If you want to experience Aloy's latest adventure but don't have a PlayStation console, these games like Horizon Forbidden West on Xbox may do the trick. They may not take place in the futuristic, mechanised world of Guerrilla Games' title, but they replicate the zippy action gameplay and dystopian themes nonetheless.
If you're dedicated to the Xbox ecosystem - or just fancy a different game to satisfy that Horizon craving - then our picks of games like Forbidden West will help point you towards your latest game. Look out for action-packed frenzies, advanced sci-fi worlds, and plenty of exploration to boost.
Games like Horizon Forbidden West on Xbox
- Tomb Raider
- Just Cause 4
- Fallout 4
- Immortals Fenyx Rising
- Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
- ARK: Survival Evolved
Tomb Raider
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+ 6If it was the strong moment-to-moment action gameplay that drew you to Horizon Forbidden West, then Tomb Raider is more than an adequate replacement. This rebooted version of Lara Croft's story spans three games, though you can find the remaster of the 2013 original on Xbox One and Series X|S.
The first game melds the Indiana Jones-style gameplay of Uncharted with the open world exploration of Far Cry, making for an adventure quite unlike any other. We pick up with Lara as a novice explorer whose life entirely changes after her ship goes down. Forced to fend for herself, it's a period of several days that turns this sheepish young woman into the eponymous tomb raider.
If you like the look of Horizon Forbidden West for the strength of its female lead, especially in a genre usually dominated by macho male protagonists, then Tomb Raider is certainly for you. Lara has been a gaming icon for decades, and this recent reboot proves why.
Just Cause 4
click to enlarge + 6Next on our list is the most recent Just Cause game, famed for being some of the most expansive and destructible sandboxes in all of gaming. We once again step into the shoes of international agent Rico Rodríguez as he heads to the fictional island of Solís to take down a brutal dictator Gabriela Morales.
While Just Cause 4 and Horizon Forbidden West may not seem at all similar on the surface, they both shine thanks to their open world gameplay. Rico is a more nimble protagonist than Aloy, using his grappling hook to zip around the South American sandbox like a gun-wielding Batman.
But at its core, if it's exploration and rich, green open worlds that attract you to the Horizon franchise, Just Cause 4 can fill that space. Just don't expect any mech dinosaurs in this game!
Fallout 4
click to enlarge + 6The Horizon series is renowned for its colourful spin on the dystopian formula, but if you long for something a little darker, the latest entry in the Fallout series should do the trick. Released in 2015, Bethesda's most recent single-player RPG will keep you busy for hundreds of hours.
Quite unlike Aloy and her legions of followers, you play as the sole survivor from VaultTec Vault 111. Alone, you traverse this singed landscape in search of your missing son Shaun, looking for any signs that he may still be alive. Along the way you battle all sorts of ravenous beasts, from hulking Deathclaws to creepy crab-like Mirelurks.
While their stories couldn't be more different, it's the desolate dystopian atmosphere that makes Fallout 4 a worthy Xbox replacement for Horizon Forbidden West. Aloy's adventures are slightly lighter in tone, but both her and the Sole Survivor are constantly battling to find their feet in vastly changed worlds.
Immortals Fenyx Rising
click to enlarge + 6If you're willing to ditch technologically advanced societies for ancient myths and historical worlds, Immortals Fenyx Rising is for you. Set during the heyday of the ancient Greek gods, you play as Fenyx, an entirely customisable protagonist looking to save his brother from the clutches of Typhon.
While their stories are certainly disparate, the visuals and gameplay of Immortals Fenyx Rising are very similar to Horizon Forbidden West. Both are set in dense open worlds rich with vegetation and forests to explore, with Immortals bringing a slightly more cartoonish style.
For those who may find the Horizon games slightly too adult, or perhaps a little too overbearing in their themes of dystopia, Immortals Fenyx Rising is a more light-hearted alternative.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
click to enlarge + 6When you think of Xbox games like Horizon Forbidden West, the chances are that the recent Guardians of the Galaxy game doesn't immediately spring to mind. However, Square Enix's take on Star-Lord, Rocket, and co. shares a surprising number of similarities with the Horizon series.
Namely, the action-packed third-person combat can be very similar. You only get to play as Star-Lord in this game, but he's just as nimble a fighter as Aloy. Zipping around spaceships and the surface of colourful planets, twin blasters in hand, is almost as gripping as riding atop a mech dinosaur while slaying enemies.
They both tell deep sci-fi stories too, with Guardians of the Galaxy containing plenty of cameos from recognisable Marvel faces along the way. It's much more laidback than Forbidden West, but hits the spot in terms of its combat.
ARK: Survival Evolved
click to enlarge + 6Last on our list for now is another survival-based game, but one that handles its gamplay very differently. Your task is to build a new civilisation in a realm flooded with dinosaurs but also modern technology.
As such, you'll create forts with armed guards on the doors while also riding a triceratops to get around quickly. Something that makes it slightly differenty to Horizon Forbidden West is the multiplayer component, letting you explore the vast open world with friends.
Therefore, ARK: Survival Evolved can work as a perfect Horizon replacement thanks to their similar world design, even if it's more leaning towards strategy than Guerrilla's game.
That's it for our recommendations of games like Horizon Forbidden West on Xbox! Some of them are even on Game Pass, meaning you won't have to shell out extra cash to give them a shot.
Elsewhere, feel free to check out our list of games like The Last of Us if you're a fan of zombie games. We've also got picks of the best free action games and the best free FPS games for further genre recommendations.