On My Shelves: Horizon Zero Dawn

I was reluctant to try this one at first, because much of the material I saw made this look like the kind of action RPG that I generally fail miserably at. But after multiple people told me to give it a try, I did.

And that was a really good decision.

Horizon Zero Dawn follows the story of Aloy, a young woman who is just coming of age as the main story begins. The initial tutorial section of the game takes you through important events in Aloy's childhood, including her experiences finding out that she and her adoptive father Rost are outcasts from the Nora tribe for reasons she does not know, and her discovery, after accidentally falling into an ancient ruin, of a device that seems able to give her a nearly-supernatural insight into the operation of the world around her, and especially the mysterious Machines that are predators and prey of the Nora and other tribes across the world.

Aloy has a chance to become an accepted member of the tribe – by competing in, and winning, the Proving (which tests the skills of young members of the tribe). She does, in fact, win – just in time for the teachers and her fellow students to be slaughtered by heavily-armed intruders of an unknown origin.

This begins her quest to discover who she truly is – raised by a man who was not her true father, ignorant of her mother or exactly why she or Rost were outcasts, why she is strangely bonded to this ancient "Focus", and why there are those already seeking to kill her and her people. Her journey will take her from one side of the continent to the other, through numberless perils, before she finds her answers… and, whether she likes it or not, becomes a legend.

The world of Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the most beautiful creations of the video game industry – lush, diverse in scenery, filled with both living creatures and the quasi-living Machines that are both dangers and resources for the people. The Machines themselves are fascinating creations – clearly based in design on various creatures of current and past epochs, but unique in their own ways, with varying behaviors, strengths, and vulnerablities.

Aloy herself is an interesting character – learning about herself and her world along with the player, and developing an understanding of the world far beyond that of her tribal orgins – to the point that she comes to understand that she cannot truly return to what she was.

It is not surprising, naturally, that the main character is of interest; after all, this is the person we're expected to spend many hours being, so to speak. Horizon Zero Dawn doesn't just rely on Aloy and the beauty of its scenery, however. There are many other characters, major and minor, who provide Aloy with advice, assistance, or opposition, and many of them are complex – not what they seem at first, or at the least more than what they seem when first met. The complexity of the characters is echoed by the complexity of the world; this is a very human world, with all the pros and cons of such a world, and Aloy often has to decide how to deal with people who are neither strictly good or bad, but have made choices whose consequences have not yet run their course.

Mechanically, the game works very well. It's something of a challenge to learn to properly aim and fire the bow which is one of your primary weapons, but I was able to eventually master it, so it's not one of the "Nintendo Hard" skills. You have to track the use of ammunition, and gather the appropriate materials to maintain your supply (or, alternatively, get enough metal shards, which serve as money, to buy the materials you need).

Naturally, many of the materials come from the Machines, and you do find yourself spending considerable time hunting, killing, and looting Machines. This can still be entertaining even after many hours; while I wouldn't want an entire game consisting of Machine-hunting, it remained challenging and fun enough that I didn't begrudge the time I sometimes had to take out of the quests to restock my materials.

I won't say much about the main plot (there's lots of side plots and quests, of course), except that it is really, really well done, with a logical if extreme explanation for the bizarre world Aloy lives in, for where Aloy comes from, and for what must be done in order to protect the world from the forces that have been slowly corrupting it.

I've heard there will be a sequel; I certainly hope so, and hope it stars Aloy, because she's still got a long way to go in exploring the world, and understanding herself.

Top marks for Horizon Zero Dawn!