Console Crossover

I'm a member of several gaming related groups on social media and many of them skew toward consoles.  There are always games that get much praise, but that I know will remain console exclusives--I would love to play God of War or The Last of Us, but alas, it's not going to happen.  One game that kept popping up in discussions as a favorite was Horizon Zero Dawn.  People seemed to love it, so I was pleasantly surprised when a PC version popped up on Steam.  However, I didn't immediately grab it, which was probably a good thing--like many console crossovers, the early days of the PC version seemed a bit rocky.  Reviews cited crashes and graphics issues, so I decided to pop it on the ol' wishlist and wait for positive reports on the state of the game.  It stayed camped out on my wishlist for a very long time (plus, I was waiting for it to go on sale--it's one of those games that doesn't go on sale very frequently) but finally went on sale, so I decided to grab it.  I've been happily roaming Aloy through the strange world of the tribal, post-apocalyptic earth for the last couple of weeks.

So many post-apocalyptic games present a very dire, devastated version of life on earth.  Horizon Zero Dawn doesn't have that scorched, depressing post-apocalyptic vibe and instead centers on human civilization that has managed to cling to life despite it almost being wiped out.  Humans live in tribal societies whose beliefs and aesthetics vary widely.  They co-exist with dangerous machines--the remnants of the robotic apocalypse that nearly wiped out life on earth.  The juxtaposition of tribal societies with advanced technology is novel and I'm enjoying the freshness of it.  NPC's are decked out in garments that blend tribal related items and pieces of machines that they hunt.

The world offers a variety of environments with unique
weather effects.

The game takes place in a huge, open world.  It's not quite Assassin's Creed level huge, but it's big enough that you'll be busy just trying to explore the various nooks and crannies.  The best part about the world is that it's teeming with life--animals to hunt and machines that range in threat level from vaguely threatening to downright dangerous.  Like any modern, open world RPG there are plenty of side tasks to occupy your time--collectibles to gather, bandit bases to clear, hunting challenges to complete...you know how it goes.

I am particularly enjoying the variety of machine enemies in the game and the combat system (which I am admittedly horrible at).  Each type of machine is covered in armor plating that can be stripped off by attacking it (or by using special weapons designed to strip armor) and has numerous weak spots that can be exploited to stun, or do extra damage.  Some machines have exposed fuel tanks which can be shot with fire arrows to produce an enormous explosion that will disable the machine and also cause splash damage to any other machines in the area; others have exposed power coils that can be shot with special electric arrows which will create a huge electrical storm that will disable any machines caught in the blast.  Part of the challenge of combat is figuring out how to best disable a machine to make it easier to take down.  The real combat mastery is strategizing how to use traps, tripwires, and your entire machine-slaying arsenal--setting up masterful ambushes is something that I haven't gotten the hang of.

Longnecks are massive, peaceful robots that roam around
the map and can be hacked to reveal locations.

There are multiple skill paths that you can choose from--stealth, combat, and crafting/gathering.  I enjoy a stealthy kind of gameplay, but it is a bit challenging in Zero Dawn--enemies will all automatically come running at any sign of trouble, so it's very easy to get completely overrun and for your stealthy tactics to get derailed.  It took me quite awhile to get the hang of it, but it does require patience.

Being the completionist that I am, I haven't delved too deep into the main story, but it has managed to be interesting.  Aloy is trying to figure out her own heritage and also to unravel the true story of the machine apocalypse--two things that seem to be related.  I am looking forward to spending some time this weekend jabbing some more machines (and getting whomped on) and taking in the stunning scenery of Horizon Zero Dawn.