Sony had two unannounced titles to reveal during their E3 conference. Horizon: Zero Dawn had an incredible trailer with gameplay and is based on a really interesting premise. I got to meet with the guys from Guerrilla Games and they took me through some more detail of the game. It is stunningly gorgeous, and looks like a game I need to own.
Horizon is an open world adventure RPG. It is set in the far distant future; the developers were tired of the way games explore a post-apocalyptic landscape in the traditional way. Instead, they are looking at what happens after the usual struggle within the cities; Horizon takes place one or two thousand years after the apocalypse. As a result, in the same way that we might know about the ruins in Egypt or other parts of the world but don’t know what life was like for those people, this game is so far in the future that humanity can’t really fathom what life was like for us.
In this new time, humans aren’t the dominant species; the robots are. The game follows the story of Aloy, a hunter gatherer. She is the only playable character and can’t be customised too much to change her basic look. The developers wanted to tell her story specifically, and in the same way that Geralt can only be customised so much in The Witcher, Aloy can’t really be changed past a certain point in Horizon.
As a hunter gatherer, Aloy will need to gather resources for crafting. For example, she can craft explosive or electrical arrows for her bow. However, these are really hard to get enough resources to make, so use of these arrows is only when really necessary and not to be wasted.
Aloy has two main weapons, her bow and her rope caster. The bow fires various kinds of arrows, while the rope caster is about setting traps. Of course these can be used in all sorts of combinations; she can put down explosive trip wires and heard enemies into them or she can use ropes to slow down baddies, making her normal arrows’ armour piercing less unwieldy in the heat of the moment. It’s all about creativity as Aloy can use the environment as well as a combination of attacks to take down all manner of beasts. These combinations aren’t taught in the tutorial – its up to the player to figure out what works for them and how they want to pursue a specific play style.
Crafting is obviously important for making weapons and armour. There are two kinds of crafting systems. Quick craft will allow players to essentially just replenish what’s already in supply and known how to make. The deeper crafting is a more details interface that shows possible things to be crafted as well as where to find the necessary resources to make something new.
As an open world game, the horizon truly is open to players. The idea is that if you can see it on the map, you can go there. So, if you want to hunt wild beasts on the nearby mountain, you can get there. If, however, you see some water on the horizon and see if there’s a different biome in the distance, you can move off in that direction. There are even some survival aspects to the game (although I could get details about that). The scale of the game is staggering and it’s all about giving the player a lot of freedom in that regard, while obviously still having an overarching story. That said, the developer did nod and smile when I said that some players might just enjoy the hunting and gather aspect so much that they do way more of that before moving on with the story.
They weren’t talking a lot about the story in the demo – obviously they need to save some more cool information for upcoming conferences. That said, they could tell me that the story is character driven and that players will be able to make choices that impact the outcomes. There will be a branching dialogue tree, plus depending on side activities that players take on the main storyline could have some different elements.
Horizon Zero Dawn is a PS4 exclusive that truly is visually stunning. Even seeing it again, I couldn’t get over how gorgeous those robotic dinosaurs (or whatever they’re called) looked. Each creature has such unique design and is spectacular to behold. When I asked the developers about their inspiration for the aesthetic, they explained that they love the Studio Ghibli films such as Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke. If that’s where they drew some inspiration, I’m even more excited to hear more about this unique game that feels like something completely different on the market. Plus, I’m curious about Aloy and can’t wait to find out more about her story.
I like the look and feel of the game the most. It’s an open world adventure game unlike any that we’ve seen. While there are some familiar elements, it feels distinctly different and unfamiliar, which I really like. The fact that it’s gorgeous and features a bow-wielding protagonist definitely piques my interest that much more.
Last Updated: June 18, 2015
WitWolfy
June 18, 2015 at 12:35
GLORIOUS 3rd person!!! God bless you Guerrilla Games! I wonder if this is a prequel to Killzone.. Some machine sounds like the alarm sounds exactly like the ones in Killzone SF.
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 12:38
This looks amazing!
I really hope if there’s a robo t-rex they at least modify him longer forearms. I mean shame, if you have the option. ;P
Geoffrey Tim
June 18, 2015 at 12:41
This, ReCore and Unravel are the most exciting games from E3 for me. NEW THINGS.
