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So I played through Horizon Zero Dawn for the first time
- Thread starter Deleted member 59955
- Start date
Never got to finish the game but where I was in it, I was really enjoying it. I need to buy another ps4 or wait for the ps5 to finish it
I wish they figured out how to deliver story beats without the ugly purple holograms.
Having to stop moving every couple of minutes to listen to a hologram is not cool, especially when you are learning all the big secrets.
Frozen Wilds made a lot of good improvement.
I still don't know why Aloy is considered a well developed character.
Having to stop moving every couple of minutes to listen to a hologram is not cool, especially when you are learning all the big secrets.
Frozen Wilds made a lot of good improvement.
I still don't know why Aloy is considered a well developed character.
Think the story doesn't get the credit it deserves sometimes.
One of the best I've encountered through out this gen.
One of the best I've encountered through out this gen.
I really hope the sequel is a launch window title. I replayed the game fir the fifth time recently and I can't wait for more.
Its probably the GotG for me (beats out GoW because it's a new IP).
Its probably the GotG for me (beats out GoW because it's a new IP).
Still playing it recently myself. I'm not a fan of the UI/inventory system, but the game plays smoothly no complaints there. It feels like the human combatants are just moving sponges, until I started upgrading to better weapons.
Now the beast machines? Yeah, that's fun stuff. The Glinthawks forced me to pay attention to elemental damage and I adjusted to them now. I still haven't attacked a Thunderjaw yet. I'm using tripwire and traps as my prefight setup now. The fact that the beasts love to charge you makes baiting them pretty easy. I also quickly noticed that they lead their projectile attacks and had to change tactics.
The overworld is ok for the most part. I enjoy the cauldrons and main quest much more. Once I reached Meridian I felt like I was drowning in new quests requests. I also maxed out my inventory several times before realizing I had to make pouches to increase capacity. A little annoying.
Overall, it was a good game at first that became much greater now that I'm digging in, but the flaws are keeping this from being a top game for me. I'm definently beating this though. The story has been intriguing enough.
Now the beast machines? Yeah, that's fun stuff. The Glinthawks forced me to pay attention to elemental damage and I adjusted to them now. I still haven't attacked a Thunderjaw yet. I'm using tripwire and traps as my prefight setup now. The fact that the beasts love to charge you makes baiting them pretty easy. I also quickly noticed that they lead their projectile attacks and had to change tactics.
The overworld is ok for the most part. I enjoy the cauldrons and main quest much more. Once I reached Meridian I felt like I was drowning in new quests requests. I also maxed out my inventory several times before realizing I had to make pouches to increase capacity. A little annoying.
Overall, it was a good game at first that became much greater now that I'm digging in, but the flaws are keeping this from being a top game for me. I'm definently beating this though. The story has been intriguing enough.
It's a great challenge in the base game and super punishing in Frozen Wilds.
You'll probably need your Shield Weaver armor.
probably my favorite new IP this gen. as a fan of the Ubi style open world games, this game just felt incredibly fresh. what elevated it for me was the combat being satisfying and the world fun to explore. the cherry on top was the surprisingly good story and lore they set up. completely engrossed by this game and love it to pieces. you can see the improvements that need to be made, they're clear as day, but that just makes me more excited for a sequel, as GG is probably improving on that aspects of the game.
also frozen wilds was such an improvement on the base game it makes you salivate what the potential sequel will be like. hnng
also frozen wilds was such an improvement on the base game it makes you salivate what the potential sequel will be like. hnng
I recently played through The Frozen Wilds after finishing the main game a couple of years ago, and a realization struck me as I was playing: Horizon is quietly one of my favorite games of all time. The combat loop really clicks with me, and the story touches on so many of the anxieties I have about our present in a way that very few games do; ESPECIALLY games that exist in the AAA space.
Kill your local Big Tech CEO.
Kill your local Big Tech CEO.
