If all this talk of storyline and characters comes
as a surprise, well, it did for me as well. But don’t
worry - Horizon is just as capable of dramatic, pulse-
quickening action as it is at spinning a compelling
yarn. Aloy has a myriad of weapons at her disposal,
from her default bow to more exotic slings and
tripcasters, which can use elemental effects to disrupt
her foes. Cycling through weapons and crafting
ammo is made blissfully easy, and since you’ll need
to adapt your strategies for different enemies it’s no
bad thing. There are dozens of different creatures
to battle; robotic creatures that come in all shapes
and sizes as well as occasional human enemies, and
each has its own weaknesses to exploit. Tapping into
Focus mode allows Aloy to slow down time briefly
and analyse her opponents, highlighting components
that can be damaged. Targeting these with careful
shots can disable weapon systems, detonate fuel
canisters, or just inflict masses of damage, but doing
so in the midst of a fight isn’t as easy as it sounds,
since Horizon’s enemies are fast, powerful constructs
that are quite capable of taking Aloy down with a
couple of blows. It’s here where the game’s stealth
elements come in to play; inviting you to scout out
a pack of enemies before engaging them, picking off
the weaker enemies or setting up traps if you wish,
but these elements are entirely optional - you’re free
to adapt your play style and customise your skill set
and weapon list as you see fit, and apart from one
slightly clunky forced stealth section the game never
penalises you for choosing to play your own way.
Aiming for the glowing eye thing is generally a safe bet.
The combat can be brutal, but it’s always satisfying,
and Horizon does a lot of work to reinvigorate the
open world genre with new takes on existing ideas.
The map on offer isn’t huge, but it’s dense with
meaningful things to see and do - there are no
checklists of repetitive side-activities to complete,
and the optional content always has an in-game
benefit- completing one of the game’s Cauldron’s,
for example, grants you the ability to take control
of certain enemy types, and clearing one of the
half dozen bandit camps provides you with new
merchants to trade with. Special credit is due
to Horizon’s implementation of the ubiquitous
Viewpoints - in order to reveal a map area, Aloy must
track down a Tallneck - a giant robotic giraffe - and
find a way to climb up to it’s saucer-shaped head to
download it’s map data. There are only a handful of
these, but each is a unique, and enjoyable, challenge
in its own right.
Tallnecks might not be the most imaginatively-named
creatures out there.
That Guerilla has managed to populate Horizon’s
open world with engaging content, thrilling combat,
and a storyline that you can really sink your teeth
into is impressive enough, but to make it all look as
incredible as Horizon does - that’s truly remarkable.
Even on a standard PS4, Horizon looks spectacular
and maintains a rock-solid framerate, and PS4 Pro
support sweetens the deal that little bit more. I should
also mention the great soundtrack, which fuses tribal
beats, orchestral grandeur and electronic influences
effortlessly, and serves as the perfect accompaniment
to Aloy’s adventures.
Horizon Zero Dawn stands as a proud example of
why new intellectual properties are a good thing, and
does a lot of revitalise the open world genre in new
ways. Moreover, its an absolute joy to play, a delight
to watch, and packs an unexpectedly deep, engaging
story that will keep you hooked until the end.
9/10
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