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Horizon: Zero Dawn | Review Thread

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Quotient

Member
This is another bit I didn't really talk about in my review -- I kept calling it "the perfect RPG for dads" in our website's Slack channel. Not as a pejorative -- the game is legit hard -- but it's a lean, mean RPG machine that trims the fat, leaving only what's fun, and there isn't an overwhelming quest log of side activities to distract from and bury the main story. You can feel productive and accomplished in just 30-min to 1-hr play sessions.

I actually cancelled my pre-order due to being a dad (i have 2 daughters). The Witcher 3 is a brilliant game but just hard to find a good chunk of time to play it and it takes a long time to finish. If i had known that Horizon was a "dad-friendly" rpg i have have not cancelled by pre-order!
 
I'll remove that one but I guarantee you, that's nothing in the grand scheme of this game. Hell, it's not even from a main quest.

No need it is already spoiled but you should outside of spoiler threads either just leave the link or spoiler tag the images so people can decide for themselves if they want to look at them no matter how awesome they are.
 
Have you switched HDR on and off and compared any?

I did test it on a regular TV and regular PS4. Certainly has less pop and dynamism, but I was still impressed at the way lighting seems to bake the earth and cast a natural glow over things.

At the moment, you can't turn HDR on and off if it detects the feature on your TV. But we're told that a day-zero patch will add that option.
 
Universal combat praise. Nice to see this coming from a WRPG. I hope they continue refine the combat and add more depth (specially the melee which seems to be the weakest part) in the sequel.

It was definitely a good sign when they were asked what their gaming inspirations were for this game and said Dragon's Dogma, Monster Hunter, and Binary Domain. If those are the games that inspired you, then combat has to be a high priority.
 

jeffram

Member
It's finally happening - the week of legend is almost upon us. Between 02/28 - 03/7:
  • 02/28: Horizon
  • 03/03: Breath of the Wild
  • 03/07: Nier Automata
  • 03/07: Wildlands
This might be the most exciting week I've ever had for new game releases.

And it's not on an island by itself. Nioh came out two weeks before, and Mass Effect 2 weeks after.
 
It was definitely a good sign when they were asked what their gaming inspirations were for this game and said Dragon's Dogma, Monster Hunter, and Binary Domain. If those are the games that inspired you, then combat has to be a high priority.

I really like the satisfying feeling you get when you demember robots and little pieces of metals just pop out in Binary Domain, so I'm excited especially for that feature in the game.
 

Alo0oy

Banned
It was definitely a good sign when they were asked what their gaming inspirations were for this game and said Dragon's Dogma, Monster Hunter, and Binary Domain. If those are the games that inspired you, then combat has to be a high priority.

If I'm not mistaken, someone compared it to vanquish in the impressions thread.
 

Cyberia

Member
It’s so unlike anything Guerrilla Games – a studio better known for macho, gory shooters – has done before, and it’s so fully formed right our of the gate for such a vast and ambitious game that it just seems sort of…well, improbable. And yet here it is. A giant open-world action RPG that can stand toe-to-toe with some of the biggest and best in the genre.

More than that, it’s the second (after the excellent Nioh) must-have new and original intellectual property to be released exclusively for PlayStation 4 in just three weeks. And keep in mind it’s only February. Sony’s off to a galloping start in 2017. And PlayStation 4 owners are the happy beneficiaries.

http://business.financialpost.com/features/horizon-zero-dawn-review

9.0
 

Daffy Duck

Member
Should check the reviews. GG has made this trim-fatting endeavor and have cut a lot of RPG tropes and streamlined them. Greg from kinda funny hates RPG's and loved this game to bits.

Based on reviews, you can easily play this in 2 hour chunks and actually get done with the game in a week or so. The main story is not super long. Its really refreshing.

Oooooooooo, that changes things quite some.

I love RPG's but I love getting lost in the worlds, and that is exactly what happened in Witcher 3 and it just sits uncompleted.

That is a good thing to read.

The general consensus is that it's more streamlined, focused, and straight up action game, than your usual RPG

What exactly are you imagining this game to be like?

I had it down as an action game probably similar in style to say Infamous in framework, that sort of action game, I've not really paid much attention to any of it nor really got it, but those reviews are stellar and really making me want to play it, but reading RPG I instantly felt like I wouldn't have the time to fully see it all.
 
I love how Aloy is well-written and doesn't have a single absurdly skimpy outfit. No comments in the game refer to her attractive figure. She's such a great female character. Way to go, GG

Word. I haven't even played the game yet but I already love the character. Couldn't wait to play the game and see her in action.

It was definitely a good sign when they were asked what their gaming inspirations were for this game and said Dragon's Dogma, Monster Hunter, and Binary Domain. If those are the games that inspired you, then combat has to be a high priority.

Seriously, CAPCOM needs to make that Dragon's Dogma remaster. I'd buy that in a heartbeat!
 