Wish I could get into it. I really like the main character and the would but so many of the dots on the map felt like a chore for me. Maybe I will try again on PC
It's verry tough early on, but as you get more NG+ Gear and good mods it gets really fun, with a good balance. Stealth Armour is extremely useful, lowers the agro range and makes disengaging from combat a lot easier and stealth is pretty OP in general. Also try and get a 4 mod slot armour (NG+ Gear) and put some resistance mods in it, will make getting hit slightly less punishing. Avoid groups of Robots when possible early on too, especially the flying ones (hell just avoid these throughout really), they'll mess you up super fast.
Shield Weaver is pretty limiting in Ultra Hard now, it makes you pretty much just 2 hit killable, which isn't terrible as you die pretty fast regardless, but other armours with mods can take more hits than that and it doesn't have mod slots, so, no element resistances, enemies agro from quite far away and against groups it's pretty much useless.
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Hmm, I'll look into this. Probably going to replay it in the summer lull after TLOU2. I'm most likely going to skip out on doing it in Frozen Wilds because there's no trophy requirement for that.
Laugh all you want but after i bought the PS4 I went through a stage where i was not in the mood for videogames. i almost regretted buying it. i remember playing games but not having fun with it anymore and was about to give up. i thought i had moved on or something. sometimes it happens and we go through stages like this right?
I started Horizon and i was a kid again. I didn't feel like that since maybe Uncharted 2. i fell in love with the world, the game mechanics, fighting mechs was actually great, sidequests weren't boring and it all played amazing! i don't think i ever had a single drop in frames during this. also...the main storyline was damn great as well. i was hooked.
I started Horizon and i was a kid again. I didn't feel like that since maybe Uncharted 2. i fell in love with the world, the game mechanics, fighting mechs was actually great, sidequests weren't boring and it all played amazing! i don't think i ever had a single drop in frames during this. also...the main storyline was damn great as well. i was hooked.
I am a little baffled by you talking about the human combat which is entirely avoidable through large chunks of the game. If you don't want to bother with it you don't have to outside of some of the story missions. Its honestly not a huge part of the game and like 80% or more is about fighting the robo dinos.
The graphics? The dino combat?
She is her own person from the get go and she actually grows as person over the course of the game as she starts to figure out who she is a person in this world.
Not many games have balls to have their PC change as person over the single game. Even someone like Nathan Drake was progressed or regressed as character between entries, but during entry X he was very much static.
I thought the present day story was a little lackluster although the story of the past world was interesting.
The story really resonated with me for some reason. One of the most enjoyable game of this generation for me.
(spoilers)
I don't really see any growth beyond the ...uh proving grounds trial and Rost dying. Her being an outcast gets resolved pretty quickly in game. She just seems like the standard, optimistic protagonist throughout.
I loved the hell out of it and it's a coin toss between Witcher 3, BOTW and AC Origins and this game for my favorite open world game of this gen (haven't played spider man yet and I bounced pretty hard off RDR2)
The combat, robot AI, stealth, etc was all really well done and I would put it at a tie honestly with bloodborne as my game of the generation on PS4. I went back and played probably another 15 or so hours of HZD in NG+ after getting a new 4k HDR TV. It looks STUNNING and is still one of, if not the most impressive looking game (to me) on PS4. GOW didn't really do it for me.
The combat, robot AI, stealth, etc was all really well done and I would put it at a tie honestly with bloodborne as my game of the generation on PS4. I went back and played probably another 15 or so hours of HZD in NG+ after getting a new 4k HDR TV. It looks STUNNING and is still one of, if not the most impressive looking game (to me) on PS4. GOW didn't really do it for me.
Well I got impression more than once that....
She is very reluctant hero in more than one point of story as she feels this huge responsibility is being put on without being asked, just because DNA she has. There is points where she struggles with that before coming to terms with it. Same time game shows that she is her own person despite her heritage, she isn't Liz. This comes from us having quite a bit exposure to Liz and naturally to Aloy. There is also small arc of her questioning if she is just DNA she was given because AI needed her DNA, is she real person?
Ending cutscene her going home, to Liz was nice bow on top and closure on this part of her life. Her truly coming to terms with her origins and coming to terms with duality of who she is.
Game also brings up some light questions about nature vs. nurture aspect with how she was raised up by the tribe, but how her smartness just manifests itself and she e.g. explains in detail how she knows that Earth is round.
