Horizon Zero Dawn is a sci-fi post-apocalyptic game that has a lot to offer in its world and story. The game stars Aloy, an outcast of her tribe. Her interactions with the machines are thought-provoking and explore various themes like paganism and religion. Hunting the machines and dismantling them is a fun and rewarding gameplay loop.
Story
The setting for Horizon Zero Dawn is the wreckage of a long-gone industrialized world. The remnants of technology have been replaced by hulking machines that roam the landscape like prehistoric beasts. The juxtaposition of Neolithic aesthetics with Aloy’s futuristic scavenged technology lends the game its unique style.
The player follows the path of flame-haired huntress Aloy, a Nora tribe outcast from birth. She is raised by another outcast, Rost, who teaches her to survive in the dangerous wilderness. Aloy eventually obtains a Focus, an augmented earpiece that gives her visions of the Old Ones and vital information about the surrounding environment.
As the story progresses, it becomes clear that HADES, the mysterious shadow god of the Nora, wants to kill the player. Using a rudimentary form of neural networking, the Focus relays these commands to the player via a voice in her ear.
Aloy’s journey ultimately leads to the capital city of Meridian, where the player confronts a fanatical splinter tribe of Nora, led by Jiran, a former champion of Rost. The splinter group is loyal to a new, unknown god called HADES, and they demand that the player be killed at the Proving. Fortunately, the splinter tribe is defeated in a dramatic battle between human and machine.
Visuals
For a game like Detective Pikachu Returns that debuted with post-apocalyptic fatigue raging at full throttle, Horizon Zero Dawn does a lot to shake it off. The main character, Aloy, is a sassy, skeptical and curious young woman whose quest to understand the world around her keeps you in her thrall.
From the velociraptor-like Watchers to lumbering Thunderjaws that dwarf a T-Rex, Guerrilla Games has crafted an enthralling collection of mechanical monsters. Their intelligent, almost human behavior is a joy to watch and surprisingly easy to manipulate with Aloy’s augmented earpiece that lets her track patrol routes.
The best thing about Horizon is the way it shows off its world with stunning visuals and an impressively diverse array of gameplay options. Hunting machines for parts, climbing Tallnecks to scout new areas, and exploring the many ecosystems of the world all feel rewarding. Even the central mystery, while a bit muddled toward the end, manages to keep you going.
The one area where the game falls short is in pacing, with a glut of points of interest and side missions clogging up your map. It’s also a little too easy to get caught up in the minutiae, like buying maps for collectibles or spending an hour trying to find a specific type of mushroom. But these are minor quibbles in a game that is otherwise a triumph of design and execution.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack in Horizon Zero Dawn was created by a number of people including the main composer Joris de Man from the Netherlands. It is an impressive mix of styles from a wide range of genres and instruments to create a truly unique sound. Cellos and guitars were used to create the tribal sounds and synthesizers were used for the machine music. The overall result is a wonderful soundtrack that really compliments the game world.
Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the best PS4 games from 2017 and a true gaming masterpiece. It has amazing graphics, great gameplay and an interesting story. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world where large beastly robots roam the wilderness. The player takes the role of Aloy, a tribal outcast who is hunted by these machines for no apparent reason. It is up to the player to discover why these machines are in the world and how they were created.
One of the greatest triumphs of Horizon Zero Dawn is its portrayal of a strong and confident female protagonist in a world dominated by male NPCs and menacing machines. Aloy is an unforgettable character who will resonate with players of all genders and ages. She is a survivor who has pushed past the prejudices of her tribe and the wonderment of male NPCs to carve out her own path in the ruins of civilization.
Gameplay
There are a lot of things to do in Horizon Zero Dawn. Its vast world, populated with creatures both terrifying and intriguing, is full of opportunities for player exploration. It’s also a playground where players can use their time to complete a wide variety of activities, from hunting down machines and collecting ancient artifacts to completing errands for townsfolk and engaging in combat.
All of this gameplay is incredibly satisfying on a technical level, thanks to the game’s dazzling visual fidelity. The game’s world is incredibly detailed, and regions of the map seamlessly transition between one topography to another. Its dynamic weather system adds even more depth to the experience, with changing conditions bringing new life to the landscape.
Aloy’s core weapons are the lance and bow, a pair that provides plenty of punch with their elemental damage and ranged damage capabilities. However, there is plenty of room for experimentation with a wide variety of additional weapons and gear, and the game’s combat rewards planning and trial-and-error learning.
Guerrilla Games has updated the modern sandbox formula to include a main quest that progresses the story, a wide array of side quests and errands akin to Skyrim’s unlimited radiant questing, and an assortment of vantage points and collectibles. These various gameplay elements, combined with the game’s stunning visuals and its compelling narrative, create a heady cocktail of brilliance that elevates Horizon above most other open-world games.
