Gaming Horizon Series: Zero Dawn (PS4) and Forbidden West (PS4/5)

Will do. Are they all about the same length?

 

Frozen Wilds is the DLC for HZD. It's about 20 hours of extra game time if you do everything in it.

HZD and HFW are potentially of similar length 60+ if you're going for everything

Gone Mobile

 

Ah. Thanks. I don’t mind long games. Especially if they are good games

 

There's actually a point within HZD that you could take the detour into Frozen Wilds, but that expansion area is swarming with some pretty powerful machines, so you really want to be completely leveled up before you venture into it. The story involved with it takes place alongside the story of HZD, not after it.

 

Yeah, the Frozen Wilds is weird in that you're definitely supposed to play it after the main campaign, but is set just before the final main campaign mission.

 

Do you mean it requires you to complete the main campaign, or is it merely suggested that you complete the game first (and are leveled up)? I know for me I didn't have the option during the first playthrough; since I'd already played the game before the DLC came out.

 

I can't tell you as, same as you, I played the game, finished it then got the DLC when it came out later.

I suspect it'll be: You can go here if you want - and if you're that good - you might survive, but how about you finish the game first?

 

Well I started it up. I just reached the Roman/Greek looking wannabe tribe. Picked up a good amount of side quests along the way.

my best guest as to the plot is that Aloy is a clone of someone or something like that. I’ll guess we’ll see.

Also yes I do like the game. A lot. Although I still haven’t figured out how the fast traveling system actually works. I know it exists.

 

Welp I finished the main story. Lol. I know quick. It was to hot to do anything today so I helped my dad and mom with some things helped my brother with his business and played the game for probably 9 hours.

now I have barely touched the side quests. So I’ll get to that. Man it’s so great playing good single player games again. And this one like Spider-Man is another great one.

 

How did you find your introduction to a Thunderjaw?

 

It’s possible I am just misremembering it, but the first introduction was when it was corrupted and attacked the Nora right? It was great. Although the only problem was until that point I had managed my health pretty well. After that I was pretty much at less than 50% of my health until the final mission where they gave you those double health potions. Also I will say this. For their side activities this game does it better than Spider-Man as most of them have better rewards or at least have a story about them.

my two favorite characters of the game were Rost and Sylens. For basically the complete opposite reasons.

Rost because he stayed faithful despite being an outcast and having his family and town murdered and he loved Aloy like he would his own child.

Sylens because he very obviously cares little about anything minus the persuit of knowledge. And I can respect that to a degree. There is so much to learn in the world right now. That feeling would be 10x if you lived in a post apocalypse. However he is logical if not caring in that he doesn’t want humanity to die. Of course that would involve him dying as well.

Aloy was a good protagonist. Not the best. But good.

Also the world building in this game is just amazing.

 

I'm more referring to how you'll be exploring the world and then you hear it before you see it.

 

Oh yea I liked that. I’d like when games in general build up an enemy by just exposition and then you’ll see it later

 

So I started playing Forbidden West Yesterday. So far I love it. Something really grabs me about this game. Also maybe I have gotten more smart over the years or video games have gotten worse at hiding reveals. But I called this and the fact that Phin was the main bad guy in miles morales.

The moment this game opened up on them exploring a far Zenith corporate office and launch site I knew pretty certainly that they didn’t explode. Especially when they kept focusing so much of the old world story on it. But still even after the first mission I was pretty sure they were alive.

Despite the reveal not being much of a reveal I still love it.

One thing I very much wonder at this point. What happened to Ted Faso? I am sure I will find out on the way. Adventure awaits..


Also this is an aside but the map is all wack. Judging by the main screen I assume we go to San Francisco at some point. They also revealed recently that we will go to Las Vegas as well at some point. Yet from one corner of the map to another it’s probably 7,000 meters. I understand that they need to fudge the distance and you can’t make a game be thousands of miles. But just make a smaller area. Just do one state not. Take Fallout 4. Sure the map is fudged and greater Boston isnt 1:1 but the main game still takes place in 1 state. It’s not something that really bothers me. Something I just laugh at.

 

I doubt many games that feature real locations are to scale; except maybe for the Flight Simulator games.

 

Oh I know most aren’t but this series has to be one of the worst. I more just find it funny more than anything

 

Why do you think it's the worst, though? How many game series actually have you crossing state lines anyway?

