Horizon Zero Dawn Story Explained Part 1: Project Zero Dawn And How Humanity Went Extinct

[@alexatkin]

I just love how this was written and how the game drip-feeds it to you. There are some things I didn't entirely pick up on until seeing this video, what a great resource before the new game.

[@baddreams123451]

Tiptoethetank does it better

[@ddp5406]

2 more weeks!!!

[@Robert_Douglass]

​@@baddreams123451 Link, please?

[@baddreams123451]

@@Robert_Douglass search tiptoe the tank or the lady of lore

[@InservioLetum]

Nothing in a game is as enthralling as depth. I love it when a game brings worldbuilding to a level that you forget you're not actually physically IN that world.

[@iandoddsblah]

The Zero Dawn reveal absolutely slayed me when I got to it.. I was enjoying myself before but was consumed by it after!

[@zeldaoot23]

Yeah, I thought I knew where the story was going, but that revelation hit me like a ton of bricks. It’s rare for any story, video game or otherwise, to have that kind of impact on me these days.

[@sarcasm-83]

Yeah I find it so weird that some people say the plot is garbage, when I was just blown away that "robot dinosaurs after the fall of man" premise was actually managed to be explained feasibly to begin with AND imo it was done in a very cool way. So many cool moments, from Faro's ego being too big to accept he'd ever make mistakes and then doing everything he could to bury his mistake, to listening to the audio logs of people who knew it was over for the humanrace and had to leave everything down to a set of protocols that revive the entire race AND planet. The "Zero Dawn" name itself being literal... phewh. I loved learning about all the different AIs meanings and I hope we get to learn more in Forbidden West. Just finished Frozen Wilds as I hadn't played that and was cool to learn about Hephaestus still following it's directives, just trying to manufacture more as it was it's primary objective AND that in part the machines made by it were attacking because humans had started to hunt them, so it had to protect it's objective by making "predators" of it's own.

[@DoomsdayDame]

All these years later with a platinum trophy sitting on mu virtual shelf, I still play both Zero Dawn and Forbidden West start to finish all over again. Zero Dawn will hold the #1 game spot in my heart forever.

[@Amaritudine]

Zero Dawn's apocalypse story really blew me away. The recorded presentation by General Herres and Dr Sobeck, revealing the truth about the plague and Zero Dawn's true purpose, hit like an emotional sledgehammer. I'm doubly impressed by the way the lore accounts for so many potential plot holes: Why didn't they just nuke the swarm? By the time a nuclear option was considered, the plague had spread far enough that a strike capable of eradicating it would irreparably ruin the biosphere, ending the world anyway. Where did the swarm get enough raw materials to endlessly replicate? Humanity had spent decades mining the asteroids for rare earth metals and other resources essential to building computers and machines. Why was Zero Dawn relied upon as the only option for repopulating the world? It wasn't - Far Zenith was a companion project sent into space on an AI-controlled craft. The ship's antimatter fuel stores exploded, though, obliterating the facility. How did Gaia arrange a clone of Elisabet? Early in the Zero Dawn project, the Alpha team considered raising clones of themselves to continue their work generationally, overseeing the AIs restoring the biosphere. The Alphas soon abandoned this idea for moral, ethical and practical reasons, but they had already submitted DNA samples that were stored in the vast gene banks in the cradle facilities. Aside from the obvious mysteries, like the signal that tried to hack Gaia and freed all her subordinate functions, there's only one big question I'm left pondering. How did the new tribes develop - and maintain - such a high level of English language? Over 700 years before Aloy's birth, they were turned out into the world with maybe a primary school education at best, but no written language that we're aware of. Yet generation after generation grew up learning a language that never deviated too far from our own. My pet theory is that the tribes occasionally found usable ancient audio, or speech-capable AI, and learned or re-learned new vocabulary. They took these language lessons very seriously, since the Old Ones were held in such high regard. Thanks to a lore entry, we know that the early Carja rediscovered "the counting runes" - i.e., numbers - and re-invented mathematics. It stands to reason that language and writing had similar breakthroughs.

[@yungoldman2823]

Or maybe they didnt want to put in the effort of making a whole new language, or even harder a weird sub-species of english

[@Amaritudine]

@@yungoldman2823 Completely - the game would've been nearly unplayable if it was entirely in a conlang derived from kindergarten-level English. It also would've interfered with plot points that depended on Aloy being able to understand ancient recordings.

[@TobyRawal]

Didn’t the 3 parental robots teach them?

