Horizon Zero Dawn

[Digital]

Has anyone played this yet on the PS4? Any comments, reviews, spoilers, rants or raves?

I know it was pushed back a little in the release dept, but I wonder if it came through as worthwhile?

[Pepper-Head]

YES I was actually thinking of making a post for this!

The only negatives SO FAR that I can think of is that there was a glitch at the start where your health wouldn't regenerate on its own, and then sometimes the character's facial expressions could mess up a bit (but it hasn't happened to me a lot and it's to be expected with an expansive game like this.) Some of the expressions are really great though and there's a lot of attention to detail!

I'm loving the gameplay, it's so smooth and intuitive for me. I haven't tried all of the different weapons, but I pick them up fast! I also like how they separate quests into main, errand, bandit camp sighting, etc and how nothing feels like repetitive grinding. Really this game is pretty breathtaking for me - but then again I'm a huge Monster Hunter nut and I needed that itch from MH3 scratched again. Plus a little post apoc setting fills some TLOU needs before the sequel comes out 

Also I really love how they're telling the story from what I've played so far 

I'm gonna stop here before I babble on, but this is one of the games that makes me glad I invested in a PS4!

[Digital]

Hmm, I might just have to see about checking it out later on. I am not gonna attempt it now as I don't need more distractions  

[Pepper-Head]

Definitely a good game 

If you do end up waiting a bit, maybe you can snag a preowned and save a few dollars!

[Digital]

4 hours ago, Pepper-Head said:

Definitely a good game 

If you do end up waiting a bit, maybe you can snag a preowned and save a few dollars!

That is my thought exactly. I usually like to give it a bit and see how long it takes to have other play through it and see how casual gamers (like me) enjoyed it. I find critic reviews to often be off in their assessments vs me as a person who plays my consoles occasionally.

[SugarFoxKym]

I've been playing this game lately, and I must say, it's really fun. Open world, lots of exploration, fun characters, and most of all, amazing graphics. It's a gorgeous game.

[Syntax]

I was actually REALLY impressed by this game. I'd been following it for a few years, and received it as a gift for my birthday(it came out right around the same time) so I popped it into my PS4 and it's fantastic. I tend to be slow to complete open world games, and while there is a lot to do it doesn't feel too overwhelming. I'd say it's a little more story focussed then some of the open world's I've played (Like Fallout 4 for example) but the sheer size of some of the beasts, the contrast between the different areas you explore and the level of detail the writers put into the npc's you talk to all really impressed me. I don't think I'm even half way through it yet but it's a really beautiful game. I do recommend trying it.  I kind of feel like if you were to take elements of the Last of Us, FarCry 4 and Fallout 4 and mix them together with some pretty epic robotic enemies that's essentially this game. 

[Sparren]

I've also been playing and have really enjoyed the game so far. Hunting down all of the different machines is a lot of fun, and if you aren't prepared extremely challenging. I've got it cranked up to max difficulty and am also the kind of player to be easily distracted in open-world type settings, so despite my 20 hours of play I haven't progressed the story very far yet. What I have seen has been really intriguing though.

I've already heard some rumors that they'll be making a sequel and just based on what I've played so far I really hope they turn out to be true.

[jakdacrowe]

I have nothing bad to say about this game. I love this game from the void and beyond. @_@

Although I have to say, I haven't actually finished it yet. But my brother's spoiled the entire game for me so WELP. //shrugs

But I do as I do in open worlds: break all the enemies and claim fame.
I spend more time just hunting random things than actually progressing through storylines.

[Pepper-Head]

@jakdacrowe - I haven't gotten bored of taking down tons of machines yet! I like to travel by foot or mount instead of use the fast pack for the most part for that exact reason Except, I really wish the animals would behave and give me bones and pelts so I can upgrade my carrying capacities! Still, it's fun to figure out where large groups are and sneak through shrub so I don't alert machines that would scare the animals away.

What's your favorite type of machine to take down? Have you gotten to any bigger ones by Meridian?

[Syntax]

The birds in Meridian are terrifying. Just putting that out there. The first time I entered the desert area on my way there a very large bird came outta nowhere and had some epic attacks and I tried so hard to kill it but my little bow and level 15 HP couldn't take it haha. 

[jakdacrowe]

@Pepper-Head

I took down a Stormbird the first time I saw it terrorizing some Carja people on patrol. x'D Oh god it was horrible.

But remembering a tip from my bro, just knock off components and set it on fire multiple times. None of the birds are able to fly for a few seconds when you set them on fire.

[Pepper-Head]

@jakdacrowe - Ohhhhhh my gosh I haven't had to encounter one yet but I am really excited and terrifying o____o Thank you for the tip tho, I will definitely keep that in mind!

[Nate]

I've just platinum'd it. It took me around 35-40 hours to do everything. I actually no-commentary livestreamed the first couple of hours, then when I realised it was going to be something I complete, I recorded everything I did and I have a video uploading every day (Sorry for the shameless advertising) on my Youtube ( http://nate.tube ) and my VidMe ( http://vid.me/Nate ) if anyone who hasnt played it yet wants to see the game itself.

