Choose NieR:Automata™
Choose NieR:Automata™ if you want the Custom Volume Controls, Stereo Sound, and Playable without Timed Input side of the pairing. 49,162 Steam reviews back the pick.
NieR:Automata™ vs Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition
NieR:Automata™ and Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition both land in Action, RPG on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, RPG on Steam. NieR:Automata™ (2017) is 3 years older than Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition (2020). Both sit near 90% positive on Steam (NieR:Automata™: 49,162 reviews, Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition: 51,539). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition
Choose Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition if you want an Adventure experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2020) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 51,539 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both NieR:Automata™ and Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition sit in Action and RPG on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (90.1% vs 89.7% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 NieR:Automata™ |  Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2020 |
| Genres | Action, RPG | Action, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 15.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 90.1% positive (49,162 reviews) | 89.7% positive (51,539 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Square Enix, PlatinumGames Inc. | Guerrilla |
Side by side
- Both share Action, RPG on Steam.
- NieR:Automata™ (2017) is 3 years older than Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition (2020).
- Both sit near 90% positive on Steam (NieR:Automata™: 49,162 reviews, Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition: 51,539).
- Steam Deck: NieR:Automata™ is Deck Playable, Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition is Deck Verified.
NieR:Automata™ vs Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition — FAQ
- Which is better, NieR:Automata™ or Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: NieR:Automata™ sits at 90.1% positive (49,162 reviews), Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition at 89.7% (51,539). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play NieR:Automata™ or Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition first?
- If you want chronology, NieR:Automata™ (2017) came out before Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition (2020). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are NieR:Automata™ and Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition similar?
- They overlap on Action, RPG on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.