Well, that's your expectations. You do get rewarded for exploration via items. And not all open world games have that kind of exploration. Not even Gravity Rush...
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My problems with Horizon Zero Dawn's exploration
- Thread starter Simple Soul
- Start date
Danjin44
The nicest person on this forum
Except Gravity Rush has one of the best traversal in open world I ever played, its god damn fun to just fly around on that game and I can't really say the same with Horizon.
All that wall of horseshit as a butthurt response to horizon criticism/people prefering botw over horizon. "OH yEah!? well botw suckz nnah naaah!!"
humansarehorses
Member
People keep bringing BotW up in non-BotW threads. He's perfectly allowed to comment on those comments.
It'd be one thing to say that BotW does nothing mechanically well, and it's a chore of a game in threads where no one is talking about it. That's not the case here.
ass
Danjin44
The nicest person on this forum
Look I got my Switch when Mario Odyssey came and Im currently through BotW and the amount interactivity, the exploration and freedom is way beyond Horizon. We also mentioned both NieR and Evil Within 2, even though both games have very small open world, there still a lot things to find and well worth exploring. We also mentioned Gravity Rush for one of the best traversal in open world games. Sorry, I just dont think Horizon is good open world game.
Martinski43
Member
Also it is not that strange to compare two open world games that was released pretty much in the span of a week (just looked it up, in the same week even). That were high profile exlusive games.
Ancient Gray
Member
I went into BotW hot off the heels of Horizon and hoo boy I'm glad I did it that way because the traversal in Horizon would've driven me insane had I inverted the two.
There's an understated brilliance in BotW that I think you have to stop and consider. It seems really stupid at first glance but it seriously ought to change the way you look at every open world game before it. It's like a leap in console generations. While I think there are a few things that Horizon does better than Zelda (combat, inventory, crafting), if we're discussing strictly the concept of "open world" then it's no question to me that Zelda beats it.
There's an understated brilliance in BotW that I think you have to stop and consider. It seems really stupid at first glance but it seriously ought to change the way you look at every open world game before it. It's like a leap in console generations. While I think there are a few things that Horizon does better than Zelda (combat, inventory, crafting), if we're discussing strictly the concept of "open world" then it's no question to me that Zelda beats it.
humansarehorses
Member
I think you're misunderstanding me. I think it's perfectly fine for people to criticize the game. I haven't even played it yet -- I might dislike it like you do.
I just think it's fine for the other guy to trash BotW in this thread since others brought it up as a gold standard that Horizon should be compared to. My comment's not directed at you personally or anything.
Why? It's just petty and insecure. People have valid complaints and criticisms against horizon. To trash a better game for it is ridiculous.
A better game? By who's standards? Reviewers? It's all opinions, remember?
humansarehorses
Member
BotW is the better game? Man, Horizon must really be trash.
Yes, better, according to anyone who is not a fanboy. Not sure why people take it personal? It's hardly a controversial position.
It pretty much is. Unless you enjoy cinematic garbage and bog-standard gameplay.
Damerman
Member
wholeheartedly agree. i appreciate what HZD did, despite the revolution that BOTW is. i'm enjoying tf out of BOTW btw.
humansarehorses
Member
Well, I certainly didn't enjoy BotW's bog standard traversal mechanics and garbage combat.
Horizon's combat and enemy encounters actually look good, though. So we'll see. Definitely don't see anything about it that looks cinematic.
What looks good about it? It's all standard, been there done that a million times stuff. How can anyone love or be engaged by that? Because it looks nice? Combat is the only thing about the game, and it's mediocre at best.
And seriously? Not cinematic? The intro alone is painful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTd8r4p7l4g
And the dumb conversations that go on and on...
You totally miss the fact the reviewers overlooked the lack of story, music, performance, and controls. The fact is they are different games that share similar attributes.
I didn't really like BOTW but since we were splitting hairs i mentioned it's objective flaws like bugs, poor controls, and poor A.I.that some people were able to overlook. There are games that nails the adventure aspect better than it by a country mile.
humansarehorses
Member
Speaking of being a fanboy... definitely sounds like you're one. Also sounds like you didn't actually play Horizon given your excruciatingly vague criticisms.
Variety of weapons, including the use of traps, look like fun. Enemy movesets look varied (see the snapmaw video). Combat encounters look pattern driven. Patterns look animation driven.
Having long cutscenes doesn't make it cinematic. That's not at all what people think about when they talk about cinematic games. Otherwise, Final Fantasy would be the posterboy of cinematic games. It's not.
