Horizon: Zero Dawn

I spent two months straight with it, with no interest in anything else. I wanted to drag it out. Even now, having exhausted the game, I can't bring myself to remove the disc from my PS4 and move on. Loved it.

I think unplugging from forums helped me to enjoy it, uncontaminated by the griping of others. Not that there was a whole lot of griping with this game -- the little I read indicated that most people loved it. But reading forums can often spoil the enjoyment of a game for me.

I plan to do the same with Mass Effect Andromeda, although it may be too late for that one, because the forum and press negativity has already seeped into my head.
Take it out. Store it away. Don't touch it again until you get a 4K tv. Be blown away all over again.
 
Well, Persona 5 arrived in the mail today, so it's time to move on. From weird to weirder.

I look forward to the DLC, hopefully later this year. I expect it will be a big chunk of gaming, no $5 add-on but a $30 expansion, with as much gaming content as other full games have -- on the level of Witcher's or Uncharted's DLC. Maybe we'll get some news at E3.
 
Here's an interview by Neil Druckman of Herman Hulst, the managing director of Horizon. I loved listening to these two high-level guys talk about the game. It was taped before the game was released.

The best part for me was where they talked about creating Aloy as a character. I've cued it up there (a little before that). It made me appreciate how much work and thought went into creating her. It also made me appreciate how important a good character is for me.

Later in the clip, they talk about going on GAF (or "the GAF," as Hulst calls it) and getting feedback about their games.

 
  • Like
Reactions: Dno69
Glad you came around on that. It's a good console, and there are plenty of benefits to owning one, the main reason being better looking PS4 exclusives. I spent pretty much all of last year playing nothing but PS4 exclusives, and this year is starting out no different. So it was a no-brainer for me.
Yea I barely touched my PS4 last year but decided to get the Pro anyways back in January. Way too many good exclusives coming up at that point that I wanted to play at the best settings possible.
 
I forgot to mention, for those of you who haven't played or finished the game yet:

I strongly recommend playing with:

1. Waypoint Pathfinding and Quest Pathfinding turned Off. You will still have a quest marker at the very end, but you won't have little arrows constantly prompting you to go this way, then that way, etc. It's much more immersive. You get a better feel for the environments, and you don't feel like you're being led around by the nose.

2. The HUD set to Dynamic or Custom. That will suppress almost all the basic HUD elements, which crowd the screen and interfere with appreciating the natural beauty all around you, not to mention reducing immersion. You can always bring the basic HUD elements up with a brief tap of the touchpad. I set mine to Custom because Dynamic still displayed the Compass, and I wanted that hidden dynamically as well.

I spent a little more time with the game, looking for fish and raccoon skins, on the pretext of getting a pouch upgrade I didn't need, but really just wanting an excuse to play a bit more. Then I went through my 128 screenshots, as a way of sort of replaying the journey. Nice way to wrap it up. Lots of beautiful shots. I looked at a few Skyrim shots afterwards and was like "eww."
 
  • Like
Reactions: Viktor
The 1.20 update (273mb) came out on Monday if anyone cares.

Not sure if it was in earlier updates, but I like being able to turn off the indicators for plants and downed enemies that littered the screen. I haven't played around with the photo mode much, but some of the poses you can use are amusing.
 
I forgot to mention, for those of you who haven't played or finished the game yet:

I strongly recommend playing with:

1. Waypoint Pathfinding and Quest Pathfinding turned Off. You will still have a quest marker at the very end, but you won't have little arrows constantly prompting you to go this way, then that way, etc. It's much more immersive. You get a better feel for the environments, and you don't feel like you're being led around by the nose.

2. The HUD set to Dynamic or Custom. That will suppress almost all the basic HUD elements, which crowd the screen and interfere with appreciating the natural beauty all around you, not to mention reducing immersion. You can always bring the basic HUD elements up with a brief tap of the touchpad. I set mine to Custom because Dynamic still displayed the Compass, and I wanted that hidden dynamically as well.

