Tree Ants
Horizon Zero Dawn looks absolutely stunning on both the standard PS4, and the supercharged, 4K PS4 Pro. When out on our adventure, we found a number of incredible, tiny, details that just has us staring in disbelief at the screen. It’s worth noting that all of these were captured while playing on the PS4 Pro, so there may be some details you won’t see on the standard system.
As you go about exploring Horizon Zero Dawn’s world, you’ll likely be enamored with stunning panoramic views and towering machines, but looking a little closely, say at a tree, will reveal tiny details that are just as awe-inspiring as that giant sunset snap you got.
Yes, yes, the bark on that tree looks incredibly realistic, but look closer. Those little flecks of orange you see are actual, moving ants. And yes, they’re carrying bits of leaf or a flower back to their nest.
While it’s easy to get lost in the bigger picture of Horizon Zero Dawn, taking a moment to just inspect a random part of the environment will reward you with the kind of tiny, fascinating details that help bring the world to life.
Bow Detail
While Aloy has a bunch of weapons at her disposal to help take down the machines, none is in the hands of our hero quite as much as her bow. Together, the pair are a formidable force, piercing the weak points of machines with pinpoint precision, and with ammo so easy to craft, it becomes an incredibly important part of your experience in Horizon Zero Dawn.
As such, Guerrilla Games has taken the time to pour an insane amount of detail into the bows in the game. Zooming in with the game’s photo mode, you can make out the grain of the wood, incredible etchings, and the smooth polished finish. Horizon Zero Dawn’s bows quite literally look lifelike, and though you’ll likely never notice the grain of the wood in battle, it’s a neat little detail to appreciate in a screenshot.
Aloy’s Hair
This may seem like a strange one, but hear us out. As you traverse the world in Horizon Zero Dawn, just watch the way Aloy’s hair responds to her movements. Sprinting will see it bounce and shake over her shoulders sporadically, and darting in one direction will have it flick out in the other as the wind catches it. Aloy even suffers from those wild stray hairs that just won’t sit flat, precariously resting on the top of her head.
There’s something to be said that hair physics are likely not at the top of a developer’s to-do list in the grand scheme of things. Yet, it’s something as simple as the way Aloy’s hair bounds around behind her as she sprints that really helps to up the immersion. This isn’t a toy world in a vacuum. This is a living, dynamic space, where something as natural as the wind has been programmed to interact with and influence Aloy’s individual strands of hair.
Hyper Realistic Plants
Horizon Zero Dawn may be set in the future, but it’s not one filled with hovercars and chrome. Instead, nature has begun reclaiming this world, and as such, you’ll see a ton of trees, plants, and shrubs just about everywhere you look. In a large, panoramic view, these add a bit of color and scenery, but get up close, and they become a spectacle in and of themselves.
Take these large-leaved shrubs in the image above, for example. Just by looking at the way the light is catching them, you can tell they have a thick, waxy coating. Sunlight doesn’t catch the entirety of the leaf, either, with creases, crinkles, and folds that plague the surface providing tiny intervals of shade.
Leaves don’t just remain the same color, either, with discolored sections tarnishing a deep green sea of leaves. Never before have I found leaves in a game as photogenic as those in Horizon Zero Dawn.
Machine Markings
If you take a look at the machine above, you’ll likely notice a handful of neat details. The sets of cables that create a sort of muscle, the different plates that make up its body, and its terrifyingly sharp mouth. However, zooming in on these images reveals a whole host of hidden details that no player would ever come across just normally playing the game.
See that small speck of white in the center of its mouth? If you zoom in close enough there, you’ll actually find its another tiny piece of metal. But you see more than just a piece of metal, you see the textured finish to it. Looking around the edges of the machine’s razer blade mouth, you can see tiny bits rust beginning its slow demise of the surrounding metal.
The machines may look sturdy and well-built, but they have their fair share of battle scars and bruises from surviving in this harsh environment. Snap a couple of machines up close in photo mode, and just start zooming in and exploring. It’s nothing short of wondrous just how many tiny scratches, markings, and designs you’ll find.
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