[@Amaritudine]

@@TobyRawal Yeah, the servitor robots gave a basic education to all the children born in the cradle facilities. When they matured, though, those children had to go out into the wild and fend for themselves, learning to build and survive basically from scratch. They, and their descendants, then spent about 750 years creating their new civilisation.

[@nielsjensen4185]

The game is in English as the spoken language, however, the setting language is something different. The Focus specifically has translation capabilities and this is how Aloy can understand the world that was. The first thing Silens found was also a Focus.

[@aBardThatRolls1s]

This is one of my all time favorite games, and Aloy is one of my all time favorite characters. The lore is phenomenal, and I absolutely loved hearing it read out like a story book from you Zoe, thank you for this video!

[@biggamejames233]

With over 300 hrs in total in both games. This video was done VERY well, for giving a MAJORITY of the lore. Especially the important stuff. Well done 10/10 video.

[@TorgieMadison]

Horizon Zero Dawn has some of the best world-building and storytelling in all media. There's a reason I have a 9" Aloy figurine right on top of my gaming center. Great recap! Can't wait for Part 2 (and 3? 4??)

[@I-Sharted1]

Because you're a nerd?

[@derangedanimal9098]

Need to up the pace or I'm a different market but did like this narrative and story telling

[@DJWeapon8]

Eh I disagree. Before and during the apocalypse, yeah. But afterwards? Not really. A lot of it is halfbaked and not explored much. I was more invested in the cause of apocalypse, Enduring Freedom's real purpose, Zero Dawn, and what happened to the AIs than the current story and sidequest narratives with the tribes.

[@nickv1212]

@@DJWeapon8 They spent the first game setting all of this up. Now they can focus on executing the post-Zero Dawn world properly.

[@BreakerBeatsArcade]

I didnt realize what I was getting into until reaching the final few chapters. What an incredible story weaved into gameplay that was already epic enough to hold its own.

[@wintertrooper7918]

we were led to believe through the entire first game that project zero dawn ended up causing humans to regress to a primitive tribal state only for the final chapter to hit you with the mother of all "wham lines" it's such an amazing twist that it would have been impossible to predict it because there's no hints to it or anything cause so much of the info was kept so closely guarded

[@jsnel9185]

HZD was so much more than I expected. It quickly became one of my top 5 all time games. That list goes back to my NES.

[@Scribe13]

I don’t have time to play video games these days and even watching/listening to play-throughs is too much of a time commitment. Listening to Zoe tell their stories and background lore is just the best! Thank you, Zoe!

[@MrAim-gm7gi]

The story is so amazing it really mades you fe things. Just like Sylens, I felt very angry that Ted stole their birthright. That's the only part of the story that got stuck in my mind.

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

Question: How did Rost breast feed Aloy?

[@MrLuridan]

@@anti-ethniccleansing465He identified as a large breasted post-birth mother. This alone was enough, and Aloy suckled Rost’s breasts gladly.

[@malcolmpeake8893]

That was fantastic, Zoe, thank you for creating it. I've played Horizon Zero Dawn twice and I never knew how Rost became an exile until now.

[@kevinbagust]

Yes that bit of lore is well hidden, you can only discover it by talking to the friendly matriarch directly after the proving.

[@izzyis-real]

@@kevinbagust You mean after going into all mother for first time ? Thats where i found it

[@Stanl3h]

Zoe I would like you to know that I found this video so powerful and it captured the emotions of the game so well that I cried multiple times watching this as it just brought me right back to the Horizon world.

[@ben.o1156]

Give me lore, give me fire, give me that which I desire

[@NemesisFade]

Finnished the game for the first time 30 minutes ago absolute amazing game, I was serching for an explanation for the game like this video absolutely love it!

[@stormy7745]

I really love how you broke down everything and explained! Many thanks, Zoe, and looking forward to your next one!

[@viktormon]

The truth of the Zero Dawn project always fills me with such existential dread, it's such a great reveal and such hard choice to do when the world is literally ending.

[@eurogamer]

Completely agree, it's uncomfortably believable considering the state the world is in at the moment... Zoe

[@ohsodefiant]

Zero Dawn's lore scared the hell out of me. Piecing it together from clues through the game little by little was disturbing. Particularly the report of some kind of horrified marine worker witnessing a machine go rogue for the first time that began feasting a pool of dolphins. Gave me chills.

[@lukefisher7600]

I love Horizon, and the lore. Instant like! Can't wait for Forbidden West.

[@alexatkin]

Its literally the only game where I bothered to go out and try to find all the lore collectibles and I still didn't entirely piece together all the events until seeing this video.

