Gorgeous. Thought-provoking.
Hopeful. Some of the words one could use to describe Horizon Zero Dawn, the Guerrilla Games action game originally
released February of this year. Horizon
Zero Dawn has been one of the most fun and interesting games I’ve played in
a while.
Horizon
Zero Dawn takes place 1000 years into Earth’s future. You assume the role
of a young, red-haired protagonist by the name of Aloy; a young woman who for
the better part of her life has grown up an outcast. An upcoming rite of
passage approaches for her to prove herself to her tribe and become a Nora
Brave. This begins the journey of Aloy into the unknown of the new world, but
also the mysteries of the ancient world. Upon stepping out into the vast and
open world, it becomes evident that mankind has reverted back to primitive life
and weaponry. The game gives you little time to adjust to your new surroundings
before you are greeted by walking, man-eating machines. The first thing that
ran through my mind was, “What in the hell happened? Bow and arrows? Why is sis
in messy dreadlocks?” You would think that the weapons found and bought
throughout the game wouldn’t be strong enough to handle the likes of a Sawtooth
or Corrupter, but, trust, Aloy and her weapons are more than capable of
handling whatever this dangerous and stunning world throws at her. I’ll admit
that the first few main quests didn’t excite me. I kept asking the game, “Gimme
more! Gimme more” as if I was reciting a Britney Spears song. Slowly, but
surely, the story started to unravel and I found myself putting in an egregious
amount of hours trying to figure out exactly what happened to mankind. Without
giving too much away, I’ll say this: A.I. could very well be the death of us
all.
Gameplay throughout Horizon Zero Dawn is, for the most part,
fluid and engaging. Aiming and shooting at these metal monstrosities was a
breeze and mostly fun. Aloy has a focus ability, a sort of “sight beyond sight”
to see the beasts’ weaknesses as well as data-points and recordings of the
world of the “Ancient Ones.” But for all the variety of bows available
throughout the game, there wasn’t an ultimate weapon that would take out all
foes effortlessly. To be honest, that’s a good thing. As far as the graphics, Horizon Zero Dawn has to be one of the
most beautiful games I’ve played. The transitions from sunrise to sunset and
between the various weather conditions flowed smoothly. You could be in the ice
capped mountains or the barren desert with no kind of frame rate loss. One of the noticeable accomplishments Horizon Zero Dawn does right is
capturing the shades of their NPCs. Aloy encounters many characters of African,
Asian, or some other ethnicity throughout her journey. It’s not a “one shade
fits all” palette swap. You can see the difference in hues and complexions. As a PoC, I appreciate this aspect of the game.
From the team that brought you the Killzone series, Guerrilla Games
potentially has another series on its hands if they continue with Aloy’s
journey in this futuristic world. The graphics will pull you in, but it is the
story that had me staying and putting in over 50 hours. I am certainly looking forward to playing the Frozen Wilds DLC which is currently out now.
Tell us what you thought of Horizon Zero Dawn in the comments below!
Tell us what you thought of Horizon Zero Dawn in the comments below!
