HORIZON ZERO DAWN
1,000000 years afterft the apocalypse, the old world and the new collide.col As Guerrilla Games prepares to launch its epic action-RPG, Ben Tyrer uncovers the mysteries of Horizon Zero Dawn
After stealing the show at E3 two years on the trot with colossal robo-dinos and a sumptuously verdant open world, you wouldn’t think that spying a bit of ice in Horizon Zero Dawn would be so captivating. Yet here we are getting to grips with future PS4 superstar Aloy… and admiring a subtly wintry wilderness with astonishment. Cobalt reeds poke out in the foreground. Fog lingers in the distance, although it’s not thick enough to obscure trees that stretch their limbs into the far beyond. Frosty clouds seem to swirl around Aloy’s feet and – oh, this isn’t good. Turns out, in our snow-struck dilly-dallying, we’ve caught the attention of a Bellowback. A giant kangaroo-like machine with an unmissable sac of liquid on its back (and throat), it looks closer to a big, mechanical marsupial than the towering steel-osaurs we’ve previously encountered in Horizon. Still, having the capacity to spit out dangerous fluids from a decent distance means it’ll turn Aloy a few degrees colder than a carbonite-clad Han Solo. Underestimate it at your peril.
Fortunately, the same can be said of Aloy. We dash forward off our rocky perch, landing with a tangible thud before rolling forward into tall grass. This Bellow fellow’s no slouch, though, and it isn’t enough to shake off his gaze. We decide to ‘brute force’ our way out of this situation, pulling back a flaming arrow and firing. The arrow hurtles at his back and might as well be a matchstick, for all the good it does. We’re in for the long haul with this one.
Freeze-frame; record scratch. You’re probably wondering how we ended up in this situation. Fear not – there’s plenty of context to be gained from our huge, four-hour hands-on with Horizon. Indeed, this long journey shows us every fibre of Guerrilla’s deftly woven creation. Two different futures – the apocalypse and a millennium after it – combine into a stunning vision of life after the collapse of civilization. And it all starts with a little flame-haired baby and her guardian…
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
We’re coming into this world as fresh as the freckled orphan, our parallel stories starting with would-be protector Rost taking her high into the mountainous region of Mother’s Embrace, where she’ll be given the name ‘Aloy’. Despite the pomp and circumstance of this moment, it’s clear they’re not welcome here. These two are Outcasts of the Nora tribe, a matriarchy who have banished our tiny hero, leaving her to grizzled veteran Rost. The pair can live within the Nora’s walls but are forbidden to talk with any of the tribe’s people. (Yep, not even a casual ‘Alright, mate?’) It’s a suitably refreshing twist on what you might expect from a game set after the end of the world. The High Matriarchs of the Nora are strong leaders, and their cultural practices are
“THE ARROW HURTLES AT THE BELLOWBACK, BUT IT MIGHT AS WELL BE A MATCHSTICK.”
“THE FOCUS DEVICE IS A POWERFUL PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT ALOY CLIPS ONTO HER EAR.”
genuinely fascinating. Our early glimpses show how much importance they place on the role of the mother in their society, and lead writer John Gonzalez explains how this will affect Aloy. “To have someone who doesn’t know where she comes from in that culture seemed uniquely painful. And that I think that was why… it had interest for us.”
FIRST STEPS
Jumping forward six years, we see how this seclusion is already impacting Aloy’s life. Desperate to fit in, she spies on other children picking berries and runs over to be part of their group – only to be rejected emphatically by everyone. She runs away in a flood of tears, unaware that she is about to tumble directly onto the discovery of her life… but more literally, into a nearby cave.
Once she hits the ground, we finally get to take control of Aloy for the first time. Her movements are uncanny: natural, lithe. Sensing a real weight to her animations, we clamber through rocky passages to discover that we’re actually in the subterranean ruins of the Old World. We spy dusty, dank bookshelves and computer screens slanting upwards from desks like crooked teeth. It’s like being trapped in a museum’s maw overnight, an eerie quietness threatening to roar at any moment. Fortunately for our heart rate, we’re the only living thing prowling around the ruins (barring the occasional rat), but then an odd blinking draws our attention to the floor. It’s the Focus Device, a powerful piece of technology that bathes the room in a warm neon purple when Aloy clips it onto her ear.
The way ahead lit up in violet, the remarkably brave six-year-old curiously examines a dead, heavily decomposing body, and jumps back when the Focus Device projects a hologram. It’s a father’s poignant message to his son, and for a moment
we’re taken back ten centuries to 2066. More corpses litter the hallways of this forgotten tomb, each triggering holograms revealing little details about what happened to the world as we know it. One audio log orator mentions New Year’s Eve. Another refuses to go quietly into death and we hear him shoot himself. Another regrets not travelling while they had the chance. These quiet moments of reflection start to paint a picture of the lost world that spawned Aloy’s.
