When it was originally released in 2017, Horizon: Zero Dawn was immediately praised for its stunning visuals and gorgeous art direction. Simultaneously primeval and futuristic, the game's 31st-century landscape was truly a sight to behold.
To this day, fan artists continue to pay tribute to protagonist Aloy and the spectacular world in which she navigates. Whether their medium be pencil, watercolor, or 3D modeling, artists have showcased their talents on sites like DeviantArt, ArtStation, and more. Though the internet is full of these beautiful works of art, here are ten pieces that really capture what makes Horizon: Zero Dawn so special.
10 Mother Of Machines
It's hard to say what captures the eye first when gazing upon this piece by artist Gin Hinojosa. Aloy sits front and center, looking more like the subject of a Botticelli painting than a fearless machine hunter. The exquisite details of her armor and that of her Stalker companions stands in direct contrast to the watercolor landscape. Lastly, the dual palette of both grays and earthy colors perfectly captures Horizon's intersection of machines and nature. Yeah, it's a winner.
9 Aloy And Lara Croft
This art by MaggieRoseStudio depicts the franchise crossover that fans dream about. The combined might and skills of both Aloy and Tomb Raider's Lara Croft would truly form an unstoppable duo.
What's most interesting about this piece, however, is the moment in which the artist chose to capture. Instead of the two heroines wielding their bows and arrows in combat, the two appear to be scouting from an elevated vantage point. Not only does this depiction capture each character's intelligence, but it also conveys a strong sense of teamwork.
8 Hunting With Strider
When looking at this this piece by artist pixelcharlie, one can almost hear the rumble of robotic hooves as Aloy races multiple types of corrupted machines. The sense of movement here is wonderful, as if the machines might crash through the screen at any moment. Small details like Aloy's windswept hair adds to this effect, as well as the dust touches around the machines' rear feet. Moreover, the artist's use of light is equally impressive, as one's eye can't help but be drawn to the luminous blue of the Strider's "eyes." All in all, a remarkable piece.
7 Feathered Robot
According to artist Rahim Rahimi, this piece was inspired by a prompt from Daily Spitpaint, a site that challenges artists to create complete works in only thirty minutes based on a given topic. The prompt? "Feathered Robot." The result? This beautiful depiction of a Stormbird.
Illustrated in a more minimal style, this piece demonstrates how fewer details can produce amazing imagery if color, shadow, and perspective are utilized correctly. You know a piece of art is successful when you find yourself admiring the trees as much as the giant mechanical bird!
6 Erend And Aloy Having A Good Time
Thanks to the game's loyal fan base, the internet is now brimming with countless pieces of art that portrays Aloy and her allies in all sorts of combat scenarios. A bit rarer are pieces, like this one by Zekesplayground, that capture those "let your hair down" moments that even the bravest heroes require once in awhile. The smiles shared by Aloy and her Carja companion, Erend, are endearing to the say the least, and bring a very relatable quality to both the hunter and vanguard captain respectively. Even when the planet is overrun by corrupted machines, that's no reason not to share a laugh with a friend.
5 Aloy And Children
Another great moment captured by a talented fan, this piece by Larikova Maria depicts Aloy showing children different artifacts. The facial expressions are particularly noteworthy, especially that of the youngest child who is entirely in awe.
What really makes this piece standout is the juxtaposition of the foreground and background. While Aloy and the children are all smiles during their serene exchange, the ruins of a tattered Earth remind us of the dangers that Aloy faces when not taking some time to unwind.
4 Pixel Art
When a game like Horizon: Zero Dawn boasts such truly beautiful graphics, it would seem the last thing an artist would want to do is strip the setting and characters of their high visual quality. On the contrary, artist Frikki Swagger did just that with this retro interpretation of Aloy as a 2D hero. The result is a creative piece that suggests an alternative universe where Aloy's adventures were experienced on an SNES rather than a PS4. Best of all, you can watch the piece being composed on Frikki Swagger's YouTube channel!
3 Dilophosaurus
"Inspired by Jurassic Park," says artist Tom Radford in his description on ArtStation, "I decided to add frills similarly to the film to make the robot more unique looking. I tried to use a similar colour pallet and used models from Horizon: Zero Dawn as inspiration and reference."
Completed in only four days, Radford knocked it out the park with his masterful blending of a classic film and an instant classic video game. Now there's two great treats that taste great together!
2 Strike From Above
Artist friedchicken365 showcases some indisputable talent and creativity by choosing to portray Aloy in an awesome pre-strike pose. Not only is this piece very well drawn, but the medium allows the viewer to almost see the creative process come to life.
While many pieces of fan art are polished to perfection, the beauty of this illustration comes in part by the fact one can actually see the individual lines of coloration and shading. It really shows you don't need the most advanced equipment to create a work of art. With computer graphics looking more realistic all the time, they still may never outshine the simple tools of paint, pencil, and ink.
1 Aloy VS Helis
What's not to love about this showdown between Aloy and Helis, leader of the Eclipse? Add a stylized "VS" between their combative stares and you would have the load screen of an epic fighting game.
With that genre in mind, it should probably come as no surprise that artist Esau Murga's portfolio consists mostly of Mortal Kombat fan art. All that practice sketching Shao Kahn's helmet must have been useful when tackling Helis' battle armor, as the artist nails all the intricate angles and shadows. Battle armor or not, Aloy doesn't look like she's backing down from "The Stacker of Corpses."