I spent a little more time with the game, looking for fish and raccoon skins, on the pretext of getting a pouch upgrade I didn't need, but really just wanting an excuse to play a bit more. Then I went through my 128 screenshots, as a way of sort of replaying the journey. Nice way to wrap it up. Lots of beautiful shots. I looked at a few Skyrim shots afterwards and was like "eww."

Pfffft. I have nearly 10X that many.
 
The 1.20 update (273mb) came out on Monday if anyone cares.

Not sure if it was in earlier updates, but I like being able to turn off the indicators for plants and downed enemies that littered the screen. I haven't played around with the photo mode much, but some of the poses you can use are amusing.

Oh yeah, that would be nice. I was looking for an option to turn off those plant indicators but it wasn't there.

I never toyed with the Photo Mode much, either. Poses? I'll have to check that out.
 
There's probably 25 or more poses and maybe 5 or 6 facial expressions you can use in photo mode now.

Now, after disabling the indicators that show where plants are, I have a hard time finding medicinal plants. :sad:
 
I still need to play this. I am patiently waiting for a sale but I don't see it happening, given how well it's been selling.
 
I must just be burnt out on open world games. I've had fun with it so far, and I really enjoy fighting the Bird Dinos. I love being able the tie the Dinos down. Taking on a herd of the Crab guys can get dicey, lol. Especially when they start charging. The game does a good job of getting you to use the myriad tools at you your disposal.

I just sneak-killed a huge bandit outpost. Kinda fun, but the AI is a bit dull. I do HATE it when a headshot doesn't get an instant kill, as well. A fully charged Sniper Bow will do it, but sometimes I let fly too soon, lol.

I haven't found Alloy terribly interesting (yet- and Geralt is AWESOME Andy !! BAH!!), but I haven't gotten to that first Carja outpost, though I have been just running around the world. Part of it is the sort of Wooden faces and dialogue. Like Andy, I don't do Fast Travel if I can help it- I'm big on exploring. Also- I really, really dislike Alloy's childhood model. Blech. Looks all wrong to me!

All that said, I don't feel very sucked into the game. It's easy to get side tracked away from it. I just don't feel the pull. Of course I've got a LOT going on in my life (hopefully all resolved by the end of JUNE! DAMNIT!!), so maybe when I get the chance to slow down, it'll set it's hooks in.
 
I spent two months straight with it, with no interest in anything else. I wanted to drag it out. Even now, having exhausted the game, I can't bring myself to remove the disc from my PS4 and move on. Loved it.

I think unplugging from forums helped me to enjoy it, uncontaminated by the griping of others. Not that there was a whole lot of griping with this game -- the little I read indicated that most people loved it. But reading forums can often spoil the enjoyment of a game for me.

I plan to do the same with Mass Effect Andromeda, although it may be too late for that one, because the forum and press negativity has already seeped into my head.

This is why you need to go back to Xbox, Andy. The experiences never end there! PlayStation is played out, one and done experiences. You beat the games, and while they're amazing, nothing lasts forever!

Said no one ever.
 
I must just be burnt out on open world games. I've had fun with it so far, and I really enjoy fighting the Bird Dinos. I love being able the tie the Dinos down. Taking on a herd of the Crab guys can get dicey, lol. Especially when they start charging. The game does a good job of getting you to use the myriad tools at you your disposal.

I just sneak-killed a huge bandit outpost. Kinda fun, but the AI is a bit dull. I do HATE it when a headshot doesn't get an instant kill, as well. A fully charged Sniper Bow will do it, but sometimes I let fly too soon, lol.

I haven't found Alloy terribly interesting (yet- and Geralt is AWESOME Andy !! BAH!!), but I haven't gotten to that first Carja outpost, though I have been just running around the world. Part of it is the sort of Wooden faces and dialogue. Like Andy, I don't do Fast Travel if I can help it- I'm big on exploring. Also- I really, really dislike Alloy's childhood model. Blech. Looks all wrong to me!

All that said, I don't feel very sucked into the game. It's easy to get side tracked away from it. I just don't feel the pull. Of course I've got a LOT going on in my life (hopefully all resolved by the end of JUNE! DAMNIT!!), so maybe when I get the chance to slow down, it'll set it's hooks in.