That's because it's a shooter in an open world. You stated HZD has no worthwhile environments to explore because there's no reward associated with the locations but you mentioned Gravity Rush. Gravity Rush was completely dead town wise yet and there was no reward for you travels as you could just "fly" to your location. It just seems contradictory.
Danjin44
The nicest person on this forum
Does this looks like dead town to you?
When Kat waves, town people wave back. In Gravity Rush 2 there is way more interactivity than Horizon.
Ancient Gray
Member
Is Gravity Rush 2 better than 1?
I did love navigating the world but I just didn't like the stuff I was doing much.
I did love navigating the world but I just didn't like the stuff I was doing much.
MindCollizion
Member
Downloading this now. I'll give my impressions on it after playing. I've avoided all botw vs horizon up to now. I'll finally be able to see for myself.
I'm not a fanboy. I hate mediocrity, and a lot of these "aaa" games are the definition of it. I haven't played horizon, thankfully, and I don't need to to know it's a deficient and subpar game that offers little beyond presentation. That's my biggest beef with these type of games, they focus so much on graphics and story but forget about having compelling gameplay. Games like resident evil 4, bionic commando 2009 & rearmed, orcs must die, guacamelee, punch out, downwell etc. games that focus on gameplay, that have fun and unique mechanics that you won't find elsewhere, are what I enjoy about this medium, not constant cutscenes and story shoved down my throat. The combat is the only thing going for horizon(besides graphics) and it's simply not good enough to make me want to play it. I mean pattern driven combat as a positive? that's merely basic game design. It's not exactly interesting by itself.
humansarehorses
Member
You hate mediocrity but you love BotW? That's odd. You'd think someone so gameplay-oriented as yourself would see that the shrine puzzles are weak (nothing compared to brilliant puzzle games like Portal), its combat and enemy encoutners are subpar (far cry from games like Dark Souls), traversal is pretty shit (see Gravity Rush, Cloudbuilt, and MGSV that get traversal -- both unique and traditional traversal mechanics), its mission design is filled to the brim with fetch quests, etc.
Well, at least you're admitting that you haven't played Horizon. Now everyone can appropriately discount your (worthless) opinions on the game.
I haven't played botw either, I've seen gameplay of it and I can say without a doubt it's a game I would very much enjoy, I don't see anything mediocre about it, and apparently I'm not alone on that. The game isn't dark souls or gravity rush? ok? not sure what point you're trying to make there.
You last point is so dumb. People don't need to play bad rats to know it's a bad game with serious issues that they won't enjoy.
I don't need to watch transformer 2 to know it's vapid cgi garbage with paper thin characters and dumb michael bay humor. I certainly don't need to play a horizon to confirm that it's a mediocre game.
humansarehorses
Member
No, BotW doesn't do anything well. Everything it does, from the puzzles to the traversal mechanics to the combat is mediocre. Which isn't a surprise based on the series' history.
That was my point, you illiterate you.
You're just being a dickhead now. Hardly making any points either other than trashing a game that's well regarded by gamers, developers and critics. You're weirdly personal now.
I mean, aren't you doing the same with Horizon? You haven't even played it - it's well regarded by gamers, developers and critics http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/horizon-zero-dawn
What are you on.
Certainly not by gamers nor developers, there is plenty of criticism. I can say horizon is mediocre because I have eyes, I have seen the freaking game, I have read impressions, I've watched video reviews and it's less than impressive. I don't have to play something to know it's bad/not for me. That's the freaking point of impressions, video footage and reviews, to inform an opinion.
I did not find both of them extraordinary either. It does look great mostly due to the strong contrasting color choices, and the fact that its a well-made and polished AAA title (not completely devoid of some open world jank), but far too many sacrifices were made so I can't quite call it a masterpiece like other people do. Like you said, combat didn't do enough for me to make me want to revisit the game and playing it felt like a chore to begin with.
Out of 113 reviews, 7 are under 8/10 with the majority 9 and above and an 89 meteoritic. Before the purge the Horizon thread showed the game was incredibly well received.
What are you basing this on?
There were also plenty of complaints against it. Bad ai, static,uniteractive world and dull mechanics to name a few. It wasn't praised across the board. Some people enjoy cinematic games, but I consider them the bane of this medium. To some, mediocre gameplay is fair as long as the visual are nice. If the game didn't look as good as it does reactions would have been different.
Witcher 3 only has 1 review below 8. Many on GAF would argue the gameplay isn't good.