PoisonedBelial
June 18, 2015 at 14:09
Overrated… 😛 *continues trend from twitter*
RinceTheElfRoot
June 18, 2015 at 14:26
Is that because Aloy reminds you of Ellie in TLOU? Tehehhe
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 18, 2015 at 12:42
Cool, coool, cooooooooool, exclusive… fuck.
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 12:44
Ahh, shiiiit. I didn’t see that.
Fkn exclusives kak.
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 18, 2015 at 12:46
See – reading works. *run*
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 12:47
LOL.
Touché
Hammersteyn
June 18, 2015 at 13:11
Buy a PS4
*Waves hand
Matthew Holliday
June 18, 2015 at 12:56
it does look like a console seller though.
first game for ps4 thats made me consider buying the console.
I wont, but i did think about it for a second.
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 12:59
Looks amazing, no doubt. But there’s no way I’ll buy a console to play it. Simply because it’s not my platform of preference. I’d rather miss out on a good game.
Matthew Holliday
June 18, 2015 at 13:01
yeah, talking more about for people that were still debating which console to choose.
forza is an xbone seller.
the last of us was a ps3/4 seller
this will be a ps4 seller.
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 13:02
Forza would definitely be an Xbone seller for me too if I were to decide between the two.
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 18, 2015 at 13:03
Meh-tor racing games #amirite!
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 13:05
Booo!
RinceTheElfRoot
June 18, 2015 at 14:27
Meh-comment!
Matthew Holliday
June 18, 2015 at 13:03
aye, that balance between racing sim and need for speed fun… its hard to argue against it.
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 18, 2015 at 13:00
Not to me, if I can avoid buying a game during a Steam sale I can avoid buying a console to play a game. 😉
Matthew Holliday
June 18, 2015 at 13:01
i only avoided the steam sale by already owning the good specials :S
plus they were mostly the same specials from 2-5 years ago.
been fighting off the urge to splurge on the xbone for a while now.
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 13:03
I’ve noticed that some of the games are actually more expensive (smaller discounted) than they were on the last sale.
Not to mention Rockstar trying to fool people by putting GTA V on “sale” by not putting it on sale at all.
Matthew Holliday
June 18, 2015 at 13:05
53$
WHAT A SALE
if i was going to spend R500+ on a game, I would have bought it at release…
a R100 saving on a R600 game isnt going to convince me to buy it…
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 13:06
Exactly. And they’ve made buying the base game unavailable and you can only buy it as part of bundles. Rockstar is standing firm on not putting their (nearly two-year-old) game on sale.
Matthew Holliday
June 18, 2015 at 13:07
i spent R700 buying it for ps3, not a fuck am i going to spend R600 on a game i already own.
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 13:08
Exactly.
At this rate I’d rather get it on my PS3, because i know no one who’s playing it on PC. They’re all waiting for it to be at a reasonable price.
Matthew Holliday
June 18, 2015 at 13:10
I dont even really want the multiplayer, i just want to play it the way it was meant to be played.
it was great on PS3, but you could really feel it was being held back by the console, viewing distance, antialaising, framerate etc.
even after all the time they spent porting it for PC, it is apparently terribly optimised, you pass a patch of grass on the side of the road and your PC is like “WTF MAN?” with a 20fps drop.
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
June 18, 2015 at 13:18
That’s only when you use vsync… terrible and stupid setting that…
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 13:54
Agreed. Never bother with that.
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 13:53
Eish man. That’s not great.
Either way though, looking forward to getting it.
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 18, 2015 at 13:04
lol, that does make it easier yes. Even so I’ve still seen a few games on my wishlist on the flash sales, but I’m holding firm this time around.
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 13:04
Me too. It’s been a difficult sale this one 😉
Blood Emperor Trevor
June 18, 2015 at 13:05
I haven’t even bought one of the GOG specials. I’m kinda impressed with myself actually haha.
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 13:06
I didn’t buy anything on GOG either. Wait. No. I bought one game.
I did clean out the PayDay DLCs on Steam though. They were fracking cheap.
Matthew Holliday
June 18, 2015 at 13:08
actually bought a few of their specials.
nostalgia value games like Crimson land etc, from my… less than honest childhood.
