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Horizon: Zero Dawn | Review Thread

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djtiesto

is beloved, despite what anyone might say
Surprised at the positive reviews it's been getting, that's cool for the team with a new IP. Of course, the ONE site that I trust the most with game reviews that I align the most with is USGamer, which kinda bombed it :p
 

Rezae

Member
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.

Well the IQ is not equal. And one of the titles is also running at a resolution not ideal for a new console in 2017. Also.. Nintendo will always be critiqued 10x more than anyone else. It's just the way it is.
 
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 dunno about Zelda, and I'll be buying it on even more inferior system than Switch so don't really care that much, but from DF it looks like the blue fps line in Horizon is absolutely flat except for dips to 28-29 maybe 5% of the time? That's not what you call unstable 30fps lol.
 

The Lamp

Member
Surprised at the positive reviews it's been getting, that's cool for the team with a new IP. Of course, the ONE site that I trust the most with game reviews that I align the most with is USGamer, which kinda bombed it :p

I could have understood some of its criticisms, but the assortment of simultaneous things USGamer hated about the game is just bewildering to me. I encourage you to consider playing the game sometime if you get a chance lol
 

PrimeBeef

Member
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

Not starting shit, watched the DF video and it looked similar to the BotW one. My question was not really about the dips, and should have been clearer. BotW gets shit for not being 60 FPS even though 3D Zelda game are usually 30. Now we have HZD at 30 and no one is saying boo about it not being 60. My bad if I was a bit confusing.
 
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.
That's good to hear.
I think Xenoblade X has been the best running open world game I've played yet. Sounds like Horizon might beat that.
 

Ricker

Member
Why do I get the feeling I'm about to spend money that I don't really need to spend...?

Read this from PSNation,its a little better on the Pro but plays great on OG PS4 as well.

''A launch-day patch will be adding a Performance Mode which will “favor smooth framerates while delivering higher visual fidelity than the current 1080p mode”. This mode is available for both 4K displays, as well as 1080p output.
I played quite a bit on both platforms and the only difference that I could discern was with some slight framerate drops on the base PS4 in heavily populated sections. The main test that I ran was to look over at the walls of a city from a bridge and wildly move the camera around.

On the base PS4 a few instances of stuttering would occur, but on the Pro it remained smooth. I played for two days on the base PS4 though and I never felt like I was missing out on anything.
 

PrimeBeef

Member
I dunno about Zelda, and I'll be buying it on even more inferior system than Switch so don't really care that much, but from DF it looks like the blue fps line in Horizon is absolutely flat except for dips to 28-29 maybe 5% of the time? That's not what you call unstable 30fps lol.

I know that. Didn't say it was unstable. Both had dips. Was just trying to convey the similarities. I will also be plying it on the WiiU. Frame rates are not an issue for me. Just trying to understand why an inferior system is being held to a higher standard.
 
I'm sure this has been asked before, but how this game play on the og ps4?

Perfectly fine. It still looks great and runs at 30 fps, with small drops somewhat common.

Bouncing between the two, I noticed the distant "fog of war" was more prominent on base PS4, plus slightly muddier textures and less anisotropic filtering.
 
Surprised at the positive reviews it's been getting, that's cool for the team with a new IP. Of course, the ONE site that I trust the most with game reviews that I align the most with is USGamer, which kinda bombed it :p

Well is not that you have to align 100% of the time. I respect Eurogamer and ACG the most and sometimes I don't feel the same way as them, even now I think Eurogamer review is... dissappointing to me, not because of the "score" but the way they treated the game in their review. That been said, they're still my top website for reviews.
 
Are there difficulty levels?

Yes. There were 4.

I played on Normal and it put up a real fight. Pardon the paste, but my review touches on this:

In real-time, Horizon practically demands that you assess a combat situation quickly, consider your tools, find the enemy's strengths and weaknesses, and exploit them with speed and precise aim. The mechanics of aiming and movement are suitably precise and polished, but any misstep along the way could be fatal. Forgetting to swap stealth armor for a frost-resistant suit could mean death in just a few hits. Choosing to buy traps and weapons instead of a new outfit is tacitly embracing a strong offense at the cost of self-preservation. The game's economy can be similarly challenging. You may desire that outfit which protects from melee attacks, but you're missing the Shell-Walker Heart the merchant demands. So begins the hunt, with its own challenges and costs.

On top of everything, machines can be ferociously aggressive and unrelenting in their assault. They grant no reprieve as they leap far distances to crush you from above (following up with a tail whip or stomp for good measure). Frustratingly agile and intelligent, they'll starting dodging traps after the first couple and have a nasty habit of striking you from behind while you're engaging their friends. All told, they demand respect. In a somewhat rare turn for video games, the sudden appearance of a new enemy type is an uncertain (even scary) event. Horizon hearkens back to a time when boss fights were memorable and imposing--when beating a game felt victorious, not automatic.