[@marxbruder]

While I love the way the game revealed humanity's extinction, I love even more that it isn't a consuming aspect of most in-universe people's lives. So many post apocalyptic stories have everyone obsessed with the world that came before, and how that world ended, but for most Horizon characters, they are just out there, living their lives. The game did such a good job of creating a lived in world that sustains itself without narrative reliance on the Old World. Aloy as a character, and we as players, can deal with/enjoy the apocalypse narrative, but for most people life simply goes on. It just feels very real.

[@MrPhinn1]

One of the most complex stories in gaming, and you told it wonderfully. Thanks.

[@victormurphy7956]

This was so well done! I'm so exited for part 2. Can't wait for forbidden west go come out!

[@eurogamer]

Hey folks, you can watch the other videos right here! Part 2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4LQiKOjZZZ3hcU Part 3: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rH24in-ticqXhas Part 4: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqe8fKGua9usi80

[@MrBryanta5]

Can’t wait for part 3!!

[@johnosaurusrex9496]

Amazing explanation! Thank you

[@PLCKostecki]

You forgot to mention - HADES protocol anihilated life on earth 4 times. Horizon ZD is version 5 of new world

[@Nattler]

I've only ever seen a few let's plays of this game, but Zoe your recap has me literally crying into my coffee right now. What a heartbreaking story.

[@MrMBinder]

Great video and commentary! I love the mix of game footage and real world shots. 15:05 if the scientists had been allowed to leave (especially "early" in the process) and tell the world about Project Zero Dawn, the facility would probably have been compromised and "infested" with FARO robots/AI. I can sort of understand the censorship and manipulation of communication as it was all about buying time up until the last moment. I'm not saying it's "good", but it's probably a necessary evil.

[@kevinbagust]

A necessary evil seems to describe the whole of the Zero Dawn plan. If I recall correctly Zoe down played the recruitment process, I seem to recall them saying as well as gathering people semi-willingly they went out and forcefully kidnapped people.

[@izzyis-real]

@@kevinbagust They did, i just replayed the game and i thought that too. Its said in a text point somewhere

[@kevinwelch6506]

I've absolutely loved this video. The amount of depth of the lore in this game is amazing to say the least

[@EuropeAfricaTrip]

Just finished playing zero dawn & just started TFW. This video was packed with so much information pieced together chronologically - thank you SO MUCH

[@creativerayn]

Thank you so much for taking the time to put this together ❤️ I have tried a few times to complete the story but got distracted by other games along the way. With the next game soon out I wanted to catch up and my god what an amazing story and even more so, an amazing end to the first game - that blew me away 🙂 really nice video and very very well put together and written 👌 even more excited to continue the story and want to actually finish what I started…. A lot ❤️❤️

[@davidcegla1076]

Zoe ---- THIS IS BY FARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR THE BEST GAMING LORE VIDEO that I've ever seen in my entire life (almost 5 decades already, and still counting, LOL)... incredible presentation, witty, funny, deep and simply explained... THANK YOU... THANK YOU... THANK YOU...!!!!!!!

[@amygathercole4078]

I've just finished Zero Dawn and the DLC for it, soon to head to Forbidden West and there was so, so much rich lore and backstory and world building that this video is perfect as a review and reminder. Thank you ❤

[@henl.1548]

This is fantastic, thank you so much for putting this together! Very comprehensive, concise, and engaging to listen and watch. Looking forward to the other parts!

[@mythicalblur9873]

I loved this game, hearing how everything plays out for the end of humanity really was some of the best parts of the game. Hearing their confessions, their fears, their hopes really draws you into the game. Phenomenal!

[@betomtzz8770]

7:08 after her mom, Awwww! 😂loved the video. thanks for taking the time to make this, very entertaining!

[@7_Olss]

I absolutely loved watching this, cannot wait to put part 2 on in 5 minutes🖤

[@stabbie2490]

The one thing I wish we would be able to go to sobeck's ranch in either game

[@Freelight000005]

Thanks for the lore explanations in chronological order. Looking forward to Part 2.

[@delirious3479]

I got this game on PC just before going on holiday last year and spent well over 24+ hours playing through every bit I could and I still have a few side missions to go through. The lore, the gameplay and every little detail thrown about kept me wanting more. I cannot wait for the next chapter

[@gunstargizmo]

Sobeck likely had someone plant the code glitch into the Chariot robots so that she could use that as an opportunity to initiate her Zero Dawn project. She found the glitch within a day, and she had Zero Dawn already to go. She didn’t bother proposing any other plan to save the planet. Also, her methods of recruiting were sinister. Personally, both her and Faro have the same narcissistic traits.