Ending cutscene her going home, to Liz was nice bow on top and closure on this part of her life. Her truly coming to terms with her origins and coming to terms with duality of who she is.
Game also brings up some light questions about nature vs. nurture aspect with how she was raised up by the tribe, but how her smartness just manifests itself and she e.g. explains in detail how she knows that Earth is round.
Great game with plenty faults , some of the in world story the tribal stuff just felt a massive waste of time to be honest but the over arcing story of those who came before and faro was very good.
I wish it just wrapped up with the finding the body as it felt a really complete well told story at that point the little avengers style after credits thing really soured me tbh
I wish it just wrapped up with the finding the body as it felt a really complete well told story at that point the little avengers style after credits thing really soured me tbh
It's a great game, served me well as an Anti-thesis to BOTW. My only issue is it still has the typical GG curse from Killzone. The lore is more interesting that the plot. They've got to stop with that stuff. Sure the first entry in a series is about world building BUT the main plot still needs to be good.
I'm glad that you got something meaningful out of it. She's just boring to me.
Considering that she was basically raised by Rost and a Focus (the bluetooth headset), the developers could have made her socially awkward or bizarre in conversation...and then she could develop a more natural personality throughout. Anything to give her some personality besides the interesting hair.
Horizon Zero Dawn is one of my favorite PS4 games. It's up there in my top 5 personal best PS4 games along with Bloodborne and Uncharted 4.
The story, world building, gameplay, graphics, all top notch. It had been a while since I was that invested in a narrative, and one I didn't already figure out what was going on and what was going to happen until it was revealed. And that ending was perfect. The Frozen Wilds DLC was also great.
Zero Dawn is also one of the few games I played so much I got the Platinum Trophy for it (I don't give a shit about trophies, and don't actively pursue them).
The story, world building, gameplay, graphics, all top notch. It had been a while since I was that invested in a narrative, and one I didn't already figure out what was going on and what was going to happen until it was revealed. And that ending was perfect. The Frozen Wilds DLC was also great.
Zero Dawn is also one of the few games I played so much I got the Platinum Trophy for it (I don't give a shit about trophies, and don't actively pursue them).
Graphics was okay but nothing that I would be impressed by. It's a bit similar to how I've felt about TW3's graphics where there were great vistas but everything looked a bit off up close, indoors and with lighting in general. The game came out a bit late in the gen to be graphically impressive IMO.
The combat did absolutely nothing for me. I think I even liked climbing tallnecks more than the combat.
I liked Frozen Wilds but not nearly as much as the main game. I think it was partly my fault though as I got the Platinum in the main game before moving onto Frozen Wilds. After the 60-70 hours beating the game, it felt weird going back to before the ending to do the side story.
Oh I meant announcing the PC port and maybe even doing a "And it will be available... right now" sort of thing.
Horizon came out over 3 years ago, 4 years after the PS4 came out. I don't see any game from 2017 that looked that good at release.
I loved the story, but it was the gameplay I fell in love with, especially on harder difficulties that required me to be more creative.
Quoting an encounter I had with a friend, "I see the Thunderjaw and prepare my traps. My planning complete, I lure him over as he begins to attack, tripping the wires and being staggered. I race forward and blast his cannon with tearblast arrows, blowing off his rocket launcher which I equip and start blasting away. He recovers quicker than I expect and begins sending his laser funnels at me, showering the area in red death. I drop the launcher to regain my mobility and dodge like my life depends on it, seeing an opening as I leap off some debris into the air for a clear shot. I swap to my piercing arrows and nail him right in a weak spot, staggering him. I race in for damage, but I get clipped by a sudden tail swap, staggering me back. He's enraged and chasing me down now, faster than I can fire. I swap to my ropecaster, firing backwards as I retreat, each mark slowing him down until eventually he's locked in place, smashing to the ground. I race forward, seizing the opportunity, and reclaim the launcher to blast him in the face. Near defeat, both of us low on health, I run out of ammunition and race forward with my spear just as the ropes snap from his body flail. I smash his skull with a heavy strike, the last bit I need to claim victory as the massive mechanic beast collapses at my feet."
I've had so many great experiences like this.
