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

I missed out on an eBay auction of the Collector's Edition; complete with the Aloy statue, artbook, and steel case. It sold for about $130.

 

I finally bought the game! I started it last night and it does not disappoint so far! I took some screen shots, I will get them off my ps4 to post here at some point! I actually got a pretty good price as it was a pre-owned version, so it cost £30.

 

One day deal at amazon today for HZD. Brand new, $40. USD.

 

Hmmm tempting. I'm still looking out for the Collector's Edition with the Aloy statue and steelbook case at a reasonable price.

 

Oho? So they did this on both sides of the Atlantic then? Over here it dropped to £30 on co.uk.

So, had to go for it at that price!

 

There's an arguably better deal, though not sure it applies to UK. PSN is having a sale at the moment that covers quite a few big recent games. HZD is at $40 right now (ME:A is $30, and Uncharted 4 is 50% off so $20). And if you spend $100, you get $15 credit, or something like that. Having PS+ membership back to $50 for a bit is nice too. Argh, I gotta go load up on some cash cards.

 

Maybe, but you can't sell digital copies.

 

I was actually looking at some eBay "lot" auctions, where HZD and another game were being offered. $60 for two games certainly isn't a bad deal. Even if you don't care for the other game, you could still get HZD for a better price than most places.

 

Finished my completionist playthrough today. From the first reveal trailer to the end credits, Horizon Zero Dawn has captivated me and is spectacular on so many levels. Amazingly flexible and exhilarating combat is some of the best I've ever played. Here is some of my gameplay.

 

Ugh you're gameplay has given me withdrawals, dude. I haven't played the game since I rented it from Redbox during the first week it was released months ago. Had it for a weekend and ya hadda pry me away from my PS4. I just have been waiting to buy the complete edition with the Aloy Statue.

 

First DLC for this will be The Frozen Wilds

 

Anyone know when is The Frozen Wilds set? After the base game? Or during?

I wonder if it has to do with that cliff hanger after credits scene...

 

Don't think it's known yet.

 

Just bought the digital version of the game through Amazon while it was on sale. Was going to buy it directly from PSN, but it's been giving me a problem trying to buy things in the store since I renewed my PS Plus subscription the other day.

 

I got this yesterday


Love it.

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Once you gain the ability to do so, I'd highly recommend looking for a Strider to override and mount. It certainly makes traversing around the wide open area easier.

 

So, this is a real mixed bag of a game.

Aesthetically, it is quite brilliant and a very good looking game indeed.

Story-telling? Pretty good. Game menus - seem to be OK, fairly standard but standard exists for a reason, no need to go re-inventing the wheel.

Spoiler

The one big flaw is the game asks you to save a tribe that treated you like **** for the entirety of your life and Aloy is apparently OK with this. There is no 'go **** yourselves' dialogue option and there should have been. The only good development is a sicko called Bast got killed off, bye bye you psycho ****ebag, no one misses you.

The problems? Ah, quite a few:

• Potions - So I go to use a potion in the standard way, it's displayed on the D-Pad right, so just hit that direction? No. Instead:

• Easy? bull****. At no point during the start did the game actually explain this quite crucial mechanism. This does continue the tendency of recent years to make games difficult by screwing around with healing mechanisms.
• Changing weapons / grabbing loot: Someone had the idea that the action should not stop while you do this! Wonderful, whoever decided that, punch yourself in the balls.
• Tagging a target: Makes bugger all difference, no the camera will not track it for you, then the point of it is?
• The "aim": Frankly, they'd have been better off not even offering aiming, just point and shoot and hope it hits because it probably won't. There were times when I pulled incredibly good shots, while other times I'd have the target on a head-shot and the arrow goes way wide just because.
• Stealth: Hugely variable and it seems to depend on whether the game decides you've been seen or not, with the long grasses being hugely variable in how far they extend.
• Main quest: Anything involving the main quest will involve a combat sequence of total arse where you're best to sling the difficulty down to easy and head butt them all to death.

Damage also varies greatly - I'll shoot an entire piece off a robot and then shoot a human with fire arrow, setting him on fire and this has nowhere near the panic or indeed damage you would expect. Similarly I'll be whacking a guy with the spear and there's no recognition of pain or damage, which is kind of crap.

Due to this during the game I've either pulled off a superb array of silent strikes or bow shots, or I've resorted to just pounding the crap out of everything up close because there's no point trying to be strategic about it. The problem being that I would have liked to have been! I would have liked to shoot them with arrows from on high but due to how unreliable the aim that no longer works. So usual game combat works very well, but once you end up having to take on something bigger forget it. Yeah, the Sawtooth / Corrupter were exercises in frustration, not at all fun.

Pluses?

• Doing the first Tallneck is superb.
• When it works, the stealth takedowns are superb.
• Robo-enemies are wonderfully designed and unique.
• World aesthetics are excellent.
• Story is good.

Maybe it'll get better as it goes on, but after this first 6 hours I'm really uncertain due how badly they screwed the aiming, which is near enough the main mechanic for me right now. So I don't know how far I'll be able to get in this one due to cluster**** controls, which clearly require more dexterity than I have.

 

I'm having no issues with aiming. Using slowdown I can get headshots galore.


I agree with the damage element though.

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Nope, even tried a sharp shoot bow, it still ****ed with the aim.

And as for the idea that bandit camps are full of stupid bastards, lies, those ****ers get to see you instantly as well all their friends.

Screw this, it's getting sold.

Oh and something else: Screw the 'this game's too easy' crowd, they should have made a setting that actually was easy and not the lying bull crap version I played today. For the 'too easy' crowd just make a hardcore setting that sees death follow if a monster so much as grazes them, that'll show 'em.

OR give me a damn minimap that shows where everyone is instead of this line of sight combined with hivemind crap .

 

Well, that was fast - it's sold.

Kind of a shame really - although, thinking about it, it does share a lot of the same flaws that killed the Tomb Raider reboot for me.

 

I love the game. I really can't get enough of it. I plan on playing it well on through the end of the Summer.

 

It'll easily last you that long. Possibly more.

EDIT: As that sale just got a cancel request, I'm actually quite reluctant to give in completely on this, so maybe the solution is stuff the main plot and anything involving killing humans and just explore the world while killing robodinos? Hmm, perhaps.

 

Just got to Meridian. 20 hours into it and up to LVL16.



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OK, as I clearly need 'em.... Any tips?

Especially where aiming is concerned - I've the concentration skill, but it seems to do better on robos than humes.

 

I'm just about grinding more than moving forward with the main story. It's a good idea to understand the mechanics of the weapons; which I'm still not all that keen on. Only today I learned that you hold down the L2 button to pull the sling back for a farther shot. Certainly helps when aiming.

http://twinfinite.net/2017/02/horizon-zero-dawn-aim-how-to/