Matthew Holliday
June 18, 2015 at 13:06
even the games on my wishlist, I was like “meh”
if they dropped a 60$ game down to 20$, it would have been a different matter.
but 25% off couldnt convince me…
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 13:07
Same here
Galbedir
June 18, 2015 at 13:25
Game looks cool, lets hope they enjoy half the cash they could have made if they released it on Xbox and PC.
Nikola
June 18, 2015 at 12:43
Really, really impressed with this biggest and freshest surprise for me at E3 for years now, excited to see more but it is definitely something unique and new at least story wise. I do not think there is much new gameplay innovation to be explored in games!
kuuu(UMAR)rrrr
June 18, 2015 at 12:43
SOO good, a tad bit too much speaking to herself but soooo good. Robo Dinos RPG..YUM!
Jonah Cash
June 18, 2015 at 13:04
Hey you take that back! I speak to myself all the time….
Hammersteyn
June 18, 2015 at 12:44
Turok Horizon Hunter : Zero Dawn!
Daniel Hallinan
June 18, 2015 at 12:49
Honestly, for me this is THE most exciting thing that was revealed at E3. LOVE how it looks. There are COLOURS! And ROBOT DINOSAURS! And really INTERESTINGLY designed robot dinosaurs!
Hammersteyn
June 18, 2015 at 12:49
I’m not seeing any “lazors” yet
https://forum-s3.pinside.com/201310/1205522/146265.jpg
Timmy_The_Good_Troll
June 18, 2015 at 13:02
Graphics look amaazin, but it just doesnt do it for me, Glad its exclusive Sony can keep that one.
Jonah Cash
June 18, 2015 at 13:02
I want to play this soooo badly! It looks stunning and the bit of gameplay they showed looked fun and challenging….
VampyreSquirrel
June 18, 2015 at 13:19
“Look at me! I’m going to shoot this frikken ARROW at that MECHANICAL monster over there… AND KILL IT!”
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
June 18, 2015 at 13:21
This game looks absolutely gorgeous, I might have actually popped an eyeball while staring at it… A pity though that it’s an exclusive, I can’t justify buying a whole console (if I could I’d buy it in bits over a few years) just to play this game…
CypherGate
June 18, 2015 at 13:34
When i saw this game I was like WHHHAAAT THEEEEEE FUUUUUURK lol this is one of those games im so looking forward to! Guys how dense is the environment hey? It truly looks awesome!
Ghost In The Rift
June 18, 2015 at 13:37
Hmmm, any similarity’s?!?!
WitWolfy
June 18, 2015 at 14:18
This is what I saw when they showed it on E3.
PoisonedBelial
June 18, 2015 at 13:50
Why the fuck would you want a Ginger as the hero?
Nobody likes gingers! – I should know, I am one myself 🙁
Captain JJ Browmehn
June 18, 2015 at 13:54
Ha!
WitWolfy
June 18, 2015 at 14:18
GINGERS DONT HAVE SOULS!
PoisonedBelial
June 18, 2015 at 14:20
And that is the type of “hate speech” I’m subjected to daily 😛
Mossel
June 18, 2015 at 14:30
Great premise…but why robot dinosaurs? I mean, if the robots are so intelligent surely there are other forms they can take that are more effective?
WitWolfy
June 18, 2015 at 14:34
Because shut up, that’s why!
Mossel
June 18, 2015 at 14:42
hahaha! Well, now that you put it that way…robot dinosaurs DOES seem pretty cool.
Michelle
June 18, 2015 at 14:35
So there’s no meat in the game to eat?
I want to know how these mech animals came to be.
Mossel
June 18, 2015 at 14:42
Beast Wars!!
Michelle
June 18, 2015 at 14:50
Ok now I need a PS4,anyone willing to donate?
Geoffrey Tim
June 19, 2015 at 07:45
I can donate some meat, seeing as there’s apparently none in the game.
Lord Chaos
June 18, 2015 at 15:42
Just one problem. Too green. There’s a reason I prefer Fallout over Elder Scrolls.
chimera_85
June 18, 2015 at 16:29
This game makes me so wet, cheese and rice
Rikarudo
June 18, 2015 at 23:19
Day one buy for me whenever this game ships, and i freaking love that its not just a new IP but a Franchise…
and her name is ALOY?!?! can she be any cooler?!
Great job guerilla games, great job.
hairyknees
June 19, 2015 at 08:03
I want this 🙁 NOW!