Horizon Zero Dawn is the game that made me literally dust off my PS4 and plug it back in to my TV. It’s one of the best games I’ve played in years. It also helps that it looks absolutely amazing, as these GIFs demonstrate.
In the two months since the game’s launch, I still haven’t finished Horizon. I’m slowly plugging away at it when I can find the time, and I’m pushing myself to find that time, because I absolutely love the world that the game is building.
Every one of these GIFs comes from SunhiLegend, a guy that makes amazing GIFs from a bunch of beautiful titles.
Even when you’re not fighting, and not making your way through the storyline — when you’re just exploring — the entire experience just feels so rich.
This game is just everything. pic.twitter.com/xeLzo748dg
— Campbell Simpson (@csimps0n) April 27, 2017
It’s fun, too. It’s rare that I’ll actually enjoy the controls of a game on console — I was raised with a keyboard in one hand and a mouse in the other — but combat in Horizon is just about as intuitive as any game I’ve played, at least once you get the hang of the camera.
Another one. Combat is just crazy and fast-paced. pic.twitter.com/gdFq4n1NAG
— Campbell Simpson (@csimps0n) April 27, 2017
And the robots are massive. Even the smallest Watcher feels intimidating when you’re early on in the game, and the scale progresses to suit as your abilities grow and you leave the hearth of your ancestral home.
The scale is just phenomenal. pic.twitter.com/PD3zoqGCSl
— Campbell Simpson (@csimps0n) April 27, 2017
The animation and sound and detail in characters is top-notch. Everything has had so much care put into it, from Aloy’s motion to the impact that melee weapons have on robot and human enemies alike. The design of the tribal elements of the world is just awesome.
Melee combat is even more impactful than ranged. pic.twitter.com/4dqLg6HIRh
— Campbell Simpson (@csimps0n) April 27, 2017
And all the while, you’re running around in a world that moves from the chilly hinterland of Mother’s Cradle to the deserts around Lone Light and the forests and lush jungles past Meridian. There’s snow and rainforest and savannah and it all looks good.
Just one more: the detail in the world is absolutely incredible. pic.twitter.com/TfdmFZTMj7
— Campbell Simpson (@csimps0n) April 28, 2017
Last, but not even remotely least, is Horizon’s story. It centres around Aloy, and I won’t spoil it even one bit, but suffice to say she’s one of my favourite characters in any game probably of the last five years at least.
I lied. One bonus GIF, of the game’s badass protagonist Aloy. pic.twitter.com/fQpaHv23Gx
— Campbell Simpson (@csimps0n) April 28, 2017
Yeah, you should play Horizon. It’s a PS4 exclusive, sure, but it’s worth it.
[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/04/a-spoiler-packed-chat-abouthorizon-zero-dawns-excellent-story/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/uhkjfta2e972qhlzgqes.png” title=”A Spoiler-Packed Chat About Horizon Zero Dawn’s Excellent Story” excerpt=”Three Kotaku staffers have finished the new PlayStation 4 game Horizon Zero Dawn, so it feels like time to talk it all. Join me, Kirk, and Patricia for some SPOILERY talk about Aloy’s wild robot adventures.”]
[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/03/horizon-zero-dawn-made-me-love-video-games-again/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/jirk82wtxdqtt7yki9pe.jpg” title=”Horizon Zero Dawn Made Me Love Video Games Again” excerpt=”Historically, once I beat a video game, I rarely keep playing it. What’s the point? The story is done and I don’t get satisfaction from 100 per cent completion. Well, with Horizon Zero Dawn, not only have I kept playing it, I don’t want it to end. Ever. Guerrilla Games has created a world and experience that has reinvigorated my love of video games.”]
[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/04/the-music-of-horizon-zero-dawn-an-interview-with-the-games-composers/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/jhw6xtsqenz1iuczwbpy.png” title=”We Talked To The People That Made Horizon Zero Dawn Sound So Good” excerpt=”Horizon Zero Dawn is a visually stunning game, and one with a captivating storyline to boot. But it backs these two pillars up with a third that isn’t so immediately obvious. a soundtrack and ambient in-game music that immerses you in the broken-down, overgrown tribal world.”]
Comments
16 responses to “Why You Should Play Horizon Zero Dawn, In GIFs”
…these gifs are 21:9?
Is that an arty decision and some good cropping, or can PS4 Pro output ultrawide to a monitor? Because if so I’ll give that a go!
They’re 640x240px, but that’s just the crop I chose for the GIFs, it’s a weirdo 24:9 ratio. PS4 Pro will just do 16:9 as far as I’m aware!
Arty! 😀
I’m only a couple of hours in, but looking forward to it opening up… I did pretty much buy a Pro for this.
Same here about it being the reason I bought a Pro. I’ve played many hours of this game and it just doesn’t stop delivering. Aloy is pretty much Batman. The only issue is the camera, which lets you down when fighting certain enemies. Otherwise, it’s dinosaur hunting heaven on a stick, and looks sublime to boot!
Hands down the best game I’ve played in a very long time, and in my opinion is without question worth owning a PS4 for more than any other title on the system.
How much would a PS4 + H:0D cost me?
479 at JB atm as a bundle or 499 at EB and you get a remote aswell. 🙂
About $500 I would assume
I’ve seen pro for 529 at JB and Horizon for 70. So 600 if you’re going new pro. Might get lucky with a near-new trade in.
Had the good fortune of 10 days off work last week. Put 70 hours into this. Was constantly amazed at the quality of the visuals, particularly the world, and consequently went nuts in the photo mode. Now I have over 100 images on rotation as my desktop backgroup.
Can’t wait for some DLC for this one!
Argh, stop the teasing! I finally finished Watch Dogs 2 and am a little over half way through Doom. Once that’s done, I’m in. Been dying to play this since the reveal and been avoiding most articles for danger of spoilers. Couldn’t resist taking a peak at this one.
For all the GIFs from sunhilegend (and most are much better than the ones here) go to this thread http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1348006&highlight=horizon+zero+dawn
No real spoilers in there, but you’d better check your bandwidth and download quotas!
Those shots are amazing
Yeah, I find a new desktop wallpaper every few posts.
*insert obligatory grumble about how it’s PS4 exclusive, and exclusives are evil, and I want it on PC*
Exclusives aren’t evil. They are a necessary method to differentiate your product. And without a marketplace with differentiated but comparable products, you have a monopoly. And monopolies are the truly evil situations for consumers.
I don’t know why you have such a hard on for such an average game. It doesn’t do anything we haven’t seen before, the story & characters are deep as a teaspoon, if you haven’t figured out the twist a couple of hours in you probably have be reminded to breathe. The RoboDino fights are cool, too bad 90% of enemies you fight are awful generic humans.