For those embarking on their first playthrough or seeking to reach even greater heights, let me share some insights on mastering this acclaimed adventure.
Have you ever stared out at Horizon Zero Dawn's verdant landscape, brimming with opportunity and mystery, feeling just a little overwhelmed by where to begin your journey? Well wonder no more, for I'm here to guide you on the path to HZD mastery! By story's end, you'll be facing off against machines twice your size and level, but we'll get there one stepped at a tale.
First things first, let me ask, are you ready to embrace the thrill of the hunt? To track your quarry across cliffsides and through grasslands, observing their behavior for that perfect moment to strike? And are you prepared to learn from each encounter, no matter the outcome, tweaking your tactics until even the toughest machines fall before your skills? If so, by journey's end you'll be taking down Stormbirds like they're Watchers!
Let's get started.
What is Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn is an open world action role-playing game developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was released worldwide for the PlayStation 4 in February 2017.
The game is set in post-apocalyptic America, thousands of years after the collapse of an advanced civilization. Nature has reclaimed the ruins of cities, with machines of unknown origin roaming the lands. You play as Aloy, a young woman living among tribes of settlers.
Using her skills as a hunter and access to ancient technologies, Aloy sets out to learn hidden secrets of her mysterious past and the fall of past civilization. She discovers that machines were manufactured by Faro Automated Solutions to be beneficial to humans, but they became hostile and caused a catastrophe.
The gameplay focuses on resource gathering, crafting and combat. Aloy can use her skills to stealthily approach hostile machines, scan them to find weaknesses, and then take them down using various weapons like bows, traps and explosives. Looting fallen machines lets you craft better gear.
There are multiple factions to encounter across the open world. Key locations include ruins of large cities overrun by nature. As the story progresses, more of the secrets behind Zero Dawn and the old world are revealed through discoveries and interactions.
Horizon Zero Dawn received widespread acclaim for its visually stunning open world, compelling story and heroine Aloy, and engaging combat and gameplay systems. It was praised for blending action, adventure and role-playing elements in an immersive post-apocalyptic setting.
How to Master Horizon Zero Dawn in 2024
Choose the Right Difficulty
If it's your first foray into the ruins and wilds, I would recommend starting on Normal. This provides the full Horizon experience without being overly punishing. You'll have room to learn tactics and experiment without machines constantly overwhelming you. But die-hard veterans may prefer Hard for an engaging test of their skills straight away.
Very Hard is best saved for subsequent playthroughs when you know the machines' behavior intimately. A single small mistake can prove fatal here. Meanwhile Easy is good for a laidback story experience, but won't prepare you for late-game confrontations.
The difficulty can be changed at any time if you find your choice is too easy or hard. So I suggest starting on Normal, and adjusting up if you find yourself progressing too quickly or down if constantly reloading frustrates. With practice comes improvement, so settle in and learn each machine's attack patterns.
Remember - it's not about pure combat, but utilizing your whole skills, tools and cunning. Scan to expose weaknesses. Sneak and flee when overwhelmed. Take your time to fully explore the tools at your disposal. With patience and experimentation, you'll develop innovative techniques to handle even the deadliest machines.
Customize Your Controls
The default control scheme is competent but not necessarily ideal. Take some time in the menus to set up button bindings that feel natural for your playstyle. I recommend moving dodge to a shoulder button for quick reaction dodges in fights.
While the basics of movement and camera are satisfactory for most, you may wish to remap some combat actions. Personally, I prefer quick-switching weapons by clicking the right stick rather than cycling through with d-pad taps. This keeps my aiming fluid during hectic battles.
Prioritizing stealth? Consider changing crouch/slide to one button for sneaky strikes. Want to seamlessly launch immediate follow up attacks? Swapping light and heavy melee to triggers allows fluid combos.
Remember, Aloy has many tools to survey surroundings - you may want to assign more scanning, focus abilities and resource- spotting to back buttons for easy access without disrupting play. However you customize, ensure everything remains intuitively accessible even in panic.
Test your setup too against easy machines. Maneuverability and quick reaction are paramount, so confirm tweaks enhance rather than hinder control. Trust your instincts, there's no right or wrong, only what works best for individual playstyles.
With practice, customization feels second nature. But establish comfort early to fully appreciate the game's depths. Have fun experimenting traveller, and let me know if any aspects need refining! Control mastery is just one facet of becoming a true sunhawk.
Combat Fundamentals
Mastering Horizon's combat is crucial for success. Here are some basics:
- Use the Focus to scan machines and identify weak points. Focus also highlights kill shots for instant takedowns.
- Stock up on various ammo types from traders to exploit different machine weaknesses. Fire, freeze, and shock are your main damage dealers.
- Dodge is your best defense. I-framing through roars and attacks with well-timed dodges is key to survival on higher difficulties.
- Use terrain, traps, and other distractions to separate machine parts from the main body for easier targeting.
