Horizon Zero Dawn, the latest title from Killzone developer Guerilla Games, made its impressive debut during the 2015 PlayStation E3 Press Conference. Since then, details have slowly trickled in about the PlayStation 4 adventure game. You’ll want to learn everything you can about the mysterious new world of Horizon Zero Dawn, only there’s so little confirmed information out there. Good thing we’ve pulled together a list of all the confirmed info on the promising, post-apocalyptic RPG/Adventure title. Take a look.
The Origins
Development on Horizon Zero Dawn began in 2011 after the release of Killzone 3. Guerilla Games started with several prototypes and drafted nearly 20 potential stories for the game. Early focuses of Horizon Zero Dawn revolved around the clash between the beauties and dangers of its naturalistic world.
Another major focus of the title revolves around players using trial and error in combat to defeat different enemies. The studio purposefully didn’t include a tutorial, to force players to learn from their mistakes and develop their strategies. The game is developed in an altered version of a game engine known as Decima, which was previously used on Killzone: Shadow Fall and was also adopted for Hideo Kojima’s next game, Death Stranding.
The Gameplay
Horizon Zero Dawn is a third-person, action role-playing game. Taking the role of the hunter Aloy, players must venture across a vast, natural world overrun by high-tech robotic creatures known as Machines. Aloy’s primary weapon is a bow-and-arrow outfitted with different ammo types, some that stun or explode on impact. Combat can also extend to close-quarters weapons, including knives and axes. Aloy can set tripwire traps that can snare enemies for a limited time. For those who prefer to be stealthy, Aloy can perform instant takedowns on enemies by waiting in bushes for ambushes.
By hacking different Machines, Aloy can ride the giant beasts as temporary vehicles. Aloy can also use a Focus Scan (like Assassin’s Creed Eagle Vision) to discover weak areas on different machines. The scan also reveals their reoccurring locations, their strength level, and what sort of loot they might drop. The game will feature an extensive crafting system, where Aloy can take components from destroyed machines to create ammo, weapons, and other valuable items.
The Story
Aloy is a fierce, red-haired warrior for the Nora tribe. Strong and self-reliant, Aloy was raised by Rost, another outcast of her tribe. She’s curious and driven to discover the mysteries of her origins, as well as the world before the Machines overran humanity.
Guerilla Games has purposefully remained silent on the main plot details. Through various interviews, the developers have revealed that the storyline will primarily focus on answering the questions of Aloy’s birthplace and the origins of the strange world. The world of Horizon Zero Dawn was designed to be expanded upon, either through sequels or new stories across different media.
The Machines
The Machines are technologically advanced, mechanized creatures that reign over the human race in the world of Horizon Zero Dawn. Most of them strike similar designs to various forms of wildlife, such as deer or birds. It hasn’t been explained much, but The Machines gained dominance after the fall of human civilization. The machines have co-existed with native animals, such as rabbits and birds, but recently the robo-beasts have started to act more violent. A full list of revealed enemies include:
- Grazer
- Stormbringer
- Thunderjaw
- Watcher
- Corruptor
- Shell-Walker
- Broadhead
- Tailneck
- Snapmaw
- Sawtooth
- Scrapper
- Glinthawk
The Nora Tribe
Aloy’s tribe, known as The Nora tribe, is a matriarchal human collective that has strong taboos against the technology of the ancient world. The Nora are hunter-gatherers and mainly settle in the mountains and forest areas of the world. The tribe developed the Ropecaster weapon, which allows them to quickly capture larger Machines for components and supplies.
The All Mother is their patron deity. All the tribe’s leaders are females, usually grandmothers. To be a mother within the Nora is to take on sacred significance. Members undergo a ritual known as “The Proving” Definitely seems to be accepted into the tribe. The Nora tribe has recently begun to clash with another, currently Seems like a dangerous way to live.
Horizon Zero Dawn is set for release on Feb. 28, 2017, only on PlayStation 4. Be sure to check out our Horizon Zero Dawn wiki for all of the latest info about this exciting world and characters.
