elements, ensuring there’s plenty to do in this game. Similarly to the first game in the series, you can see how the creators tried to perfect every single part of the main game, but they have also focused heavily on the side quests to the main story. It’s truly a masterpiece regarding the sheer details of this world.

Horizon: Zero Dawn

On the other hand, Horizon: Zero Dawn also presents a Wild West-like world, but in entirely different circumstances. Similarly to the sequel, Horizon: Forbidden West, we experience a futuristic Earth where nature has taken over the world. You take control of Aloy, a hunter trying to go through this beautiful yet terrifying world. 

Although the game has a great story, let’s focus here on the mechanics of the game that made it so impactful. For starters, you get to interact with not your, you know, everyday horses but mechanical beasts, dinosaurs from times before humans ruled the world. 

Additionally, you get this mix of futuristic and primal weapons, with advanced bows and similar equipment. The game encourages you to explore this fantastical world full of wonders as you roam through the more natural, physical version of what used to be a civilization.

Verdict

Nevertheless, you all knew it would be Red Dead Redemption 2 as a winner. Let’s face it: this game did what none other could – it created a wonderful and immersive experience full of possibilities and mechanics that changed the gaming world. We cannot understate this title's importance for future reference and how it is still a gold standard for detailed experience that many games nowadays could only dream of! The point goes to Red Dead Redemption 2!

The next round is something those two games excel at – an open world! When it comes to the world design, each title presents a special edition of the Wild West. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a more classic, with living and breathing natural world villages spread far and wide. Horizon: Zero Dawn, on the other hand, shows you the complete edition of what would happen if we had done the wrong thing and let the world consume our civilization. Let’s see which game did it better!

Red Dead Redemption 2

Let’s start with the American frontier in the Red Dead Redemption 2. It’s full of possibilities, forests, tundras, mountains, and small towns full of life! The whole thing is beautifully animated, and it’s so fun to go through this great world, as you can experience life every step of the way. 

It’s a fantastic adventure, as you see many exciting things on your journey. There is no place where you feel dull or empty—every step of the way, you find multiple possible interactions. You can get into a pursuit, go on a hunt, or just do some side missions for your group. There are plenty of things to keep you occupied while enjoying the excellent story of Red Dead Redemption 2.

Horizon: Zero Dawn

Horizon: Zero Dawn focuses on a post-apocalyptic world full of nature and mechanical beasts. This world is lush with things you could encounter on Earth in your everyday life, but also – creatures that would not be able to exist these days. It all looks astonishing as the game fully immerses you in the landscape. And – thanks to the different mounts you can get and the climbing abilities of Aloy, you can travel horizontally and vertically. It’s one of the fullest universes we have ever played, as it shows you many different mysteries to unfold, and there is always something to do every step of the way.

Verdict

As it is pretty hard to compare both universes, we appreciate the advancement that Horizon: Zero Dawn brings to the table. Of course, the sheer amount of situations will probably be higher in the Red Dead Redemption 2. However, those situations, as different in the format as they are, are still within the real-world possibilities. With Horizon: Zero Dawn, you experience that aspect of the world and everything else it encompasses. So, in our opinion, it has a slight edge over the Rockstar game.

Next, we have to compare the story in both of these games. In each case, it’s a pretty remarkable achievement, as both are trying to accomplish something extraordinary. You can expect to see many different twists and turns of the plot as you go through the game and watch all the cut scenes and details. We hope you can appreciate both concepts, but we had to choose one, so let’s see where they excel and lack.

Red Dead Redemption 2

The first game revolves around the character of Arthur Morgan, an outlaw in the infamous Van der Linde gang. The times of gangs are slowly running away, as the whole Wild West concept is getting pushed out by the state-run world we know today. The story presents his moral struggles as he navigates through the tough life as a gang member, the politics within it, the racism that is apparent in everyday life, and the wonders of the United States from that era. The story is wonderfully written, with plot twists each step of the way. The amount of emotional baggage this game provides you with is incredible, especially considering that you start as the “bad guy” with a good heart, just to end up…well, let’s not spoil the fun!