- Lay traps like blast wires or tripcasters in routine machine paths for easy environmental kills.
Keep practicing these life-saving combat skills and you'll start taking down tougher machines with ease. Proper usage of the tools in Aloy's kit is the number one thing separating novices from masters.
Utilize All Weapons and Ammunition
While Sharpshot bows and precision arrows reign supreme for stealth, you'll need to utilize the full arsenal of weapons to truly dominate any fight. Each has ideal uses that experienced players switch between fluidly
- War Bows and Blast Sling - Great for tearing off armor with explosive ammo and dealing machine stun/damage over time.
- Precision and Hunter Bows - Best for ranged DPS on weak points and controlling machines from a distance.
- Ropecaster - A must-have for immobilizing enemies and tying them down for easy targeting.
Master each weapon type inside and out, experiment creatively in different situations, and you'll unlock their full potential. A well-rounded arsenal is required to consistently take on any machine.
Learn Advanced Techniques
By now you've become familiar with Horizon Zero Dawn's lands and machines, but there remain advanced techniques to elevate your skills. With practice, these subtle maneuvers will transform you into a true master of the wilds.
Are you utilizing Frost/Fire/Acid weaknesses to your advantage? Apply these status effects mid-combat for additional damage-over-time. And remove armor plates to expose underlying vulnerabilities faster. Next, learn Override techniques to temporarily control machines against their own kind!
Carefully dropping Heavy or Precision arrows directly onto joints or components from above does enormous damage. A well-placed ropecaster or tripcaster in the right place can also yield unexpected results. Traps like these combined with your strikes are key to toppling even the largest foes.
When mobility is needed, try chaining jumps with dodge-rolls for extra air. You can even clamber atop certain machines from a roll with perfect timing. At key moments, slow time with concentration mode to aim that precision shot for maximum effect.
Pay attention to Aloy's animations too. With perfect posture and rapid weapon-swapping techniques, she can fire off multiple arrows in quick succession. Masterful melee strikes also involve strategic use of both heavy and light attacks.
Trial and error are key here, so explore new ideas fearlessly. With dedication, maneuvers previously deemed impossible may become your greatest strengths. Seize each opportunity to improve - both your skills and understanding will steadily progress.
Now fly free adventurer, and don't hesitate to call on my experience if you require guidance on the path to total machine mastery!
Max Out Your Equipment
No player seeking true mastery should stop at basic equipment. Take time to fully upgrade your entire arsenal:
Fully mod all your weapons for maximum damage/handling with shards from machines and merchants.
Craft/find the best purple and gold variants of armor for maximum protection and perk bonuses.
Completely fill out the skill tree for all abilities, from combat mastery to stealth bonuses.
Stock up on potent potions, Traps, and ammunition for any situation.
Having the best optimized gear removes any damage or capability limitations holding you back from dominating even the game's toughest fights. True mastery demands making the most of ALL the tools at your disposal.
Conclusion
By following the fundamentals and advanced techniques listed here, as well as optimizing your equipment and clearing all available content, any player should be able to achieve true mastery over Horizon Zero Dawn's combat and open world. Approach each battle with a plan, learn from mistakes, and always improve. It will take dedication but conquering even the toughest machines and challenges is an immensely rewarding feeling. Get out there in 2024 and show the machines who's really the dominant species!
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even experienced players can slip up from overconfidence or carelessness. Here are some common mistakes that can ruin runs on harder difficulties
- Forgetting to use potions and traps during fights - Their benefits are easy to underestimate but can turn defeats into victories.
- Not scanning machines thoroughly for all weakpoints - Missing armor locations or components may drag out fights needlessly.
- Ignoring tutorial popups for new weapons/abilities - Their tips reveal advanced techniques you may overlook otherwise.
- Rushing into fights unprepared - Take time to assess the situation, restock supplies, and formulate a strategy for success.
Avoiding these pitfalls will ensure even veterans keep improving and prevent humiliating deaths on their journey to true mastery. Stay alert and you'll dominate every fight.
FAQS
What's the best way to farm resources like shards and medicine plants?
The most efficient method is to visit multiple merchant encampments and sell accumulated machine parts to purchase supply packs in bulk. You can also set up frequent trails at the Hunting Grounds for easy rewards. Destroying large machines like Thunderjaws always yields a massive amount of resources too.
What's the easiest way to get better purple/gold gear and weapons?
Completing all main quests and side content is key, as these reward some top-tier gear. But the fastest methods are to continuously rerun tougher machine hunting contracts on Ultra Hard with all combat/loot bonuses turned on. This may take practice but reliably drops high-tier loot. Alternately, exploring every nook of the game's large cauldrons usually yields legendary equipment.
I hope these tips help you effortlessly master Horizon Zero Dawn and conquer every machine threat! Let me know if any part of the guide needs further clarification by commenting below. I'm always around to provide additional pro strategies for dedicated players. Happy hunting.
0 Comments