No, it definitely wouldn't be the same game, you're right there. Still, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. It was literally the only complaint I had. 

Didnt watch the video/review because I dont agree with the use of clickbait titles as a means to garner an audience; and as such I cannot support such... vulgar practices.
However, it should be known that Sony's only answer to Zelda is "yes, please".

Yeah, it's not the same as when SEGA made the Phantasy Star series so they would have something to counter Nintendo having Final Fantasy. SEGA tried many games to have an answer for Zelda. Golden Axe Warrior. Crusader of Centry. Landstalker. Golvellius. Sonic of course was an answer for Mario. Sony has made some attempts in the past to have an answer for Nintendo series. Crash for Mario. A few Kart clones. A smash bros clone. HZD is not aiming to be like Zelda. Funny enough God of War 2018 is closer to Zelda(and still very different) than HZD series.

Yes, it’s Sonys answer to Zelda much like Blinx was MS’s answer to Mario.

Couldn't agree more. A Zelda directed more so to the adult crowd. Not that Zelda can't be enjoyed by adults, or that Horizon can't be enjoyed by kids and teens.

so you have an issue with the Nintendo centric crowds comments and not the clickbait title by the OP? 

Horizon reminds me of Skyward Sword in that it bludgeons you over the head with the solutions to the "puzzles" before you're even allowed to look at them. I finally played Rise of the Tomb Raider recently and it has the same problem. Maybe other people enjoy that more than me?

Thanks for another review ZyroX! Short and too the point. Fully agree with the analysis on HFW - clunky platforming mechanics and melee combat is still pretty bad. I've played about 10 hours of HFW and it felt a bit underwhelming? Something seems lacking. That being said the world is beautiful and having distinct art styles across different regions is really awesome to have in an open world game.

With regards to comparisons to Elden Ring - two really different games, but HFW obviously falls short. That being said, I think one area where Elden Ring lacks is that it actually does not have that many varied designs across the regions. Coming from Bluepoints Demon souls I feel like Elden Ring slightly hit a miss there. But given the variety in gameplay its clear where they put their focus and its all the better for it.

Had I known this would happen... lmfao

WHOA, y'all would pick some super busy week for me to pile on lol...  Given how this thread went, I have no doubt the one I post today will not get a single reply lmfao

I realized how many people I didn't quote, so I'll just reply in a general form:

Sony has answered many games over its years: Uncharted was their answer to Gears of War, PlayStation All-Stars their answer to Smash Bros, etc.  Much like they answered the N64 analog stick by doing TWO analog sticks, there's a history there of them trying to find a way to capture an audience playing a pillar game.

Having clarified that, I noticed people jumping to BotW, and I said "Zelda", not "BotW".  The fact that Nintendo fans gravitate towards BotW being their coup de grace in all conversations of an open world game is on them, not me.  What Sony wanted was a more action-adventure type game focused on combat and exploration.  HFW adds much more puzzles to the mix, too (relic ruins anyone?), though they PALE in comparison to Zelda's puzzles and could probably be solved by toddlers (lol), and Aloy just narrates everything which is insane.  To NOT see that Sony has tried to inject Zelda's influence into their Horizon franchise is a more defensive mindset because it is there, and it's pretty clear they want to have their own "Zelda".. They even have their own "dungeons" (cauldrons, anyone?), though also rather smaller/shorter in comparison.  And as I said, I'm absolutely cool with that, there are things HFW does better than Zelda (barring the obvious part being graphics and story-telling) despite falling short in other areas.

The fact that they've "answered" it doesn't mean they've "copied" it or "bested" it.  Console fans just love getting a little wild with their interpretations of simple words, and accuse things of being "clickbait" (which I hate).  And I should clarify since that is also another misunderstood thing: clickbait is the use of something deceptive in an effort to get a viewers attention without ever actually addressing said clickbait.  I actually mean what I said, here, there's no clickbait.  It just SEEMS that way to defensive "fans", as if people cannot compare similarities between games because "OMG ZELDA SO MUCH BETTER THOUGH HFW IS JUST GENERIC AAA GRAPHICS TRASH" narratives are so prevalent.

Just for shits and giggles, though, here's how clickbait actually works.  Costco DOES still sell the rotisserie chicken, and this ad knows it's a HOT item, so they used it in their image as clickbait, but as it turns out, ITS NOWHERE ON THE LIST BECAUSE IT'S STILL BEING SOLD.  THAT is clickbait, using something to completely deceive the viewer without having literally anything to do with it.  My statement is NOT clickbait, it just feels that way to "gamers" lol... Now whether you agree or disagree with my statement is its own matter entirely, and I respect those in the thread that simply disagree.  I'm not against disagreement, but I AM against baseless accusations lmfao