Horizon: Zero Dawn First Look – Guerrilla’s New Future

Sony had plenty of surprises up its sleeve at this year’s E3 press conference – Shenmue III, a Final Fantasy reboot, the return of The Last Guardian – but one in particular came from Guerrilla Games. For years, this team has solidified its place in the first-person shooter market with the Killzone franchise, but now it’s exploring new ground with its latest PS4 effort, Horizon: Zero Dawn.

The game takes place in the distant future – we’re talking a thousand years following an apocalypse that wipes out most of mankind – where the wasteland is inhabited by robotic creations big and small. Aloy, a young hunter booted from her tribal group, goes head-to-head with a number of beasts using whatever tactical advantage she can find.

Horizon is all about finding your enemy’s weakness in the heat of battle. Smaller creatures are much easier to take down, but larger foes require more patience to destroy, as you’ll need to hit these adversaries multiple times before denting their health.

In addition to piercing enemies with arrows, Aloy relies on other techniques to ensnare and bring down hostiles. Traps, for instance, can be set within the environment to deal significant damage. In addition, melee combat is available, and Aloy can utilize enhancements to make her hits count even more. Finally, items can be used from a distance, should she feel the need to attract enemies from afar, or chip away before moving in closer for the kill.

Once enemies are brought down and reduced to mechanical rubble, Aloy can gather resources, which can be used to improve current weapons or make new ones, including mechanical and electrical parts. Guerrilla Games didn’t explain exactly how this works, but chances are the huntress will need to do a lot of scavenging to get some of the bigger items on the list.

Nevertheless, Horizon: Zero Dawn has replay value to spare, mainly due to the vast open world. New beasts pop up around every corner, giving her opportunities to expand her collection of parts and prepare for the next challenge that lies ahead. Players can explore however they wish, and even delay missions.

As the story unfolds, Aloy not only becomes a more efficient hunter, but also learns about the beasts, such as how they were built and what drives them. This should tie in with the game’s overall story, nudging players to continue onward to learn more.

With this new ambitious take on adventure games – something along the lines of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim – Horizon: New Dawn arrives next year exclusively on PlayStation 4.