I got into the game for a bit and it just feels really tedious. Traveling around is slow because you are always dodging this or that. The fights with the robots are just too long and too tedious for me. There's a fine line between tedium and a fun challenge, and for me this falls on just the wrong side.

Don't get me wrong, early on the game has some "wow" moments, but once it is the umpteenth time you need to cross the field with the flying things that own you, it gets really old.
 
I got into the game for a bit and it just feels really tedious. Traveling around is slow because you are always dodging this or that. The fights with the robots are just too long and too tedious for me. There's a fine line between tedium and a fun challenge, and for me this falls on just the wrong side.

Don't get me wrong, early on the game has some "wow" moments, but once it is the umpteenth time you need to cross the field with the flying things that own you, it gets really old.

Yep. There's a wow factor early on, but the game is incredibly boring. I stopped playing after about 10 hours. Deleted from the HDD. I"ll never finish or revisit it.
 
You can ride a mount past any enemy without having to stop. Or just fast travel.
 
You can ride a mount past any enemy without having to stop. Or just fast travel.

Yep. I know people are entitled to their opinions but some of these comments are just.... lolz
 
Or you can learn how to deal with the enemies, so they don't wipe you out. Or just dial back the difficulty, if it's too challenging. I found it perfectly balanced for me, in terms of challenge. I liked learning the intricacies of dealing with each enemy.

Surprised at the level of criticism the game is getting here. Oh well. I had a great time with it.
 
I can deal with enemies no problem, it is just tedious. You find their vulnerability. Flake away armor, tether, shoot, shoot, run, heal, craft more ammo, rinse, repeat. The game tells you exactly where to shoot them and with what, it isn't hard, just slow and time consuming. You put a fire arrow into the place vulnerable to fire and take off a sliver of health.

Just f'n die already. :smash: Sorry that my opinion angers people so. I'm sure I like games that you hate.
 
Also, how do you get a mount where they don't attack you? I override something and suddenly every robot in the game is looking for me.
 
I beat this game on the hardest difficulty without too many problems. I certainly didn't seem to struggle in the way some people did. I think this one will be game of the year , depending on what else is coming by year end. I can't wait for any DLC
 
I can deal with enemies no problem, it is just tedious. You find their vulnerability. Flake away armor, tether, shoot, shoot, run, heal, craft more ammo, rinse, repeat. The game tells you exactly where to shoot them and with what, it isn't hard, just slow and time consuming. You put a fire arrow into the place vulnerable to fire and take off a sliver of health.

Just f'n die already. :smash: Sorry that my opinion angers people so. I'm sure I like games that you hate.

I'm not angry at all. You made reference to getting "owned," so I figured part of your frustration was that you didn't know how to handle Glinthawks. I did find them annoying at times -- someone at GAF compared them to cliff racers in Morrowind, and while I don't think they're that bad, they do get aggravating at times, especially if there are three of them swooping down at you at once. As I ranked up, got better gear, became more experienced in fighting them, I enjoyed those battles a lot more. Eventually I had a lot of fun with them, but it took some time to get there.

Sounds like you and some others bailed on the game early, after 10 hours or so, and so never really got very deep into the game or the combat. I don't blame you -- if you don't find a game interesting after 10 hours, stop and do something else. I just think you missed a lot.

Anyhow, after 120 hours or so, I didn't find the combat tedious. I was impressed by how many different approaches there were and how each battle unfolded differently.
 
I think this one will be game of the year , depending on what else is coming by year end. I can't wait for any DLC

I'm pretty sure Zelda is going to take GOTY in most places. Horizon is a strong runner up and certainly a strong contender for GOTY for Sony exclusives. Pretty strong competition there this year, too, though.
 
I'm pretty sure Zelda is going to take GOTY in most places. Horizon is a strong runner up and certainly a strong contender for GOTY for Sony exclusives. Pretty strong competition there this year, too, though.

Yeah I heard lots of good things about Zelda. I'm not buying a Switch to play it though.
 