[@Irbanx211]

I was floored when I started grasping what was going on with the back story. I went back and read every bit of lore I’d collected. Great game. This was a perfect recap too. Great synopsis vid!!

[@eurogamer]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@bamchel]

Wow, this is very thorough. HZD's lore is so wide and deep that I've forgotten tons of details. Thank you for refreshing my memory as I'm playing Forbidden West lately. 🙂

[@molotovgod]

This story is peobably one of the most thoughtful and most detailed version of what couls really happen. Slthought everything is summarized, i really feels like we are driving ourselves or future generations into something like this. Im just amazed that someone had the ingenuity to write this story. 👏

[@shocking_squirrel]

This was brilliant. I do really like Horizon but I get burnt out on big open world games really easily. So sadly was never able to complete it. Can't wait for the next part of the lore.

[@johnchristianortega1898]

Do the main quest first if you easily get burnt out on open world games.

[@mandoschMUh]

I enjoyed the journey of Aloy very much. The whole story is written in such a beautiful way, especially the last third of the story more than once put tears into my eyes...

[@TheEman11910]

One of the most tragic backstories of the last 15 years. Would make an amazing tv show

[@lilsammy112]

Zoe this is such an amazing video. Zero Dawn is one of my favourite games and you tell the story so beautifully. Could listen to this over and over.

[@ash1rose]

Can you imagine messing up so bad a woman has to come back from the dead a thousand years later to fix your mess? Embarrassing. I loved this breakdown. I just finished watching a LP of the game and wanted to find a comprehensive timeline of the back story and this was brilliant!

[@eurogamer]

thanks!! :) Zoe

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

@@eurogamer I’m not even three minutes in and you couldn’t help yourself but interject your personal political bias/beliefs in this? What were you thinking? Were you TRYING to piss off viewers?

[@East_Coast_Toasty_Boy]

@@anti-ethniccleansing465 I think so, but I think it's a joke and this is the point of it.

[@danielgrossi5530]

Amazing video. Really well written. Timeline is perfect, which gives us so many questions for the sequel.

[@lafayrarue4010]

Oh man great pick Zoe. Another amazing lore video, can't wait for the next one!

[@Red_Rebel]

Love the humorous narration of this! Can’t wait for more Horizon lores ahead of H3

[@christopherway2546]

I swear I’m using that “the time of F$&@ around is over, it’s time to find out” constantly from this day forward 😂

[@Tiicup]

wow, this is so good. I can’t tell you how much I love the lores and how they incorporate greek gods into AI names. I had to stop myself from instantly buying the game after the video ends. (gotta see some gameplay first before making that decision) but what’s not a hesitant one is subscribing to this channel! looking forward to more videos on this and other games!

[@vampyrlady94]

Absolutely fantastic video Zoe! I love the lore of HZD and how it hits a bit too close to home aka real life earth. Excited to see part two!

[@briantheplaystationguy7815]

Playing through too many games right now to give zero dawn a replay. I’m gonna use this to refresh and prepare for forbidden west

[@eduardofigueiredopedro9832]

Thank you so much for all this lore brought together. I can now think twice on being obligated to finish Zero Dawn again before entering Forbidden West!

[@JrG007]

Excellent job, that half hour just flew by. Very entertaining, fun and interesting. Thank you so much for your hard work.

[@TheQrstOne]

Love this lore breakdown, and thank you for all of the time you put into it! Am i the only one that wants a prequel game of Rost's emotional story and his revenge?

[@warriorfromhammerfell1557]

It's been years since I played Zero Dawn. So as a refresher, I am listening to this while unlocking all Metal Flowers in Forbidden West

[@shrutiroy5361]

This is one of the best videos on horizon zero dawn I have seen

[@JonathanPetersonlisten2EITS]

Catching up on all the lore before tomorrow. THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS!

[@dryanwarrener]

I am a gamer that focuses solely on game play, hence not truly understanding the story line. In other words, I go through the world scanning the artifacts/collectibles, but not actually reading or watching the content the game provides, to understand the story. This video has explained everything, and now I appreciate the game so much more. I have an attachment to the game, now that I understand the story and why everything is the way it is. It all makes sense now. From now on, I will definitely pay more attention to the story line. Beautiful. But, what a beast Faro was. Why did no-one execute such virus, or even ensure he was held accountable? That would have been my first thought process.