 

The only other I can think of off the top of my head is Fallout. Fallout NV and Fallout 3 are the only ones where you cross state lines in the newer games. But even then it’s just about 100 miles or so. Give or take and not thousands condensed down to 8,000 meters. In game.

it’s not something I really care about it’s just something I noticed.

also an update for today. Been super busy so only got an hour in, but I got to the mission where you had to side with one of two people. Either the current commander of the tribe or an up and coming tribe member. I sided with the new blood. Mostly because he was introduced first and I liked his reasoning better. Had to look up his name cause I knew I would spell it wrong Drakka.

 

I'm not sure how the Fallout games work (I think I may have one that I got from a PS Plus freebie, but haven't played it yet), but how do you typically travel in those? For the most part, you're traveling either by foot or by a not-so-fast machine in the Horizon games. Over 100 miles just to cross a state border is a little absurd in a game; if your only means of travel is nowhere near as fast as a vehicle.

As I mentioned before, the only game that I know of that's to scale are the FS games. You can find YouTube videos of players flying from New York to the UK, and the video does actually last about six hours or so from beginning to end.

Edit: Example:

 

You walk in all fallout games accept a few DLC where you may travel via boat or train to get somewhere off screen.

for instance in fallout 4 for DLC (the base game takes place all in the greater Boston area+ a bit more.) some of the DLC takes place in Maine and you use a boat to get places.

although the original Fallouts were much bigger. Basically taking place on the entire west coast. Although scale is screwed for me in those games cause they are isometric

 

So the borders are 100 miles apart and you walk from place to place (without the DLC)? That kind of seems farfetched. I'd have to see a video on that.

 

No the map is condensed. It’s probably like a half the size of West’s map. I’d have to look it up. The point was that it was a lot less condensed than West.

anyway got a bit more time in today. Got Poseidon back. Absolutely loved the 3 scavengers in Las Vegas. Some great characters.

Also I decided to return Poseidon to Gia first but then lost the opportunity to talk to Erend and Varl. Which annoys me. Just means I’ll have to look it up later. Stopping tonight after the Tanakh Rebels killed that far Zenith lady.

to think of Apollo had not been deleted on earth Earth humans could have been just as advanced. Damn you Ted Faro.

 

It’s been a day so here is another update. Met the leader of the clans. A good man.



Also just to show my speculation can still be way off base. I totally thought the ten would be some superhero group.


Also I very much liked the one armed Marshal. I am sure I’ll remember his name eventually.


Also liking the second Elisabet clone. Beta.


It must be super freaking weird to find out your a clone. And then a few months later to find another version of yourself.


Although something was said earlier in this game that made no sense to me. Aloy says when finding Beta to Gia something along the lines of “Elsebet would never do this” just because she is a clone of her doesn’t mean she will have the same characteristics as the original. Your environment shapes your personality. Not your genetics. A clone may look and be genetically the same, but outside of any genetic connected things a clone can end up a completely different person. Although this is just pure nitpicking. And not something that really bothers me.


Also as a side note. If there will be a third game. And no that PSVR game doesn’t count. I do hope they let you customize your hair style. I change up what armor I am wearing if I am not in combat just because I don’t like looking at the same thing. Same thing goes for hair.


Oh also forgot to mention I returned to Las Vegas. Saw that the Oseram have settled in. Also had a great quest with a hot air balloon.

 

I just started my trek to Vegas so I'm still way behind. 30 hours in though and not even halfway through the main campaign. I side quest a lot.

 

I was side questing a lot at the start then the main story got way more interesting. So now I am powering through again. Although I’ll probably hold off for a bit. Before going to San Francisco.

Let’s see today I mostly spent it taking out Rebel outposts and camps. I defeated the leader of the sons of Prometheus. I also did that quest where you meet the Quen. That tribe from either Hawaii or Asia. I guess they could be from Australia to. But that would be a long ass boat trip. Any of them would be. Just when you think you have this game and series figured out they throw more curve balls at you.

this is just something in video games in general, but why ever Be a warrior fighting in a battle and not wear armor if it is available to you? Like some of the Tanakh wear barely anything into battle. Wouldn’t you want basically every inch of yourself covered. Of course I understand that’s not practical as you also want mobility but my point still stands. For instance even when the Chief expects an attack he still wears something that has his whole chest exposed. Accept for that strap over one of his breasts. There has to be a happy medium there that makes logical sense.

although again this is highly nitpicky and isn’t a big deal for me. Just trying to find something negative to say so I don’t just gush about them.

Also I was thinking about this today. Are all the tribes speaking English? Or is it all just being translated to some language Aloy can understand. I assume it’s some variation of English at least in what is formerly America. As the people who left the cradle facilities would have learned from robots and spoken English. I am sure it’s since evolved to some different version of English. One that sounds as weird to us as 1400 English sounds to us. That’s what I assume anyway.