Me neither.

Btw, Kerosene, re. Glinthawks, my method was to 1) equip the winter armor, 2) Ropecast them to the ground (use Concentration to help aim), then 3) bash the f*ck out of them. Otherwise, use lots of dodge rolls. If there are multiples, you just leave one strung up while you rope the others. That method requires none of the tedium you described ("find their vulnerability, flake away armor, tether, shoot, shoot, run, heal, craft more ammo, rinse, repeat"). You do need to level up concentration, spear attack, and get a good ropecaster, though.

I'm sure there are more ingenious ways to deal with them, involving shooting vulnerable parts, etc., but I just roped 'em and bashed 'em. Sometimes I would put sticky bombs on them and watch them go boom.
 
Me neither.

Btw, Kerosene, re. Glinthawks, my method was to 1) equip the winter armor, 2) Ropecast them to the ground (use Concentration to help aim), then 3) bash the f*ck out of them. Otherwise, use lots of dodge rolls. If there are multiples, you just leave one strung up while you rope the others. That method requires none of the tedium you described ("find their vulnerability, flake away armor, tether, shoot, shoot, run, heal, craft more ammo, rinse, repeat"). You do need to level up concentration, spear attack, and get a good ropecaster, though.

I'm sure there are more ingenious ways to deal with them, involving shooting vulnerable parts, etc., but I just roped 'em and bashed 'em. Sometimes I would put sticky bombs on them and watch them go boom.

Yep, the ropecaster for the fliers is just excellent. Especially the shadow rope caster. I used that one to take down a couple of stormbirds. Pin them down and then bash or bomb them.

What difficulty did you play on? I think I'm around the 80 hour mark and I'm just at the final battle. I still have a one Hunters Lodge to complete, the last cauldron and a couple of corrupted zones. I reckon I have at least 10 hours gameplay left.
 
Yep, the ropecaster for the fliers is just excellent. Especially the shadow rope caster. I used that one to take down a couple of stormbirds. Pin them down and then bash or bomb them.

What difficulty did you play on? I think I'm around the 80 hour mark and I'm just at the final battle. I still have a one Hunters Lodge to complete, the last cauldron and a couple of corrupted zones. I reckon I have at least 10 hours gameplay left.

I played on Normal, which was good for me. I don't think I've ever played a game on Hard difficulty.

One of the nice things about Horizon is that the trophies don't depend on difficulty level. You can dial it down to Easy if you hit a rough patch, and it won't affect the trophies. (Not that I care much about trophies, but I ended up getting them all in this game.)

p.s. It wasn't until the very end of the game that I figured out that Concentration was a big help in targeting Glinthawks. I don't know why it didn't occur to me before -- I guess I was thinking of Concentration as just related to bow & arrow. But when they're swooping around, they can be hard to hit, so Concentration helps. It was an example of how the combat comes together as you learn more (even if it is something elementary like that, after 100 hours, lol).
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: D-V-ANT
Also, how do you get a mount where they don't attack you? I override something and suddenly every robot in the game is looking for me.

Well, an overridden critter is now an enemy of the enemies, so they'll attack it.

Maybe someone else can give pointers about that. I didn't use mounts much in this game at all. I liked walking better. But when I would use a mount, I would try to avoid enemies or just ride fast through them. They'd get alerted, but I'd just outrun them. I never tried that with something airborne, though.
 
Most of the time I went stealth in this game, especially when taking mounts. I didn't use the ropecaster much in the game. For Glinthawks I just used fire to take them down then beat them after they fell.
 
I found the Ropecaster mighty handy for the Thunderjaw and Stormbirds.

That's another thing I liked about the game. It had some unique weapons (e.g., Ropecaster, Tripcaster) that were fun to play around with and added to the strategy. Also, the bow and arrow felt better to me than in any other game, including Tomb Raider. I didn't find much use for some of the arrow types, though (e.g., corruption arrows).
 
The corruption arrows were awesome! Fire one into a herd of Tramplers then sit back and enjoy the robot death match that ensues! Using them is a great way to collect parts.