I would say HANDS DOWN the best PS4 Exclusive game so far. Stunning Visuals, an amazing emotional storyline on par with TLOU (albeit freeroaming which is actually much better).

A few tips:
- Get the "Call a Mount" skill as soon as you can. Anytime you go into battle against machines you can call in your Mount and it will fight for you!

- Next get the "Put 3 Arrows into your Bow" skill. VERY Useful against the Glinthawks, Stormbird and Thunderjaw since they keep moving and you dont have much time to stop.

- Look on your Map for little settlements of buildings where you havent lit up the camp fire. The game doesn't make you go to some of them, but there are Errands and Side Quests that are easy to miss.

- Best Weapon Combo (IMO): 
BOW: "Shadow Sharpshot Bow" (Hardpoint, Harvest and Tearblast Arrows).
### Use the 'Harvest' for Humans and "small" machines as it uses 1 x Wire
### Use the 'Hardpoint' for everything else.
### Use the Tearblast Arrows for the MASSIVE machines to disable their stuff. For example, Tearblast x 3 (Using the 3 x Arrow skill) will Remove the front Claws from the Digger Machine in one direct hit to each of them, and also that annoying cannon on the back of a Thunderjaw.

ROPECASTER: 
The 'Lodge Ropecaster' is by far the best, and can pin down a Thunderjaw in 3 shots, however until then stick with the Shadow.

SLING:
Stick with Shadow for your Elemental stuff.  The 'Lodge Sling' is TERRIBLE.


The final Aloy Scene touched me. Dont "read ahead" though, if you are invested in her storyline and what she is trying to find out, you will appreciate it more when you get to it.

 I'm eager to see the story continue!

[Pepper-Head]

So I've only been able to play in small bits between projects, but I just finished gathering all of the collectables, and I'm working on getting two more power cells so I can get that snazzy armor. I can't remember the quest name, but it's the one where you're warned that you can't go back after starting x__x I appreciate the heads up, but stuff like that terrifies me! So I'm just making sure I have everything all together.

I love this game so much though <3 

[Aminirus]

I actually want to play this game so bad but I don't own a PS4... and one of personal rules is not to spend money on something you'll use for only one thing because then when it finally ends... what you gonna do? I do have the xbox one, but its not mine... just allowed to use it. We use it for multiple things so it comes in handy quite often. 

I've seen a friend of mine play Horizon Zero Dawn and love the ideology behind it and the graphics look pretty sweet. Don't know what the story to the game is or anything, but I do overall like what I see in it. I can only hope they'll consider putting it on a different consul other than PS4

[Nate]

On 2017-6-5 at 6:08 PM, Aminirus said:

I actually want to play this game so bad but I don't own a PS4... and one of personal rules is not to spend money on something you'll use for only one thing because then when it finally ends... what you gonna do? I do have the xbox one, but its not mine... just allowed to use it. We use it for multiple things so it comes in handy quite often. 

I've seen a friend of mine play Horizon Zero Dawn and love the ideology behind it and the graphics look pretty sweet. Don't know what the story to the game is or anything, but I do overall like what I see in it. I can only hope they'll consider putting it on a different consul other than PS4

Spoiler Alert:
 

Spoiler

The overarching storyline is that it is set 1,000 years after the present day. 1,000 years ago (today) we created robots that use organic matter as fuel. This ultimately led to our extinction, however just before we went extinct we managed to create an AI with the ability to create life. 600 or something years after we went extinct, it created humans to repopulate the world, however we dont understand modern technology, so we are back in the Stone Age, using bow and arrows, and spears etc.

The main plot of the game is Aloy (the main character) finding out where she came from and what her purpose in the world is (she is unique from all the other robot-created humans), however along the way she discovers all the information about the history.

The wider world does not know any of this either. Simple times.

 

I would certainly recommend it. I doubt it would come out on multiple platforms though, as it is one of those exclusives that really set the PS4 apart from it's competition and which I assume Sony is cashing in on big time haha

[Pepper-Head]

Wow - so I just finished it last night. 

I feel like this game was made specifically for me lol. It hits everything I love and want in a game - big awesome creatures to take down, intuitive gameplay, gorgeous scenery, open explore areas with vantage points, character diversity (with a badass female lead), a storyline that kept surprising me from the very first trailer, and it had me questioning what I would have done in some of the scenarios it sets up.

I can see myself playing this game multiple times, which is something I've had a hard time doing since the PS2 days. I really look forward to seeing another installment from this world (which is confirmed! From their website: “This is only the beginning of Aloy’s story and our exploration of the world of Horizon Zero Dawn, with the team already hard at work on an expansion to the story.”)

[Pepper-Head]

Horizon gets its first DLC! You can preorder it now, but it doesn't come out until the end of December.