I always admire a developer who branches out of their comfort zone to create something entirely different from what us as gamers expect from them. Naughty Dog did this after taking a break from its critically acclaimed Uncharted series to delve into a survival horror type game. Now the Killzone developers, Guerrilla Games, takes a road unfamiliar to bring to us the post apocalyptic game Horizon: Zero Dawn. Horizon couldn't be more different than Killzone. It is a beautifully crafted open world RPG that takes place in a distant and mysterious future that has dinosaur like robots roaming the landscape. Human civilization isn't what it once was as it has reverted back to a primitive state like when Native Americans walked the land thousands of years ago.
Aloy is a young woman who wishes to be accepted into a tribe becomes entangled in a web of mystery that takes her on a journey to find out who she really is, the enemies that wish to cause her harm, and what happened to the ancient and technologically advanced civilization. While the story itself is absent of any surprises or twist, the joy comes from the beautifully crafted world enriched with details brings a level of uniqueness not found in many open world games. The side missions are good enough, although many share a similar formula where you chase down tracks to get to your eventual goal. A lot of the areas feel different from mountain formations, or general changes to the landscape. It is a marvelous game to look at and to appreciate from a technical standpoint. It runs so smooth despite how much is actually going on, especially when you are fighting multiple things at once. I found myself playing with photomode a lot more often just to capture some of the most precious moments Horizon has to offer. The game is also glittered with little details that shows the hard work Guerrilla put in to this game like; water puddles evaporating, clouds formation, rain turning to snow in higher elevations, changing weather and how it interacts with the foliage. I have never seen foliage in a game this good. It reminds me of when I saw how good the water looked in Wave Race 64. Its hypnotic at times. To go a long with this are its soothing acoustics of nature and its tranquil sound track which can pick it up in times of danger.
A few issues that I did have with Horizon came in the gameplay department. The menu felt cumbersome and cluttered with a lot of information. Instead of being able to equip and customize your weapon at the same time, you had to move to a different tab to add special traits to your weapon. The inventory system was also frustrating the manage as foraging for your previous resources became a tiring task coupled with the frustration from reaching your max capacity. Between farming robot or animal parts to help craft arrows, carrying cases or purchase weapons and armor, I was always running out of space. Eventually you get perks that help negate this but even maxing out my resources I still had no room to fit all the collectible resources. There was also the issue of not being able to change weapons on the fly. The weapon wheel only has 4 slots to choose from but you have 8 weapons with different abilities. I also would have liked if the Lance was upgradeable too, but not till the near end do you get something similar to that.
Overall though, when you were not battling the menus, the game played nicely. You would have to use your focus and strategically plan your attack against the more aggressive and towering robots, The focus would highlight weak points on their bodies and you would use which ever element that corresponded with it making it very satisfying when you do. As mentioned with the weapons, they all are unique and have great benefits to help you through a difficult time. Personally the Corruption arrows was the most fun as you can confuse the enemy making them hostile to anyone or thing in the area. Doing this when there is a big group of robots is a blast as you watch the chaos from afar.
Aside from the main story and side missions, there is plenty to do to keep you occupied. There are hunter trials that gives you a specific goal and it must be completed in a certain amount of time, there are plenty of collectibles scattered throughout that will also give more insight into the fall of man, there is also these "tombs" called cauldrons where you can venture off to which upon completion will give you the ability to hack specific machines pertaining that that cauldron. Hacking machines is sort of like shooting those corruption arrows but the effects are permanent. This is very useful for exploration if you don't wish to use the fast travel option and want to see more of the world.
Going down a different a path for the first time at Guerilla Games showed the dedication the developing team has to creating great games, and to nail it on the first attempt is something special. Rarely in this day do you feel you ever get a complete game with DLCs, and season passes plaguing the industry, but from the moment I finished Horizon I was left with a very satisfying feeling. A lot of time and effort went in to making this game and it shows throughout. The game left it open for a sequel and I can only imagine what advancements they'll make with everything now set in place. The Sony brand has another killer exclusive on their hands.