The Fuck?
My post didn't say anything harsh, or anything to suggest I need to lighten up.
Frieza didn’t win did he? I thought he destroyed namek, got utterly defeated by Goku, and just managed to survive. Then came to earth with his daddy and got obliterated by future trunks. I would say, he loss twice.

Goku didn’t die from Namek blowing up either.
 
I actually cancelled my pre-order due to being a dad (i have 2 daughters). The Witcher 3 is a brilliant game but just hard to find a good chunk of time to play it and it takes a long time to finish. If i had known that Horizon was a "dad-friendly" rpg i have have not cancelled by pre-order!

Ah yeah, this is on the opposite end of the spectrum. Still meaty, but so accessible and streamlined that you're going from quest to combat to quest to city and back again, all relatively quick.
 
On my KS8000 (4K, HDR), it's unreal. In motion, the best-looking game I've ever played.
I have the same tv, that and a x800d.
Ff looks insane on both tvs on a pro and it doesn't even look as good as those screens at the same time...
My god what will god of war even be with its set pieces given how 3 was on ps3 and the fact that god of war is supposed to be a dedicated pro enhanced game according to the leaks
 

Zakalwe

Banned
No need it is already spoiled but you should outside of spoiler threads either just leave the link or spoiler tag the images so people can decide for themselves if they want to look at them no matter how awesome they are.

If you're this sensitive to spoilers you should stay out of these threads. General conceus seems to be images like this are fine, so you'll only be playing yourself.

Not saying it's right or wrong either way, just saying.
 

PrimeBeef

Member
Mother of God.... That article title is what I wanted to see

So where is the outrage for the not stable 30 FPS? I read tons of ridicule from the non Nintendo crowd about how inferior the Switch is becasue it cannot run BotW at 60 FPS. I'm not looking to start shit, just genuinely curious why something like a game, that has normally been a 30 FPS with some dips game in Zelda, is 30 FPS with some dips. But HZD on a more powerful system is 30 FPS with dips and it appears to just be ignored.
 
Some of my favorite pictures I've taken... of course had to add my much talked about ANTS one.

vCJoLtj.jpg


Ha6WLmV.jpg


Qxsyv3k.jpg
 

Skeeter49

Member
Frieza didn’t win did he? I thought he destroyed namek, got utterly defeated by Goku, and just managed to survive. Then came to earth with his daddy and got obliterated by future trunks. I would say, he loss twice.

Goku didn’t die from Namek blowing up either.
I was desperate for a counter response :(
Could argue Golden Frieza was stronger.
I thought we were past DBZ gifs with consoles on them. This isn't the future Aloy fights for.
 

f@luS

More than a member.
Seriously.
Uncharted 4 , horizon now (with "4k") , i can't wait to see god of war and last of us 2

Sony made an insane device for such a price. Crazy
 

The Lamp

Member
I actually cancelled my pre-order due to being a dad (i have 2 daughters). The Witcher 3 is a brilliant game but just hard to find a good chunk of time to play it and it takes a long time to finish. If i had known that Horizon was a "dad-friendly" rpg i have have not cancelled by pre-order!

Yeah it's a Diet RPG, primarily action adventure kind of experience. Not many side quests, not super long campaign, and the game always keeps you very grounded in your objectives and wherever you are and what to do. You don't feel lost. And you feel very accomplished just playing the game for 30 minute spurts.
 

Painraze

Unconfirmed Member
So where is the outrage for the not stable 30 FPS? I read tons of ridicule from the non Nintendo crowd about how inferior the Switch is becasue it cannot run BotW at 60 FPS. I'm not looking to start shit, just genuinely curious why something like a game, that has normally been a 30 FPS with some dips game in Zelda, is 30 FPS with some dips. But HZD on a more powerful system is 30 FPS with dips and it appears to just be ignored.

Because Zelda can't even hit 1080p and looks like a hazy mess? Horizon, otoh, looks fucking amazing.
 
I'm unbelievably excited for this to drop next week now. Really happy for Guerilla, I've been a fan of them since the original Killzone and was really hoping this would be a home run for them. From all indications it is, which is awesome.
 

Quonny

Member
So where is the outrage for the not stable 30 FPS? I read tons of ridicule from the non Nintendo crowd about how inferior the Switch is becasue it cannot run BotW at 60 FPS. I'm not looking to start shit, just genuinely curious why something like a game, that has normally been a 30 FPS with some dips game in Zelda, is 30 FPS with some dips. But HZD on a more powerful system is 30 FPS with dips and it appears to just be ignored.

NeoGAF has multiple members that post in different threads with different opinions.

Also those people are idiots.
 
Saw the OP and was prepared to eat all of the crow until I read reviews from writers I actually care about in Eurogamer, The Guardian and Kotaku UK. About what I'd expect from Guerilla. I'm calling an Edge 7, maybe a generous 8.

70 + reviews, almost all glowing, but only ones that matter are the ones that align with your preconceived bias, seems legit.,
 
I did test it on a regular TV and regular PS4. Certainly has less pop and dynamism, but I was still impressed at the way lighting seems to bake the earth and cast a natural glow over things.

