The Making of Horizon Zero Dawn

How does a studio known for linear first person shooters design one of the most well regarded open world games of the generation on their first attempt? Noclip travels to Amsterdam to talk to Guerrilla about their epic journey bringing Horizon Zero Dawn to PlayStation 4.
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Track List:
Motionless
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After The Fall
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Passing Eyes
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Going Deeper
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Summon Memories
www.audionetwork.com/browse/m...
Tethys
www.audionetwork.com/browse/m...
Hidden Past
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Sleepless
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Fluidity
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Horizon Zero Dawn OST - Meridian
• Video
Horizon Zero Dawn OST - Battle Theme II
• Video
00:00 Intro
02:08 Enter the Kill Zone
08:36 Creative Fatigue
10:32 The Pitch Process
18:15 Dual Development
20:10 Finding Aloy
25:49 New Tech, New Talent
29:44 The Cutting Room Floor
33:55 Quest Design
39:19 Memory Management
45:16 A Gift to Hideo
47:33 Lost Odditities
49:16 Evolving Machines
55:25 Recognizable Sound
58:48 Wildlife from Machines
01:00:29 Reaching the Horizon
01:05:20 Credits

[@NoclipDocs]

Hey folks. First things first this video is SPOILER FREE in terms of the game's story. The only things that could be considered even light spoilers would be our conversations about the opening hour of the game, and some footage of environments beyond the starting zone. We produced the video in a way that it wouldn't negatively impact anyone who hasn't played the game yet, so feel free to dive in. Also, this is also our final documentary of 2017. We have some Sessions dropping over the holiday break, but we just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you all for watching our productions in 2017. It's been wonderful to watch you react and comment on the work we've created. We hope wherever you are in the world you enjoy the final weeks of the year, and maybe spend some time catching up with some of the year's games you missed out on. See you in 2018. We've got some things up our sleeves. ;) - The Noclip Team

[@Jambobist]

Commenting before watching like a total dick, but just want say say you're doing great work Danny, appreciate it. Also, would you be interested in doing an episode on Hellblade? Lot's of interesting things about that game's development, but a deep dive on the mental health aspect would be fascinating.

[@RTX4050Games]

Danny as much as I love your documentaries i will forever miss your shows like efms and the point..i loved those one video per week much more than these.the danny disc episode was great but we never got any any other episode as u promised.

[@NoclipDocs]

PS: Proper captions are incoming. We'll update the video once we receive them later today. Sorry for the delay.

[@RyanHall42]

Rest in peace, motion actor sacrificed to savage chickens. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten.

[@Gibbarrito]

Noclip hey great job u guys keep it up somehow u guys always make me get teary eye at the end of your documentaries

[@SirMandokarla]

About 31 minutes in, they talked about how the writer came in and said something they had to change... AND THEY CHANGED IT. They listened to their writer. They listened to their gods-damned writer! YES. This explains so much and makes me so happy and impressed with them.

[@TheRealAdachi]

I agree ☝️

[@richytheking1315]

Whats cool too is the writer listened to the gameplay designers about the focus. As stated in the video it’s collaboration which surprise surprise led to results both teams found worked.

[@tlotpwist3417]

Tallnecks made this the only game where i craved for MORE map-reveal towers lol

[@TheStingyRay]

Sure beats synchronizing

[@colboy1fish]

I liked breath of the wilds towers as well, I just wished the cutscene for unlocking wasn't as drawn out and the top section, which is the same on every tower, was either removed or a little different. But most towers introduce a nice little challenge/puzzle in order to climb it.

[@mightyowl3160]

Also the challenges to get to those tallnecks were pretty good!

[@tirshtain]

Amen

[@danvondrasek]

Far cry 3 kinda killed unlock towers, but I still love replaying it and climbing them every time. The tallnecks being the unlock towers made the game just that much more interesting to play, than if they were just "climb the tallest thing around you" ala assassins creed

[@irisrackmil7787]

26:46 Dying at how that person's licking that lollipop

[@imonaboat1021]

same lolz so cringe

[@davidgn40]

@@imonaboat1021 it's extremely based

[@DustyyBoi]

@@imonaboat1021 please dear fucking god tell me you dont unironically talk like this, please.

[@KalebSDay]

Hahah did not even notice the first go around, really laughed on watching it back. Thanks! :'D

[@pranaytomar2619]

Yo... thanks for pointing it out. Really laughed looking at what I missed.🤣🤣🤣

[@deffarhan6748]

Had 300 hours on HZD and watchin this video i just cant smile from time to time cause they delivered perfectly what they wanted to do to the player. My top 3 best game for the rest of my life.

[@RKDriver]

Same here. Love the Horizon games. Great gameplay mechanics, graphics, world exploration, characters and the story. The story really sucked me in like no other game because it's actually plausible. It has that element in it that makes you think "could this really happen?"

[@rev1595]

It's pretty clear that this studio did what it took to make art rather than make money, and in return the critics, players and marketplace rewarded them. This is how it's done. Start with the right motivations and let the success flow from that. Are you paying attention EA?

[@itspure7152]

this is so true. EA starts at how much money can we make, and work backwards from that.

