Horizon Zero Dawn Review | Game Review
Horizon Zero Dawn Review :- Killzone has been a major game series developed and maintained by Guerilla Games for about 13 years. Despite the popular opinion that the game is not as good as its competitors, it has been one of my favourites. And it is commendable that after being devoted for a single series for more than a decade the developers have created an awesome game Horizon Zero Dawn. It is appeasing to play and the amazing game design easily makes it the most beautiful looking game on PlayStation 4.
The pre-launch gameplay footage released by the company showed everyone the flawless game design and stunned them with its beauty. And the game maintains its beauty in every frame. If you are looking for a reason to buy PS4 Pro or a new TV, Horizon Zero Dawn gives you plenty. You will get to experience the best 4K gameplay till date.
Every frame of this game is a masterpiece in itself. While running around and fighting enemies to complete a mission, you will often feel the need to just stop for a while and take in the view presented before you by the developers. Changing sceneries from deserts to forests to snow covered landscape will make you submerge in the world of Zero Dawn.
And yes there is a dedicated photo mode in this game, just so you can enjoy the scenery take snapshots and share them with everyone. This shows how much confidence the developers had in the visuals created by them. Even Uncharted 4 is left behind with the amazing beauty of this game.
This game has given me the experience which earlier, in my opinion, was possible with only a top-end PC. Not a single drop in framerate, how is it possible that such a game is running flawlessly on PS4. You may encounter an occasional pop-in texture when the surrounding scenery of the game is loaded a bit late, but the performance is smooth.
The story of the lead character, Aloy, is told in a very compelling and engaging manner. The voice acting of each cast member is brilliant and their work has been amazingly incorporated in the game. The story is based in a post-post-apocalypse era where a young huntress, Aloy, from the north of the land is trying to seek out the past of herself and the human civilisation.
People that surround her have divulged into violence, tribalism and blind faith. The story is unique but some clear inspirations can be easily figured out. The map draws its figurine from Game of Thrones but, sorry to disappoint you, there are no incestuous royalty or the White Walkers per say. The Nora in the game are similar to the Northern Tribe of Game of Thrones and are treated as though they are savages.
The more you play, the more you get intrigued and when just a 30 minutes of play time gets extended to a solid 3-4 hour gameplay, you won’t even realise. And when the stunning visuals are supported by a smooth combat system, you can’t even complain. The game was announced back in 2011 when including bow and arrow in the game was the trend. But none of the game could make the use of wood and string as enjoyable as Zero Dawn.
Aloy’s freedom of movement and the ever-increasing arsenal makes the game interesting and fun. She is often the weakest one in the fight and has to exploit weaknesses and vulnerabilities of her enemies to take them down. Take on several enemies at a time and you are dead meat. No matter how good you get, is possible avoid confrontation.
But the Guerilla’s love for not showing damage indication during a fight can put you off at times. When you carry on a fight with just 15% loss in the health bar and get defeated by seemingly harmless attacks, it becomes annoying. Even the indications like blood splattering or heavy breathing can be informative at times.
When you are not fighting and taking snapshots, foraging for resources in your vicinity to create health potions, traps or weapons is the only remaining task at hand. These resources are necessary for a quick progress in the game and need to be replenished from time to time if you don’t want to die in need of a health potion or a better weapon.
While moving from one location to another and collecting materials you will also come across several side missions. And even these side missions are well planned to make you want to cross each one off the list. The self-contained narrative of these side missions coupled with the amazing surroundings and flawless voice acting make them a wonderful experience.
You may feel that there is nothing much to do in the game except for discovering the track and follow it to fight the enemy, even for the side missions. But the satisfying gameplay will keep you going on and on in search for more. But the waypoint system gets in the way of your progress. The marker on the centre points toward the main pathways while the one on the compass points the direction in which the crow is flying. Result is that they end up contradicting each other very often.
Another noticeable issue is that no multiple quests can be pursued together. So, while you are getting used to with the new weapon you have acquired all other quests you may have been going through will get cancelled. It is not a major issue but the ability to complete overlapping missions at the same time would have been cool.
Honestly, the game far exceeded my expectations. And many people would agree that they too were surprised with the fact that Killzone developers have developed a game that can be awarded as the most beautiful game till date.
Combined with the compelling backstory of the lead protagonist and awesome voice acting that can make the game come alive, Horizon Zero Dawn is truly a must have for every PS4 owner. HDR TV and PS4 Pro owners will sure enjoy the game a bit more, but everyone who plays this game, be ready to reach your orgasmic state. This game gets a 4.5/5 for the awesomeness.
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