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Key · 09-16-2018, 11:34 AM

Sunday Break

(I'm taking this opportunity to take a break from the current theme I have going on this month to talk about a game that I've been putting time into the past day or so. We'll resume with the continuation of 25+ Years of Gaming (from birth to now) tomorrow morning.)

So, I want to talk about:

Horizon Zero Dawn

It's pretty amazing, the fact that I can now actually talk about this game in my journal. Every time I've mentioned it up to this point it's all been based on what I had seen as a viewer, and not a player. And god damn, Horizon Zero Dawn alone makes the purchase of the PS4 worth it.

I'll admit it, I've not owned a console since the release of the Wii U. I've strictly been PC gaming and I've been satisfied with that for quite a while. Here then comes Sony with some of the most amazing releases they've probably ever had on one of their consoles. Spider-Man, The Last of Us, and of course Horizon Zero Dawn.

Back when this game came out, it was sort of a boxing match between fans of Sony and fans of Nintendo. If you don't remember, both Breath of the Wild and Horizon Zero Dawn came out around the same time. So there was a little bit of a rivalry between Nintendo fans and Sony fans. I sort of fell right in the middle because I absolutely love Breath of the Wild and I'm coming to love Horizon Zero Dawn as well. Don't misinterpret that though. I honestly thought Horizon Zero Dawn looked like the better game back when it was released, and having played several hours of it now, I can safely say that I actually prefer Horizon Zero Dawn over Breath of the Wild. For one reason: the story. I mean, Breath of the Wild is fantastic. It didn't need a full on narrative to bring you from point A to point B. However, I didn't feel as much impact going through the story as I have already with Horizon Zero Dawn. I think it has a lot to do with not only having it be a female protagonist, but a badass one at that.

Aloy

I definitely did not think that it was a bad idea to have a female protagonist. So let's just get that out of the way. That didn't even come close to being a reason for why I wouldn't buy it. Hell, it made the game look ****ing amazing. Especially with her character design. I love it. The voice actress that plays her as well does a fantastic job. Really makes you feel a connection to the player.

So, even though I've only played a bit of it, how am I able to just come out and say that this game is amazing already. Well, for a few reasons. One being that I felt a connection to the story right away. The way they open up this game with a very well laid out cutscene actually helps set the tone for the game. It was nice to sort of understand what went on before you start playing, and it's even cooler that you start off as a young kid and work your way up through the years. It's an interesting idea for a story starter and I think more game should do it this way. Another reason is just how ****ing beautiful the game looks. Everything from the landscapes to the character designs. Sony really put a lot of time and effort into making this game look and feel incredible. It really does feel great to play and it's almost like watching a movie sometimes. It also helps that the mouth movement when characters talk is also top notch. They got it nearly perfect and I think that helps get more of a connection to the characters on screen.

The last thing I want to talk about and it was legitimately a worry that I had going into the game, is the combat. Surprisingly, it's sort of different than you're traditional open world style combat choice, but it works extremely well with this game. You attack with the right trigger and right bumper, and you have a strong attack and a standard attack. You start off with a spear too so that's pretty dope. The impact on the combat is also pretty nice. The camera can be a bit annoying to deal with during combat, but it's easy to get used to. It's just your standard joystick camera controls etc. Takes time to get used to but it still works out in the end.

I wouldn't really consider this a full review of the game yet as I've only just started it. But these are just my collective thoughts that I've been having as I've been going through it for the first time. Genuinely having a good time playing Horizon Zero Dawn and I'm also happy to say that I've joined back into the console community. And it feels awesome.

09-16-2018, 11:34 AM	#658 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	Sunday Break (I'm taking this opportunity to take a break from the current theme I have going on this month to talk about a game that I've been putting time into the past day or so. We'll resume with the continuation of 25+ Years of Gaming (from birth to now) tomorrow morning.) So, I want to talk about: Horizon Zero Dawn It's pretty amazing, the fact that I can now actually talk about this game in my journal. Every time I've mentioned it up to this point it's all been based on what I had seen as a viewer, and not a player. And god damn, Horizon Zero Dawn alone makes the purchase of the PS4 worth it. I'll admit it, I've not owned a console since the release of the Wii U. I've strictly been PC gaming and I've been satisfied with that for quite a while. Here then comes Sony with some of the most amazing releases they've probably ever had on one of their consoles. Spider-Man, The Last of Us, and of course Horizon Zero Dawn. Back when this game came out, it was sort of a boxing match between fans of Sony and fans of Nintendo. If you don't remember, both Breath of the Wild and Horizon Zero Dawn came out around the same time. So there was a little bit of a rivalry between Nintendo fans and Sony fans. I sort of fell right in the middle because I absolutely love Breath of the Wild and I'm coming to love Horizon Zero Dawn as well. Don't misinterpret that though. I honestly thought Horizon Zero Dawn looked like the better game back when it was released, and having played several hours of it now, I can safely say that I actually prefer Horizon Zero Dawn over Breath of the Wild. For one reason: the story. I mean, Breath of the Wild is fantastic. It didn't need a full on narrative to bring you from point A to point B. However, I didn't feel as much impact going through the story as I have already with Horizon Zero Dawn. I think it has a lot to do with not only having it be a female protagonist, but a badass one at that. Aloy I definitely did not think that it was a bad idea to have a female protagonist. So let's just get that out of the way. That didn't even come close to being a reason for why I wouldn't buy it. Hell, it made the game look **ing amazing. Especially with her character design. I love it. The voice actress that plays her as well does a fantastic job. Really makes you feel a connection to the player. So, even though I've only played a bit of it, how am I able to just come out and say that this game is amazing already. Well, for a few reasons. One being that I felt a connection to the story right away. The way they open up this game with a very well laid out cutscene actually helps set the tone for the game. It was nice to sort of understand what went on before you start playing, and it's even cooler that you start off as a young kid and work your way up through the years. It's an interesting idea for a story starter and I think more game should do it this way. Another reason is just how **ing beautiful the game looks. Everything from the landscapes to the character designs. Sony really put a lot of time and effort into making this game look and feel incredible. It really does feel great to play and it's almost like watching a movie sometimes. It also helps that the mouth movement when characters talk is also top notch. They got it nearly perfect and I think that helps get more of a connection to the characters on screen. The last thing I want to talk about and it was legitimately a worry that I had going into the game, is the combat. Surprisingly, it's sort of different than you're traditional open world style combat choice, but it works extremely well with this game. You attack with the right trigger and right bumper, and you have a strong attack and a standard attack. You start off with a spear too so that's pretty dope. The impact on the combat is also pretty nice. The camera can be a bit annoying to deal with during combat, but it's easy to get used to. It's just your standard joystick camera controls etc. Takes time to get used to but it still works out in the end. I wouldn't really consider this a full review of the game yet as I've only just started it. But these are just my collective thoughts that I've been having as I've been going through it for the first time. Genuinely having a good time playing Horizon Zero Dawn and I'm also happy to say that I've joined back into the console community. And it feels awesome.