With invigorating difficulty, Horizon approaches the line between fair and cheap, sporadically crossing it. On Normal, some action-game skill is required, and I found Horizon to be significantly harder than games that control similarly (think Rise of the Tomb Raider or Uncharted). But a large, towering machine once moved so fast my slow-motion aiming couldn't keep up with its lateral movement, and some foes will attack from outside your field of view in ways that are difficult to reliably dodge. Admittedly, after a few encounters with enemies that once had me pulling my hair, I felt rewarded as I took them down faster and more confidently. A few cheap deaths, where Aloy didn't feel equipped to deal with the machines, still frustrated me, but if those are the occasional cost of thrilling battles I never take for granted, I'll gladly pay the nostalgic leg-slapping.
 
It's really hard to seriously talk to non-gamers about.

A real mouthful. "Horizon Zero Dawn" out loud sounds daft.
If there’s a lot of them though, it sounds better than Horizon 2 and Horizon 3 IMO. Each subtitle will just be a play on the current story focus, like The Hunger Games or something.
 
Damn, super high scores and an 88 on mega critic. Very impressive. I need to sell my PS4 and get a pro. The main reason I stopped playing PS4 is because most games are 30 frames. Want to use the proceeds from my old PS4 and buy a PRO. Probably a used one for a cheaper price.
 
Surprised about these scores, had a hunch the game would "flop" and do the all too common mistake that is highlighted in the usgamer review:

The game never spoke to me but it seems that those of you that have been waiting for it might be in for a treat.

lol let me find the ONE bad review to validate my "concern"

okay
 
A many congrats and admiration for GG.
It's amazing to see there passion for making games come to fruition with such universal praise.
It's good for gaming. It's fantastic for Sony.
This game is gonna be huge and remembered for many years.
 

Lashley

Why does he wear the mask!?

Unknown?

Member
Woke up and wow! Such great reviews!! A bit surprising that they could pull off such a great open world game in a highly competitive market and their first try!

Very amazing that it's tied with NiOh for highest rated game this year! :O
 
This is the game that made me use my Wii U and PS3 trade-in credits on a PS4 Pro instead of waiting for the Switch. Sounds like a good call at this point. I couldn't imagine not being able to play this game on the 28th. Also pleased I got that 4K TV last year.
 

Curufinwe

Member

There's clearly a big difference between getting a game out for a console launch, and having three extra years to work on an established platform. Only someone with their head stuck deep enough in the sand to miss all the preview coverage would have expected Horizon to review like ShadowFall.
 

reKon

Banned
I'm glad that I took advantage of that best buy visa deal. This and RDR2 for $40 each day oneeeee. Can't wait. Need to finish infamous FL and GTA V before this lol
 

Mikey Jr.

Member
Wow, a ton of glowing reviews.

I guess all the "it's guerilla lololol" can shut the fuck up now.

This is their Uncharted. The same way ND broke away from JAK, GG breaks away from killzone and is better for it.

And it's in a genre they have no experience with whatsoever. Horizon 2 is going to be nuts.
 

bunkitz

Member
Not at all surprised, but very happy nonetheless about the stellar reviews. I am relieved, however, to not hear a single bad thing being said about the story. In fact, they've been saying good things. Wow. I just wasn't sure if that was going to turn out well all throughout the game, so this is just fantastic.
 

SomTervo

Member
If there’s a lot of them though, it sounds better than Horizon 2 and Horizon 3 IMO. Each subtitle will just be a play on the current story focus, like The Hunger Games or something.

Yeah it's got potential on that front. This title as a first entry just isn't great IMO.

Horizon: Zero Dawn
Horizon is the name, Zero Dawn is the subtitle

Like MGS3: Snake Eater or Uncharted: Drakes Fortune

Of course, I just don't even think "Horizon" is very strong, and just saying "Horizon" in verbal conversation doesn't feel right, people don't follow, so you say "Horizon Zero Dawn", which is just too much.

Good god man, just call it Horizon, Zero Dawn is a sub-title, it;s not that hard.

Take a chill-o pill-o. I'm not saying the game is shit.
 

Hanmik

Member
Some of my favorite pictures I've taken... of course had to add my much talked about ANTS one.

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these are from Photo mode right..?

because the photo mode is great in this game.
 
Yeah fuck, this was a game I honestly wasn't interested in until these reviews came to light. This year is so packed full of games my wallet is already begging me to stop. What a year for games man.
 
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