[@BLitzRunner77]

I'm a genuine idiot for just now realizing how Faro's just a different way of spelling Pharaoh, and the swarms are names after famous Egyptian animals and gods, and Elizabeth's last name is Sobek. I'm so dense.

[@Phanthief95]

Faro even has a bunker named Thebes, after the ancient Egyptian city of the same name.

[@kingk1217]

Great job! This is exactly what I’ve been looking for since I started playing forbidden west.

[@TheWindwall]

Great job on the video. It's very well written and edited.

[@eurogamer]

Thank you very much! Zoe

[@scud..]

Your unique presentation of this complete story was fun. Thank u

[@Claire-to5ym]

Great video, thanks for uploading this.

[@tstillman]

Very nice overview of the history of Horzon Zero Dawn. On to the next episode.

[@illwill718]

Gearing up to play Horizon Forbidden West so I needed a refresher. This gave me info i missed while playing the game...lol Great job!

[@Medic0013]

Well done! I really enjoyed watching this!

[@LAnimeMaster]

This was an awesome video. Fantastic work.

[@youngjut3]

Bro the lore of this game just made me actually really wanna get back into it again since I haven’t beat forbidden west yet

[@bishopdumas4751]

thank you for all the hard work you put in, really well done

[@Whythacar]

Well done Zoey, This was absolutely amazing. Horizon Zero done is one of my top 3 greatest ever games.

[@smittenbysnorlax]

wonderful retelling of the horizon narrative, appreciate u.

[@smittenbysnorlax]

also lowkey hilarious lol

[@oliverwells8011]

A lot of games threaten ending the world, not many actually go through with it.

[@danmoar94]

In both life and fiction, I'm fascinated by the origin of stuff and the transition from one state of affairs to another, so I'd love to learn more about the forming and development of the tribes, for example it must have taken a LOT of work and development for the Carja to get to where they are in the game. It would be so cool to learn how a bunch of adolescents pushed out into the world would later result in the world of the game where these tribes have seemingly already ancient beliefs, and generations of cultural development.

[@M00SHTY]

niiiiiice, thank you so much. I really dont have the time to play one again but properly wanted to grasp the story for number two

[@karlkarlsson9126]

Great video, best one!

[@xDIRTYDEEDS75x]

Wow! Well done Zoe! You are a legend! This was such a great video.

[@moondropx]

This is so well done.

[@matsa85]

A great recap to a fantastic story!

[@kendoyle]

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Very well put together, very interesting video

[@perceptivepanda9954]

Words cannot describe how much I love this video. Thank you thank you thank you

[@eurogamer]

Thank you so much :)

[@jamesspring4610]

"Jesus Christ, Faro, what were you thinking?!" Love that bit!🤣🤣

[@benjamincurtis1412]

All this and thats before the game even starts. I couldn't get into the gameplay loop, but love hearing ghe story and about the world.

[@joeldfisher]

love these lore videos and this is the best one yet, I cannot wait until Horizon: Forbidden West

[@graemesharp1982]

Has to be the best story of any game I've played. Captivating.

[@ettorereventon2667]

Playing Forbidden West also explains many things that were left unsaid or unexplained about the lore of ZD, adding layers and revelations to a world that was already impressive and more well defined than most stories are. This saga is extraordinary, I started playing FW a few days ago, and the story is already as interesting and captivating as Zero Dawn. I can't wait to reach the end of this game too!

[@mightyjoestone]

This was great, thank you for making this.

[@ChrisKhani]

This was such a great videos. So many little details I missed while playing the game.

[@infidelkastro]

This story would make a good series. A movie wouldnt be enough time, but a show going back and forth between the past and present would work well with the story.

[@Spadenace]

Perfectly explained. Thank you.

[@pokethejerrbear]

Wonderful job! Way to go

[@pnut4048]

Thanks for this Zoe! Such a great synopsis! 😄💜

[@sazbomb6996]

This is an awesome recap, superbly well written!

[@Three_Tiny_Robots]

A friend of mine ran a D&D game heavily inspired by H0D. I wished we'd been able to continue it, he was a great DM, and the world is fascinating!

[@PauloAndreSievertAlexandre]

Bravo! Really well done and well written! What a joy!

[@bandristmachine]

This was awesome! Thank you!

[@thebpphantom]

Incredible breakdown. Fantastic. Thanks Zoe!

[@wintertrooper7918]

scary thought but some optional dialogue you can get with GAIA mentions that ELYSIUM went dark and communication stopped far sooner than it was scheduled to implying that it was possible that the faro swarm may have found and gotten to ELYSIUM

[@Lone_wolf150]

Very well made lore video, thanks.