Light of Motiram doesn't have to plagiarize Horizon Zero Dawn.

Horizon Zero Dawn has a nice aesthetic. The idea of ​​robotic animals in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has re-emerged as various relatively primitive tribes that hunt those creatures for resources is a cool concept, but hardly lends itself to compelling storytelling and characters.

But Guerilla struck gold with this franchise, combining the heavy, oppressive mechanics of Killzone with a beautiful, oversaturated open world with a view around every corner you turn. It was so busy that I bounced off both games when the unfolding narrative failed to match the vivid nature of the visuals. But on the surface, Horizon Zero Dawn remains a graphical marvel.

Horizon Zero Dawn's aesthetic lends itself to imitation.

The recently released Polaris Quest and Tencent title Light of Motiram is such a blatant imitation of Horizon Zero Dawn that I can't believe it even has a Steam page. When I first saw it in action, I thought it was just a concept trailer with little chance of success, but I was blown away to see that it had the backing of a major publisher and appeared to have a decent development budget. How on earth does this exist?

Let's take a look at the website first. It features gorgeous core art and a moving musical backdrop that sounds as eerie as Horizon Zero Dawn's opening theme. It definitely wants you to look out over the saturated wilderness and take your breath away, but I can't ignore how everything is ripped apart in Guerrilla's blockbuster without any rhyme or reason.

It looks like you'll be able to recruit robotic animals to serve as pets or cute companions in battle. I think if the game included a gacha mechanism, it would be a way to show off to your friends.

You play as a hunter of sorts, a character you create who exists as part of a tribe who must venture into the wilderness to gather resources and befriend robotic creatures. These machines can be seen standing next to our character, a cute deer-like animal with pastel pink colors dotted throughout the design. The character also has similar frills on her clothes like Aloy, but I think the most blatant plagiarism can be found in the blue and orange ropes that decorate her bow and body. The color scheme of all the robots, their gray and blue designs, and the way the world is presented are so Horizon that it breaks my heart.

If you scroll down the website, you'll see a CG reveal trailer and three robot designs that you can view models and even rotate. Light of Motiram makes a point of giving most of them different colors and features gorilla bots never before seen in Horizon. But even the intention here is deeply rooted in copying more impressive works by way of buck and bull. .

But Light Of Motiram doesn't play games like Horizon Zero Dawn.

But as you can see from the gameplay, this isn't much different from Zero Dawn or Forbidden West. Combat seems focused on capturing and fighting enemies like spirits, but a variety of weapons can change the tide of battle, like robot companions you summon from the ether. You can customize it with weapons and a few cosmetic options, so the focus is on managing your tribe's identity rather than chasing a big, overarching story. If it's an online experience, there won't be a traditional narrative conclusion.

I would be very surprised if Sony's lawyers aren't currently watching this game and trying to figure out their options. It seems too blatant to not cross some kind of line.

If going solo isn't your style, there's plenty of building, resource gathering, crafting, and teaming up with friends. The moment-to-moment gameplay couldn't be more different from Horizon's, but by stripping it of every visual quirk it has, it weakens its overall identity. That's all anyone will notice, and it immediately ruins the title's reputation before anyone even has a chance to play it.

No one thought like this while looking at the monitor during development. Maybe it's not the best idea? Scratch that, they know exactly what they're doing and they believe the argument is their selling point. It's a real shame that whatever fresh ideas Light of Motiram might have had are now thrown to the wind.

It reminds me of Palworld, and the reason I've decided to never touch a Pocketpair-developed title is because its existence relies heavily on the Pokemon aesthetic, whether you side with it or not. Playing it makes me feel dirty, and I feel like my time would be better allocated to supporting something bolder, more original, and more likely to push the medium forward. This Horizon rip-off is no different, and shows the lack of creativity throughout the entire experience needed to get to that level.