At the moment, you can't turn HDR on and off if it detects the feature on your TV. But we're told that a day-zero patch will add that option.
I appreciate the response. The lack of HDR talk in technical discussio has been perplexing and it's the bells and whistles thing I care most about.
 

The Lamp

Member
So where is the outrage for the not stable 30 FPS? I read tons of ridicule from the non Nintendo crowd about how inferior the Switch is becasue it cannot run BotW at 60 FPS. I'm not looking to start shit, just genuinely curious why something like a game, that has normally been a 30 FPS with some dips game in Zelda, is 30 FPS with some dips. But HZD on a more powerful system is 30 FPS with dips and it appears to just be ignored.

I can count the times Horizon visibly stuttered in framerate in my 23 hours of playtime on like 1 hand lol. It's probably the most visually stable and stunning console open world game I've ever seen.
 
Oooooooooo, that changes things quite some.

I love RPG's but I love getting lost in the worlds, and that is exactly what happened in Witcher 3 and it just sits uncompleted.

That is a good thing to read.
Yeah, some reviewers are probably dinging it a bit for this aspect, as it in some aspects it feels less like a traditional RPG and more like modern-action games (TR, Far Cry comparisons) but it's a design philosophy that GG implemented on purpose, to streamline gameplay aspects so it's accessible to everyone.

Perhaps the game will be bigger/longer and more RPG-like in the inevitable sequel, but this one certainly has some RPG-lite elements, but the strong dialog, secrets, and narrative or a more traditional one. I'm not sure which one I prefer yet, but I'm glad the main story can be finished in a good 30 hours. Likely less than that if you play on easy/normal and stay strict on pushing forward the story.
 
70 + reviews, almost all glowing, but only ones that matter are the ones that align with your preconceived bias, seems legit.,

I think, that person hasn't done anything wrong. I don't think it's unusual to trust certain reviewers in which this person did so I think it's fair to back off a bit. The only thing that is weird, is giving scores to these reviews that gave no scores as if the written review wasn't enough. To say 7 or 8 which is kind of off from what those reviews are saying, I think is very unusual lol
 
I was desperate for a counter response :(
Could argue Golden Frieza was stronger.
I thought we were past DBZ gifs with consoles on them. This isn't the future Aloy fights for.
DBZ will always be used for power comparisons though! It’s place is solidified in gaming culture. but yeah, the gif is fanboy realm, we don’t need that, but unfortunately, it’s the nature of brands.
 
I appreciate the response. The lack of HDR talk in technical discussio has been perplexing and it's the bells and whistles thing I care most about.

No problem. I'm far from the best person to talk about in technical terms, but I can feel the difference in brightness when the sun or small local light sources feel very realistic. HDR in Horizon is a bit better than even FFXV, which was also a great implementation.
 

Shock32

Member
My question for people that own it, is the world seamless like skyrim? Can you run from one end to the other without loading?
 

PrimeBeef

Member
I can count the times Horizon visibly stuttered in framerate in my 23 hours of playtime on like 1 hand lol. It's probably the most visually stable and stunning console open world game I've ever seen.

It's freaking gorgeous. Same thing for BotW, DF found like 1 or 2 noticeable slowdowns and it was thoroughly ripped to shreds for it. Just curious. The whole primative(ish) setting initially turned me away from wanting this, but I may just go get a slim with this. Any info of this getting a PS4 bundle in the future?
 
So where is the outrage for the not stable 30 FPS? I read tons of ridicule from the non Nintendo crowd about how inferior the Switch is becasue it cannot run BotW at 60 FPS. I'm not looking to start shit, just genuinely curious why something like a game, that has normally been a 30 FPS with some dips game in Zelda, is 30 FPS with some dips. But HZD on a more powerful system is 30 FPS with dips and it appears to just be ignored.
You picked the worst possible game to start this shit lol. Not only is this game one of the most stable ow games around, this is i think the best looking unmodded open world game on the pro. Period. That console that costs a just a 100 bucks more than the switch.
Zelda has serious drops even in gameplay vids and at the wrong angle where its excellent shading is suppressed, it can show you hideous early ps3 era assets
 

Danielsan

Member
So where is the outrage for the not stable 30 FPS? I read tons of ridicule from the non Nintendo crowd about how inferior the Switch is becasue it cannot run BotW at 60 FPS. I'm not looking to start shit, just genuinely curious why something like a game, that has normally been a 30 FPS with some dips game in Zelda, is 30 FPS with some dips. But HZD on a more powerful system is 30 FPS with dips and it appears to just be ignored.
Because it's actually incredibly stable and looks down right insane? BotW is a good looking game, but that's 75% art direction.
 
Different games, different systems, different goals.

This is the exact answer the question you posted. It's easy to spot those who shitpost, so the best you can do is ignore and move on. HZD is just incredible to look at considering how solid the performance is for an open-world game on a $300 console.
 
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