Eventually, we hear the reassuring rasp of our foster-father Rost’s voice and follow it. Like any fretting parent, he’s just happy to see Aloy is okay. It’s the first sign of a true affection between the pair; an affection that only deepens as they embark on their first hunt as a duo.
SLAY TOGETHER
The quest is a clever fusion of tutorial and character building. As Rost teaches Aloy the basics – how to hide in tall grass, how to distract robots with rocks, how to craft arrows – we see how strong the bond is between the two. Aloy is quick to learn and keen to pay attention, but, importantly, she’s also willing to stand up for herself. As she and Rost slowly inch their way through a pack of oneeyed Watchers, they spot an injured Nora tribesman. Our girl’s
desperate to help, but Rost forbids it. As she runs ahead, all he can do is fumble for her bow as she goes, leaving Aloy unprotected and sneaking determinedly towards the fallen Nora.
The Focus Device is a handy bit of tech that’s useful for more than just scanning dead guys. A click of gives the ginger hunter information on the creatures of the world and the ability to tag them so she can follow their movements and, crucially, see their patrol paths. As Watchers stalk the grassy field that separates Aloy and the other Nora, she sees where they’ll move right, making stealth an enjoyable breeze. In no time at all she’s saving the day, leading the tribesman to safety as he exclaims, “How are you doing that?” Looks like the Focus Device is destined to be the hot new gadget of the season.
Rost isn’t happy. While he now understands the power of her device, he reminds Aloy that as Outcasts, they’ll land other Nora in trouble just for talking to them. That’s a pretty heavy concept for a six-year-old to come to terms with.
The end of the first hunt introduces a decision system called Flashpoints. As Aloy slinks back to her house, a rock crashes into her head. Bleeding, she looks up at the group of Nora youngsters she wanted to join earlier, who are glaring down at her with disgust. A blond boy called Bast hisses “No-Mother!” at our intrepid warrior before flinging another stone, but this time, she catches it. Three options appear: ‘Head’,
‘Heart’, and ‘Fist’. If you plump for ‘Heart’, Aloy shows compassion and drops the projectile. Go with the fist and she’ll fling the rock right back at his stupid face. We decide that using our head is the best way to go. Aloy hurls the rock back, but aims at his hand, to scare him away. This will have an effect on the story later on down the line, but for now, Bast runs off with his tail firmly between his legs. Unlike most moral choices, each aspect here feels true to what the character might do in that situation, with our decision a gentle guiding hand that tips Aloy towards a different identity. Drake has his quips, but Aloy has substance.
Through a Rocky-esque training montage, we watch Aloy’s years- long education, as she aims to become the champion of the Proving, a tribal ritual that might shed light on her hidden past. For now, we’re skipped forward a few missions and have a chance to leave the Nora homestead. Should we head north, east or west? The map, shrouded in clouds, gives us little indication of what lies ahead. Let’s find out.
STRIDERS IN THE STORM
Erm, we should probably sort out a ride first. A quest marker directs us to another newly revealed robo-creature, the Strider. A sleek, colt-like machine, we find it grazing conveniently close to the gates of the Nora’s home. As the dynamic weather system
“DECISION SYSTEM CALLED FLASHPOINTS WILL HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE STORY.”
kicks in, rain whips across the screen, lending a grim atmosphere as we sneak up behind the horse-bot. Game director Mathijs de Jonge explains the subtleties of the system. “We had lightning strikes that would randomly hit enemies or randomly hit the player, but it felt unfair because you have no control over it. It just naturally happens and suddenly you have a lot of damage. So we took that out in the end.” We can confirm that Aloy doesn’t take a bolt to the noggin, which means we easily override (read: hack) the oblivious Strider with our multi-purpose spear and gallop away from our home, sour home.
We decide to head out west and, as we trot away from the towering mountains we’re accustomed to, the landscape shifts into fluttery forestry, the rain melting away into a calm night. There’s a whiff of MiddleEarth’s grand vistas as we forge ahead along our path. Whatever brief peace we find, however, shatters as we stumble upon three corpses (the body count’s already getting high) in the road and a man sitting next to them.
ALOYED ASSAULT
His name is Nil and he informs us that the road is dangerous thanks to “a killer – the kind that gives honest killers a bad name.” Turns out we’re trundling into an area riddled with bandits, who’ll attack Aloy with no warning. Take out their campsite nearby and you’ll make life easier. Tracking them down is easy. An indicative blue icon appears on the radar, leading us to trek up blustery mountains. We ditch our Strider for stealth and start to plan our silent assault.
We can’t help but think of Far Cry’s outposts here. lights up our earpiece and out flows the geometric bubble of Focus mode, which enables us to tag unaware baddies. Further into the camp, we clock our points of interest: a gaggle of Nora prisoners surrounded by several large enemies sporting massive heavy weapons called Firespitters, which… spit fire. Again, like Far Cry, how you approach the camp’s forces is entirely up to you. Softly, softly is our initial idea. We time our shots perfectly, using Aloy’s arrows to thin the crowd of patrolling miscreants, then we free the Nora from their restraints.