What is your definition of a cinematic game?
I was just playing Horizon and aside from say, talking during a mission (multiple response and all that) there were no cutscenes, no QTEs in battle. I don't feel lose control as I would in Uncharted or Tomb Raider, but there's more to those games than just cinematics? A gulf between say Heavy Rain and Grand Theft Auto exists but both could be considered cinematic.
You keep saying mediocre gameplay as well but it's just laughable since you haven't played it. Mediocre gameplay compared to what game? Devil may cry? Zone of the Enders? Metal Gear? The Witcher? What is your metric? Why is it mediocre? I can't think of an open world game with combat as engaging as this.
I'm not going to act like the visuals don't enhance the gameplay - but that's another conversation altogether.
Gameplay =/= Combat when it comes to Witcher 3, I can no longer enjoy the game because I find the combat tedious - so the impetus to continue depletes as I'd say it's one of the worst aspects in the game, alongside the movement - but there's a shit ton the Witcher does well so it's easy to understand, the foundation of the combat is good with the magic and potions, skill tree and even how the statistics work from fight to fight. The act of combat itself? Whew. Below average.
Look at post 128 if you're wondering why I posted that.
Krappadizzle
Gold Member
Cinematic, as in a game with a big focus on cutscenes, storytelling, realism and presentation. A game that's more concerned with how it looks than how it plays. Most "aaa" games fall on that category (uncharted, last of us, the order etc). Horizon certainly does. There's also uncharted style auto platforming/climbing in it.
I can say it's mediocre without comparing it to anything. The gameplay is standard fare to a scientific degree. It having better combat than other ow games doesn't change anything for me.
This review gives me assurance that I won't enjoy horizon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tViQ4xTSaJo
Danjin44
The nicest person on this forum
Well, I guess your opinion and all but it sounds like you never liked Zelda games in the first place.
Xenobureido
Banned
Everybody has been lying, all those record-breaking top scores were bought by Nintendo. You have it figured out. Congrats.
:/
Wtf you can talk to the towns people. What are you talking about? And what environment in gravity rush is worth while adventure wise?Does this looks like dead town to you?
When Kat waves, town people wave back. In Gravity Rush 2 there is way more interactivity than Horizon.
Mechanically, mostly. Story wise no. It's very hard to pin. On one hand, there's more to do. On the other hand, rather or not you would enjoy doing it is up to you. I was slightly disappointed with it's story.
What are you saying?! I don't understand. HZD never was about realism. It targeted surrealism. Getting slapped by a big metal tail should have killed her. Most of its gameplay sensibilities are geared towards gameplay. Get out of this thread with this trash. You haven't even played the game.
I haven't. I've said as much. By realism I mean being relatively grounded. Having realistic graphics, story & characters, physics, weight, animation and abilities. I don't mean it to be an entirely life like simulation because that's dumb. For how dumb and childish a concept robot dinosaurs are, horizon takes itself far too seriously.
Danjin44
The nicest person on this forum
Like I said before, The traversal in Gravity Rush super fun. encourages you fly around collecting gems to upgrade your powers further. Also I'm talking about that towns people react to Kat's action. you wave to town people they wave back or you actually scare them like this.
What I mean was there is just a lot more interaction in Gravity Rush's Town than in Horizon.
humansarehorses
Member
I'm free to trash it. I actually played it. It's as average as all of those AAA games you seem so fond of hating. Worse, even, because of some terrible design choices (like a strict inventory limit that can only be increased by finding korok seeds and the fragile weapons which have you stopping and starting fights to switch).
There are specialized games that manage to do at least one or two things really, really well (like I said, traversal in Gravity Rush and Cloudbuilt, combat in Dark Souls although DkS gets a ton right, puzzles in Portal). BotW's not one of those games. It doesn't do anything well.
I suggest playing games that actually do something well to highlight the different ways that BotW's mediocre.
Well, when the piece of shit that's Phantom Hourglass got a 90 on metacritic, you'd have to think that there's something wrong with that picture.
Martinski43
Member
Holy shit you are wrong.
What a bunch of crap you are spewing, so BoTW doesn't do anything well?
Freeman76
Member
I got about 3 pages of abuse in the OT for saying this isnt an RPG.
humansarehorses
Member
Freeman76
Member
JaxBriggs
Member
I very much enjoyed my time with Horizon (especially the story) but for the sequel I hope they put a lot of work into expanding on weapons and armour. I felt we really only got the basics here (more so with armour variety) and I feel that's where the game could have used more work.