*2017 Game of the Year nominee*
Sony Interactive Entertainment has added a few more titles to the list of games that will be leaving PS Plus in May, 2024.
curious... if a game leaves PS+, does it make it unplayable if you have already claimed it before it leaves? I know on the XB side, games leaving Gamepass are no longer playable. You need to pay for them to be able to continue playing after you installed them from GP.
The 3 monthly “free” games you keep as long as you have PS+ subscription. The PS+ library is like Netflix. They rotate stuff out and replace them with other titles.
Yes, PS+ Extra/Premium games are unplayable after the leave the service, just like GamePass and Netflix.
PS+ Essentials games are available as long as you have an active PS+ account.
Monthly games, special promos like the free games during COVID or PS plus bundle on ps5 are forever yours. Premium and above are time limited
If you claim a game on the premium tier (not yours to keep) and it comes out as a monthly games later e.g. fallout 76 it appears you do not retain ownership on that one.
The 3-4 monthly games that are free that are part of every service are yours forever I canceled my service over a year and you never lose access. I dont know what these other comments are talking about maybe they are in a different country but in the USA I could play any game I claimed of the free monthly games
Then one of the accounts on your PS5 probably has a PS+ Essential subscription.
Because the 3-4 PS+ games you get every month, is not available to be played if you don't have an active sunscription.
It's the same in US, Europe, Japan and everywhere else.
Essential stays in your library
Extra and premium become locked when titles leave the service.
It's actually one of my gripes with Extra, you can't remove the title from your own library, so basically it countss as one your title but it's locked so you own library become a cluster F... unless you filter your titles.
Wonder if Horizon ZD leaving gives credit to those remake rumours
Sigh. If true…another remake that’s not Bloodborne.
I still remember them giving that one away for free, regardless of if you were subscribed to Plus or not
They did. It was during the pandemic and the "play at home" initiative.
Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition. Sony gave away a lot of games just to push gamers to stay home and not get infected by COVID.
I think you're right.
There is a separate Bloodborne rumor by the remake is allegedly scheduled for next gen.
Yes cause of the remake good thing I got the plat
And is bloodborn really that good? I never played it due to being Incarcerated 8½ years but I read the comics. It's pretty dark
Highly likely I also bet the remaster will be over priced and under whelming.
I'd also bet most people will simply stick with the PS4 pro and ps5 60fps patch over paying to upgrade when it offers the bare minimum.
I hope Sony has learnt from the last of us 2 and stop remastering games that just came out they have nearly 30 years of content to work with but always remaster games that are like 5 years old and don't need it. I assume this was In development alongside tlou2 so fingers crossed this is the last time we get this because what's next god of war on PS4 to ps5 for 70 dollars probably anything outside of bloodborne
ahh the messenger is such a good game.
u should play sea of starts. same people, its a sort of prequel to the messenger tok
Can N4G adopt a policy of games leaving subscription services as not being a new story, it is just spam at this point.
Is it me or have there been a lot of great games leaving the extra tier but barely anything in terms of wow factor joining the service in return?
When was the last time that Sony added a PlayStation studio game?
Now I don't expect Sony to have day 1 like Gamepass but I would expect to at least care to make the offering interesting especially when they raised the price by 30% last year.
PS Studio Games:
May - Destiny 2: Lightfall
April - MediEvil, Jak&Daxter: The Lost Frontier,
March - CoolBoarders
What Playstation Studio games is it you're missing?
Sight...
let me check my comment again
" Is it me or have there been a lot of great games leaving the extra tier but barely anything in terms of wow factor joining the service in return? "
Yeah pretty sure I mentioned the EXTRA tier and not the PREMIUM tier
but glad that you consider a DLC to a free-to-play game a great offering
I repeat my question, what PS Studio games is it you're missing?