I respectfully disagree. Not all music scores need to be hummable thematic bangers for your iPod to make them work within the story.
And the actual thematic tracks that do play (Aloy's theme, the reveal scenes towards the end of the game) are quite memorable.
My sister after finishing it suggested something that seems so obvious for the sequel.
We never DID find Ted's body, right? My sister assumes he has some wickedly advanced cryo-tech (I mean he's like one of the richest people to ever live). And he thaws out to present day, and continues his bullshit 'holier than thou' attitude about how humanity doesn't deserve the Earth.
Having him as a sequel trailer stinger would get everyone HYPED and pissed. Would definitely be the best thing to show me, and I would be like, "oh nah, fuck this dude, I need to play this sequel to squash him for good."
Having him as a sequel trailer stinger would get everyone HYPED and pissed. Would definitely be the best thing to show me, and I would be like, "oh nah, fuck this dude, I need to play this sequel to squash him for good."
Easily one of the most effective villains in any game ever.
I loved HZD but I'm slightly conflicted because ultimately to me it felt like a superb story campaign wrapped inside of a mediocre open world game.
Everything about the game was merely passable to me until the main story threads starting tying things together.
What's really crazy about the story is that it was retrofitted after Guerilla Games came up with three basic concepts, a heroine, post post apocalyptic setting with tribal warriors, and robot dinosaurs. John Gonzales and his team did a hell of a job.
I always saw her arc having some similarities with Bruce from Batman Begins.
Up to the point before she gets on the trail for Hades and Zero Dawn, she is a decent person with fighting skills, but she isn't quite a hero, just another person out for her interests. The story establishes strong reasons why she would be justifiably not be willing to defend people who ostracized her, so then it has to slowly bring her around to becoming that character.
And while the side quests expose her to situations and characters that challenge her set views about the world, it's the main quest and her learning of her mother/ predecessor's legacy that slowly push her into being that epic hero. The story basically takes her personal quest (learning about her mother, and to a lesser extent getting revenge for Rost) and threading that into the world narrative (the main worldwide threat).
If Aloy's found out that her mother was just some chieftain from another village, she would have happily left the Nora and never looked back, and the world would be doomed. If she had killed Helis at the camp, there's no reason for her to hunt him down to the launch site in Utah, or go to Sunfall. Even Sylens remarks how unconcerned she is about the world backstory at Maker's End. She only really gets invested later on.
I actually want some movie/ tv series adaptation to make that point clearer. It's not about her swinging all the way from bad to good like Zuko, it's how a decent person with some abilities gets put on the path to be a legendary hero, like Aang.
And while the side quests expose her to situations and characters that challenge her set views about the world, it's the main quest and her learning of her mother/ predecessor's legacy that slowly push her into being that epic hero. The story basically takes her personal quest (learning about her mother, and to a lesser extent getting revenge for Rost) and threading that into the world narrative (the main worldwide threat).
If Aloy's found out that her mother was just some chieftain from another village, she would have happily left the Nora and never looked back, and the world would be doomed. If she had killed Helis at the camp, there's no reason for her to hunt him down to the launch site in Utah, or go to Sunfall. Even Sylens remarks how unconcerned she is about the world backstory at Maker's End. She only really gets invested later on.
I actually want some movie/ tv series adaptation to make that point clearer. It's not about her swinging all the way from bad to good like Zuko, it's how a decent person with some abilities gets put on the path to be a legendary hero, like Aang.
One of the best new IPs this gen and one of the best games on PS4. Cannot wait for the sequel on PS5.
Stealth is okay but fighting them in any capacity is poor and unsatisfying, in my opinion. From memory they also make up the bulk of encounter types from the main campaign missions.
One of the aspects of the game that I loved and haven't seen many bring up is the fact that you can just fuck off in the middle of a quest because something shiny/interesting caught your attention, and it doesn't result in a "quest failed," or "you are leaving the mission area."
One of the biggest failings of many open world games I've played is that some missions will take you to an area of the map that you haven't seen, but won't let you explore it because you're in a mission, and when the mission is over, a lot of the time you won't remember that cool location to revisit.