Horizon: Zero Dawn

On the other hand, there’s Aloy from Horizon: Zero Dawn, a hunter in a world where humanity went tribal after the apocalypse. Aloy is one of the survivors trying to collect the pieces to find out what happened in this world. With themes of identity, what it means to be a human, ecology, and how to balance between being a human and a machine – it’s a beautiful and artful story that brings you to tears. You experience the vast world of possibilities and wonders as you combat through the world.

Verdict

Red Dead Redemption 2 embodies the classic tale of uncovering the truth about the world and how it shapes your morality and the lives of those around you. In contrast, Horizon: Zero Dawn delves into a journey of self-discovery, a prevalent theme in many modern narratives. However, both games offer compelling arguments about what defines a gripping plot, making it difficult to declare one superior over the other. Ultimately, it's a deadlock!

The next round is the graphics. As you have seen in many videos online, both of those games look fine as hell. Finally, we have titles that can compete for the best graphics trophy! Both came out around 2017-2018, yet there are still few contenders to create anything better than those two. Both are worth the money, and gamers worldwide agree that those are some of the best-looking titles ever. It will all come down to what you actually like, but let’s compare the two and see what comes up.

Red Dead Redemption 2

The first game on our list is Red Dead Redemption 2. The visuals of this title are astonishing, featuring some of the most breathtaking visuals ever on any platform. You have the rugged mountains and living cities, and the amount of detail regarding faces, movements, and even such small things as rabbits roaming around is outstanding. The game has been praised many times for its attention to detail, and it shows in the mechanics and the graphics. 

Horizon: Zero Dawn

Horizon: Zero Dawn presents a different kind of world. Still, it is stunning regarding the visuals but utterly unbelievable in what it offers. You have giant monsters roaming the world with technological advancements. Everything feels like a living and breathing world full of options to explore. 

There is not a single place that you would consider useless; everything is tied together. If you see something on the horizon, it’s not a picture; you can actually go there and see it for yourself. Additionally, there are plenty of ecosystems on the planet, so you can check out what is going on there. It’s a captivating experience that everyone should look at by themselves.

Verdict

We can agree that both of those games are top-tier when it comes to pushing the boundaries of creating a visually pleasing environment. With Red Dead Redemption 2 realism and futurism of Horizon: Zero Dawn, it’s really up to what you feel looks better rather than some clear-cut distinction between those games. In our opinion – this constitutes a tie!

And finally, you cannot create a realistic game without breaking some side quests! As we all know, the main story is where those games really excel at are all the additional elements that you spend hours, upon hours, to master. So, how do those titles compare? Well, let’s find out.

Red Dead Redemption 2

As with all Rockstar games like GTA and such, Red Dead Redemption 2 does not disappoint when it comes to creating an immersive experience where you can do almost anything you’d like. You can go fishing, wait for a good catch, go horseback riding, hunt animals and create clothes out of their fur, enjoy some stealth missions, and other intriguing stories you can explore. 

There are plenty of unique characters on your way to glory, and talking to everyone will get you an incredible amount of worlds and perspectives. Side quests are something that Red Dead Redemption 2 excels at, as you can spend hours upon hours trying to fight people bare knuckles, to eventually sitting with them and playing some cards. Honestly, which game would ever be able to grant you that?

Horizon: Zero Dawn

In Horizon: Zero Dawn, you get side quests in the form of “errands” and “side activities.” There are plenty of NPCs with problems; you can go on hunting quests, find some legendary relics, and such. Of course, the main story is still, well, main, but there is a lot to explore in those games. As you can imagine, most of it involves riding giant dinosaurs, so it’s always good fun.

Verdict

Absolutely, Red Dead Redemption takes the crown here! The world they've crafted is mind-blowing, packed with so many cool things to do that you can lose track of time just doing the basics. It's an insanely well-made game that hooks you in for hours upon hours of pure gaming bliss!

The undisputed champion is Red Dead Redemption 2! With its captivating storyline, expansive open-world, stunning graphics, and the fact that there's never a dull moment, it's a total winner. Everything about it keeps you engaged and entertained from start to finish! However, let's not forget, that both games are absolute masterpieces in their own league. There's nothing negative to say about either. They're both amazing in every aspect!