And regarding the first part of your comment, lots of great games leaving and nothing added?
What great games iyo has left the service?
For me, "wow-factor games added would be".
Dave the Diver, Tales of Kenzera, Raji, Miasma, The Outer Worlds, Resident Evil 3, Ace Attorney, Rainbow Six Siege, AC: Valhalla, Far Cry 6, Watch Dogs Legion, Both Southpark jrpgs, Fenyx Rising, Tales of Arise, Session, Lego Worlds, Vampire the Masquerade Swansong, Legends of Mana....
And many more.
Compared to what has been removed, the adds are better than the 'offs'.
In the video game industry, where visual design and game mechanics typically grab the limelight, the significance of music in enhancing the overall gaming experience is often underestimated. Music can be a key component in the player’s emotional connection with a game. It amplifies emotional impact, heightens tension, and can be a powerful driver of narrative. We’ve had the chance to speak to Joris de Man, a renowned Dutch composer best known for his work on the Killzone series, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and its sequel Horizon: Forbidden West. During the Game Access conference in Brno, we talked about the process of composing music for video games and how he created the harmonies that have shaped some of our most beloved gaming experiences.
The Amsterdam-based studio reflects on its humble beginnings, beloved franchises, and growth through the years.
Up there with the top tier in the industry. Love Guerrilla Games - Horizon Burning Shores is simply STUNNING.
Same. They nailed it with Horizon. The trouble is I also want a new Killzone! Can't I just have it all?!
I have yet to play Burning Shores as I just started Forbidden West (bought at launch, just unwrapped last weekend LOL) and playing on PS5.
man...I still can't believe the graphics especially now I'm playing it on my LG OLED. that graphics and with stable performance backing it up, GG really is the master of their craft!
32.7M sales in the Horizon franchise! With 8.4M coming from Forbidden West alone! Truly a hugely successful game and franchise as a whole. Looking forward to Horizon III
One year after realease HZD sold 7.6 million.
https://www.noobfeed.com/ne...
So not a drop off.
Unless you're saying a HFW should have sold as much now as HZD sold in 5 years?
It's been 3 games, this includes Call of the Mountain. Also no, its a great improvement over HZD.
lol you are comparing:
HZD: 28 February 2017 - May 2023 (6 years+)
HFW: 18 February 2022 - May 2023 (1 year+)
We will see if it surpass original number.
@shane, 2 full main games, 2 DLC add ons, 1 VR spin off game, oh and a an official LEGO set.
Not too bad for an ip that's only been on market for 6 years
Wow, very impressive. I didn't know the numbers were so high for Forbidden West. Still playing through it myself
Yooo, when I first saw that Killzone 1 footage at E3, my friends my brothers and I were like, Holy shit! When it came out, it didn't look exactly like it, but we sunk so many hours into 1 & 2.
I even liked Killzone: SF, it was a spectacle to look at, and even today it looks good. I hope they make a new one. Can you imagine how that will look, and they can get some modern FPS pointers from Bungie.
Such a wonderful studio. They deserve all their success.
The Decima Engine is absolute 🔥 I'm just mad they have abandoned Killzone.
They are probably working on mutiple projects. One of them is Horizon 3, but another is a multiplaer game and probably somehting else.
Loading times?
Menu and inventory affect gameplay....still trying to figure out how. Yes, the inventory thing is a little wonky but it keeps you honest.
Yeah cant understand an 8 on gameplay because of the menus. The combat which is the bulk of the gameplay is incredible, I think it does it better than any game of its type has done it before. I didnt let the menus effect that. You work it out, after 100 hours its not that hard. I think the on the fly crafting of ammo is brilliant too. Adds an extra element while in combat.
I agree with the wheel, I would like two wheels so you can switch between 8 weapons. I found myself using my 3 bows and the tripcaster a lot and not much else where I definitely would have used the ropecaster and the slings more if they had been easily reachable.