I loved being able to just go investigate a cool area I see while doing a mission, go explore it, then come back to the mission without missing a beat. It made the game feel less video gamey, and more immersive to me.
One of the biggest failings of many open world games I've played is that some missions will take you to an area of the map that you haven't seen, but won't let you explore it because you're in a mission, and when the mission is over, a lot of the time you won't remember that cool location to revisit.
I loved being able to just go investigate a cool area I see while doing a mission, go explore it, then come back to the mission without missing a beat. It made the game feel less video gamey, and more immersive to me.
Game is so much fun. Combat a bit too easy to cheese and you too quickly get too many powerful weapons, but it's just very good. Ashly Burch VA is really wonderful, too. Aloy is a great character even if a bit too much goody two shoes in a Kazuma Kiryu kind of way
Thanks for the thoughtful reply.
If the post-Zero Dawn/tribal plot was more interesting, then I could more easily buy the idea that her initial, "personal quest" was something of a selfish starting point to the arc.
As it is, I think most players gravitated toward the pre-apocalypse mystery so that proposed arc.. of initially being unconcerned with the wider world.. gets confused.
Just looking at the general narrative structure..her emotional low points tend to be concentrated near the beginning. This ends up leaving her hanging for the majority of the game.
If the post-Zero Dawn/tribal plot was more interesting, then I could more easily buy the idea that her initial, "personal quest" was something of a selfish starting point to the arc.
As it is, I think most players gravitated toward the pre-apocalypse mystery so that proposed arc.. of initially being unconcerned with the wider world.. gets confused.
Just looking at the general narrative structure..her emotional low points tend to be concentrated near the beginning. This ends up leaving her hanging for the majority of the game.
I agree, the story is both logistically and emotionally front and back loaded, leaving nothing in the middle. I remember shrugging off the "main quest" of Dervhal trying to blow up Sunfall, because it felt like a side quest only put in the main story as filler. And yeah, the point is to set up the new Sunking to be willing to listen to Aloy in the end when she comes in talking worldending machines, but it could have been done better.
Also wish the quest of Sona and her son helping Aloy at the stadium were more attached to the main story. It felt more generic than it should be, as Varl is seemingly being set up to be important to Aloy later.
Honestly part of me wishes Vala and Bast hadn't been killed off. Yeah it was a cool swerve from the Hunger Games type plot, but I actually liked their characters.
Good thing the gameplay holds it up during the middle sections.
Also wish the quest of Sona and her son helping Aloy at the stadium were more attached to the main story. It felt more generic than it should be, as Varl is seemingly being set up to be important to Aloy later.
Honestly part of me wishes Vala and Bast hadn't been killed off. Yeah it was a cool swerve from the Hunger Games type plot, but I actually liked their characters.
Good thing the gameplay holds it up during the middle sections.
Seriously FUCK Ted Faro. After dooming the world he STILL has the arrogance to murder all the people working on Gaia because 'its not my fault, technology is to blame!'. I wish he was just shit on constantly in the flashbacks.
decided to pick it up again mid-way through (I stopped for a while when playing BOTW and never went back especially after I failed my chance to 100% it in one go...). Took me a bit to get used to the controls. But the graphics are still amazing for the PS4 Pro and the story is still compelling
I agree with this and yes it was definitely largely overlooked.
I feel the same way about Sona, Varl, Vala, and Bast.
What should be the narrative low point.. when the Faro machines wake up, start attacking the Nora, and the colors get desaturated.. feels a little devoid of any stakes, despite the visuals being a nice signifier of "serious shit going down."
Having some more characters that were more relevant and having some of them possibly die in that moment would have been more appropriate.
It was a good first outing for a new franchise. Yes, the robot fights did hold things up. Frozen Wilds shows a lot of promise for a sequel.
good talk
What should be the narrative low point.. when the Faro machines wake up, start attacking the Nora, and the colors get desaturated.. feels a little devoid of any stakes, despite the visuals being a nice signifier of "serious shit going down."
Having some more characters that were more relevant and having some of them possibly die in that moment would have been more appropriate.
It was a good first outing for a new franchise. Yes, the robot fights did hold things up. Frozen Wilds shows a lot of promise for a sequel.
good talk