A Fresh Take On the Post-Apocalyptic Stuff
Let’s be real; what’s the first thing that comes to mind each time someone utters the words “post-apocalyptic setting?” You immediately think about zombies, right? Thankfully, Horizon Zero Dawn has smartly opted to move away from that mindset and come up with a new setting that fits the idea of living in a world devastated by some sort of earth-shattering event. We don’t know what that catalyst is just yet, but we love the new world Guerrilla Games has come up with.
Instead of fighting zombies, monsters, and other sorts of deformed creatures you’d expect to find in a post-apocalyptic world, Horizon Zero Dawn presents a human civilization that has sort of returned to tribal roots. Humans live in camps and colonies, and they’ve gone back to the age-old tradition of hunting animals and wildlife, but with a twist. These animals aren’t exactly living things. They’re machines. Horizon Zero Dawn’s cool new setting suggests to us that perhaps humanity had gone too far with technological advancement, and now humans are forced to go back to their prehistoric roots while nature itself and the mechanical beings take over the land.
Tried and True Action RPG Formula
There’s a reason why action RPGs are so popular: they’re fun to play, simple as that. From all the gameplay footage we’ve seen of Horizon Zero Dawn so far, there’s plenty of action involved, and also a healthy amount of RPG elements as well. Players will be able to craft traps and bombs while fighting against the Machines, fire off arrows from Aloy’s awesome-looking bow, and even engage in some old-fashioned melee combat too.
Outside of just fighting enemies, the RPG side of the game kicks into high gear as players get to wander around a large open world, complete with a day and night cycle. There will be NPCs to talk to, quests to undertake for them, along with dialogue options and interactive conversations. It’s not clear whether your dialogue choices will make any significant impact on the outcome of the main story just yet, but so far, it seems like a safe bet that you will at least have some say over how Aloy handles her relationships with these side characters.
Though, to be honest, we do wish the character models for some of the human NPCs looked a little less stiff. What are they, machines?
Tiny Aloy = Story and Character Development
The most compelling aspect about Horizon Zero Dawn so far is its story. All the trailers and promotional materials released for the game highlight Horizon’s unique setting, its strong female protagonist, as well as some lore and story. Most notably, the trailers have given us a few brief glimpses at Aloy as a child, and how she matures into the powerful hunter we’ll get to play as in the game. While we’re still largely in the dark when it comes to the game’s overarching story, Aloy herself does seem like a pretty likable character and we’re excited to see how her story turns out.
From what we’ve seen so far, it looks like Aloy will embark on a journey to find out exactly what happened to humanity all those years ago, and what caused the Machines to run rampant. No matter what, it’s clear that the game’s plot is a big focus for Guerrilla Games, so players can expect a story to get reasonably invested in.
Robot Dinosaurs and Electric Bows? Sign Me Up
This is the most eye-catching quality of Horizon Zero Dawn thus far. Given that the enemies we’ll encounter in the game are also mechanical, you can expect to see some pretty crazy things, like towering robot dinosaurs, metal lions, and more. Not only that, Aloy’s arsenal will also be full of tech. Her bow is electric, and it can be used to fire off powerful arrows to disable her foes. Players will also get to break down the Machines into components, and scavenge them for resources that can be crafted into tools and gear for combat.
The game features one of the coolest takes on the ‘futuristic’ setting we’ve seen so far, and the mesh between nature and technology is a fascinating one.
Horizon Zero Dawn is set to be released exclusively for the PS4 on Feb. 28.
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