But we can’t resist having a go with the Firespitter. All we need to do is take out the brute wielding it (a problem best solved with Aloy’s slingshot and a few grenade-esque Blast Bombs) and wrench it from his still-warm death-grip. It’s a thrilling weapon, slung by the waist, deadly sparks fizzing from the barrel towards anyone unfortunate enough to be on the wrong side of it. It’s not long before every bandit falls foul of our deadly new toy.
“WE CAN’T RESIST HAVING A GO WITH THE FIRESPITTER… IT’S A THRILLING WEAPON.”
The battle with the bandits is an unexpectedly lively section, and one clearly influenced by the successes of other open-world games – bespoke, tightly-constructed action breaking up free exploration. Like those jawloosening monster duels, adaptation is key and reacting to a challenging situation keeps the adrenaline flowing as fast as Aloy’s slipstream.
TEST YOUR MIGHT
With the camp now safely in the hands of the Nora, we push further forwards to the west, away from the mountains and into the wintry plains around their base. Squinting up at a tent on a hillside above us, curiosity takes hold and we climb up to a discover the Valleymeet Keeper, who offers a series of time trials for Aloy to sharpen her skills. We fancy seeing how well we measure up. Despite his nervy nature – he’s quick to assure Aloy that he has no quarrel with the Nora – he sets us a test: take out Striders by exploding the canisters on their backs. There’s both valuable XP and loot to earn, depending on how quickly we nail the Fire Fight Trial. Wasting no time, we rush towards the rope that leads to the hunting grounds as the clock starts ticking.
We go into Focus mode immediately to scan the distance for any roaming Striders. Spotting one, we ghost into the tall grass nearby for a bit of a cover and ready our Fire Arrow. This is almost too easy as we slow down time and hit a bullseye on the canister. Fire jets out in tiny streams before the mother of all explosions engulfs everything we see. It’s like being at the centre of an atomic blast. We have become death, destroyer of Striders.
“THE KIND OF EVENTS OTHER GAMES ARE BUILT AROUND COME EVERY OTHER MINUTE.”
Unfortunately, this means any other Striders in the area know we’re here and decide to scarper sharpish. It gives us a chance to catch our breath and look out across the landscape. Cobalt reeds. Light fog. And Aloy’s feet swept up suddenly in a frozen cascade, that blasted Bellowback glinting at the other end of it.
AIN’T NO BELLOWBACK GIRL
It’s a timely test of all our skills. While one Fire Arrow barely bothers the hefty machine, a few more to the pouches around the neck see it burst into flames underneath its armour plating. Aloy’s nimbleness helps, too. We dart and dash around its charge attacks and, using some craggy rocks that naturally jut out of the ground, we can clamber above the creature to get the height advantage.
Thanks to the Hunter Reflexes upgrade we’ve previously unlocked, every time we jump, time slows to a sticky crawl. Couple that with the few extra feet we give ourselves over the Bellowback and we place a few more arrows where it hurts. But this approach is merely whittling at his health. A Blast Bomb ought to take a chunk out of him.
Whoosh. A mesmerising, lava-like flame envelops the innards of the poor robo-’roo, as we start to notice scorch marks where our arrows are landing. Sensing its weakening state, we equip the Ropecaster – which lets us shoot tethers into targets – and start to pin our prey down.
Despite a frantic struggle, there’s little the panicking creature can do. We leap past its last-ditch attacks to go in for a close kill. Aloy pirouettes through the air with her spear, thundering it down into her foe, which shatters into pieces. Sparks fly; armour disintegrates. We breathe a sigh of relief and excitement. And forget all about our Fire Fight Trial.
A NEW DAWN
In all honesty, the Bellowback is a mid-tier enemy. He’s challenging, but compared to the looming Thunderjaw encountered back in our cover feature in #113, he isn’t the ultimate adversary, or the most complex to puzzle out. Yet Horizon’s chief pleasure is taking these seemingly ordinary encounters and making them feel monumental. We’re taking on your average, only relatively-intimidating mechamarsupial, but Guerrilla’s poured care into every destructible piece of the beast, each sinew of Aloy’s bowstring-drawing arm, and even the individual tiny sparks dancing along the doomed machine’s metal plates. The unbelievable attention to detail in world-building means even learning the controls or grinding Striders are water cooler moments. They’re the kinds of events other games build themselves around – but it’s every other minute in Horizon Zero Dawn.
Every square inch of the worlds, above ground and below, fascinates us, and the further we push on into the enormous wilderness, the more we discover. Each sliver, cell and fragment comes together to create a grand whole that marries Guerrilla’s technical excellence with a story and environment that is on course to surpass anything we thought possible.
The futures might be uncertain in Horizon Zero Dawn, but on the strength of what we’ve experienced? It’s anything but for us.