REVIEW: Horizon Zero Dawn: Liberation Is an Enjoyable Side Adventure for Fans of the Game

Fans of the critically-acclaimed action-adventure video game Horizon Zero Dawn who want to get more out of its rich story can read this spin-off comic book titled Horizon Zero Dawn: Liberation from Titan Comics.

To give a little background of the game for the unfamiliar, a far future Earth has survived a global cataclysm, and has now been remade into a planet of filled with lush beauty and natural resources. A new generation of humans, without knowledge of the horrible past, regressed into multiple pre-industrial tribes. These humans walk among a new dominant species, the machines – massive animal-like robots who now rule at the top of the food chain.

Written by Anne Toole (one of the game’s writers) with pencils by Elmer Damaso and colors by Bryan Valenza & Stelladia, Horizon Zero Dawn: Liberation is set within the events of the game, particularly right around Aloy’s quest to find the ruins of Maker’s End. Fan-favorite Erend asked for her help to bring Korl, a known associate of Dervahl, to justice for murdering an Oseram trader. Fans of the game will be familiar with Dervahl, who is responsible for killing Erend’s sister Ersa.

The plot of the book jumps between two stories: Aloy and Erend’s mission to find Korl, and a flashback featuring Ersa and Erend’s time with the Carja in their uprising against Sun-King Jiran, Avad’s father. Writer Toole flawlessly balances these two plot points, celebrating the Aloy-Erend relationship while also further developing Ersa as a character. This added characterization gives more weight to Erend’s grief, and improves his character even more.

Elmer Damaso’s art evokes an anime/manga style which feels different especially when compared to the game. But it does not distract from an overall enjoyable experience. Damaso draws everything with much grace, as he features all the machines including Ravagers, and a Stormbird. His paneling is easy to follow and understand, leading the reader to the next page with ease.

It may be hard for newcomers to fully appreciate this book as it does require a bit of knowledge of the game to grasp all the references. Fans of Horizon Zero Dawn, however, can relive the sense of wonder and adventure of the game, as well as enjoy a fresh story set within the game’s events who are looking for more.