Horizon Zero Dawn, where you chase wildlife, and machines chase you.

The moment I knew about this game, I knew that I wanted to play it. It was super unique to me that the creatures around you were going to be machines instead of actual flesh and blood monsters, and you’d need to harvest their parts in order to upgrade your equipment. Bear in mind that there’s also wildlife such as rabbits, foxes, etc. that you’ll also have to kill for their mats, but still.

The detail everything, the outfits that you can wear. It was just really cool to read about and see people talk about.

Who is this game for?

Explanation to Negative Feedback

Clothing isn’t too different in stats

I get that some clothing is better for certain areas and having to deal with certain enemies, but you don’t really know what you’re getting into until you’re into it. And at that point you either have the appropriate clothing and can equip it, or you don’t.

Not only that, but the stats don’t differ too much. There’s no single one that’s OP in specific areas and it’s almost like some of the cheaper ones are just as good as some (not all) of the expensive ones as long as they’re modified appropriately.

Machine riding is a little awkward

Honestly, I’d much rather be running around everywhere rather than riding on a Strider or something, though they are useful in helping you fight when you convert machines to your side. But having to press a button multiple times in order to boost their speed and then pressing another button multiple times to slow them down is a bit cumbersome–even if you can just jump off at any speed and they’ll end up stopping.

Explanation to Positive Feedback

Unique machines

There are some cool looking machines in this game that you can either defeat or even climb up–the Tallnecks, specifically. But each machine has their own weakness to specific parts of their body and each one has different moves to hit you with as well as aggression levels. Not all of them will charge at you, meaning you’ll need to chase some down or hit them from afar with stealth on your side.

Either way…the machines are fascinating on first sight of each species.

Variety of weapons

With unique machines comes different and a variety of weaponry to attack them with. Some of them will deal killing blows, while others are there to stun or trap so you can get in close. Or better aim without them moving around.

It’s kind of a shame that the weapon wheel only has enough room for four weapons, because it makes you swap them out more often given the circumstances around you.

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Gameplay

Achievements

79 Steam achievements

Plot

EARTH IS OURS NO MORE

Experience Aloy’s entire legendary quest to unravel the mysteries of a world ruled by deadly Machines.

An outcast from her tribe, the young hunter fights to uncover her past, discover her destiny… and stop a catastrophic threat to the future.

Unleash devastating, tactical attacks against unique Machines and rival tribes as you explore an open world teeming with wildlife and danger.

Game Length

The main storyline is around 20 hours, but if you’re going for completionist, then you might clock in around 60 hours

Replay Value

Not really

Genre(s)

Horizon Zero Dawn Review

I love this game and the unique combat system of either throwing bombs, typing up machines, converting them to your side to fight the enemies or to ride them, and even climbing up the extremely tall Tallnecks. There’s so much going on with all the machines, though they are somewhat spaced out throughout the world so it doesn’t become too overwhelming when going from one location to another.

And while the machines are one of the coolest aspects of the game, I also love the beauty the game has to offer.

I mean, there’s not much else to say on that regard.

I will say the story really gripped me from the start and kind of petered out after a while, as I was more invested in actually exploring and finding all the machines and fighting them for parts and upgrading all of my stuff. If I wasn’t so ADD, I might’ve been a bit more invested in the story as a whole, since it’s not terrible, but the beginning…

The beginning is a real emotional roller coaster.

I think because the beginning had such a huge impact on an emotional level, it made the characters afterwards that we really didn’t know not very relatable.

The idea of there being an All-Mother to these people, and us knowing what’s actually going on, even though the characters don’t understand is a bit amusing and kind of like, people will believe what knowledge they’ve grown up around while others search out the real extent of things–Aloy. Granted, this is all thanks to her “not having a mother,” which makes it all the more fascinating to learn the world around us.