[@tayebenji3470]

U damn right

[@umphreak9999]

exactly, Guerrilla got creatively fatigued doing the same thing, they wanted to do something else, they chose what they wanted to do and were given free reign to fulfill that vision (thank you Sony). that's how you get a studio to expand their horizons (pun intended) and step out of their comfort zone to make something new, you don't just buy studios who got big doing one thing and then command them to make something completely different so you can montize it more

[@nichelleuhura6040]

*EA has left the chat*

[@deputybluevein93]

It's called Pride and being true to the art of gaming.

[@Sammytortellini]

26:46 that guy is aggressively eating that lollipop

[@CJSleme]

Sam Abdelfattah lmaoooo

[@Pixiez]

Came here to write about this lol

[@robbiegallagher786]

i was wondering if some one was going to say some thing about that lol

[@decima8785]

Rero Rero Rero Rero~

[@Zilushy]

I was about to type that xP

[@byronbandola6763]

“Dinosaurs are you crazy?!” Then those things what makes the game a pure masterpiece.

[@kcrtxbw.4349]

I was surprised that they came in so late. Was expecting it to be part if the initial pitch. Funny how things go...

[@Faisalqazi47]

just like Spiderman was created. Publisher said the same thing to stan lee

[@RoflPwny]

It’s like none of the devs had ever seen Zoids! 🤣

[@stephensharma5275]

Some era when machines will truly drive humans to extinction they might say “humans are you crazy”

[@codenamezerogaming8333]

26:47 yall know the devs are going to make a masterpiece when one of them starts licking a lollipop like that

[@kwntedits199]

Lol

[@TotalTuxedo]

I was looking for this timestamp. I knew someone saw that and my man needs to chill with the heavy eye contact while going that ham on a lollipop.

[@EricShoe]

That’s just how they do in Amsterdam

[@carlosbarrios2203]

Guerrilla made the game they themselves wanted to play. They crafted and took care of it all the way through. That's how you create something that matters. Thank you for that

[@JAAAYCOBB653]

Can we just appreciate how relaxing this video is??

[@michaelwesten4624]

no

[@digidrawdude]

Yes

[@bamber7579]

Agreed

[@shamelfuller]

they said they were 0 experience in story telling... i played a side-story quest to find this nobleman's lost daughter and she ran away from home to meet with a childhoold friend.. you eventually find out her friend gave his life to keep her safe, which drove that girl into depression and near suicidal thoughts.. Aloy told the noblesman to go talk to her daughter because she really needs a heart to heart talk. the quest ends... and if you walk over to the side where they sit down to talk things out.. THEY ACTUALLY INCLUDED MORE DIALOUGE WITH THE DAD COPING WITH HER DAUGHTER'S DEPRESSION.. OMG THAT IMMERSION AND DETAIL IN STORY TELLING!! They didn't have to do that at all but shit like that.. I FUCKING love it. This is my favorite game and I INTEND on 100%-ing this game.

[@Deolrin]

There's a LOT of small details like that in HZD. It's one of my favourite things about it. You know how Aloy sometimes says she'll see people around (after their quest) or talk to them later? Well, return a while later and you'll actually have unique dialogue, Aloy asking those people how things have been since [whatever quest she did for them] etc. NPCs react in various ways to the clothes Aloy is wearing, like Carja scoffing at "tribal Nora 'fashion'" or Nora thinking Aloy has "gone Carja" if she wears their silks. Sometimes after downing a machine, Glinthawks might swoop down and harvest it for parts, and even carry it away to pick apart in their 'nest', or Scrappers might swarm it. They really went the extra mile with HZD.

[@The_Primary_Axiom]

Horizons story and plot are one of the best sci-fi’s in entertainment history. In games or movies. Very well written and just an amazing plot. Zero dawn probably has the best expositions I’ve ever seen in any game. Forbidden west is a great story too with a deep rich lore. There is a channel that breaks down the stories and goes deeper into horizons lore and it’s just mind blowing. There are comics too. I’ve always said whoever wrote this shit is a genius.

[@AnAttackCorgi]

Now I need a David Attenborough narration of the Horizon dinos

[@stephanward953]

Ready to see that

[@trenauldo]

This is actually an excellent marketing idea.

[@danman031]

I enjoyed how the lower thirds with a person's job title were included throughout the video and not just the first time a person appeared on screen. I had trouble remembering who certain people were in previous ones, so this was appreciated.

[@MexiChriS]

Dan agreed. Makes for a better presentation and overall experience to retain. I also like this because they’ll mention something and I look it up or their backgrounds for other tips/info in the industry.

[@Flippokid]

Yes this is so rarely done!

[@RomboutVersluijs]

Yeah sometimes it's like we need super memory to know all those names

[@DragAmiot]

The reveal trailer for this game is still the most jaw dropping moment for this whole generation of games, for me personally. That shot with the long necks made the hair on my arms stand up and it made me buy a PS4.

[@fredymendez3864]

CryptedSky honestly I will never forget watching this game at E3 it was like nothing I have ever seen. Usually new IPs don’t make your jaw drop. Also this game actually delivered. The only weird thing about this game is Aloys head lol 😂 sometimes it looks odd as if it doesn’t fit her body especially younger Aloy lol 😂

[@thuggins2086]

For me, I already a PS4 since launch. When this game was released, my purchase of the PS4 was truly justified. I'm rather picky with my games and didn't think much of what had been already been released.

[@chrussublah4264]

when I saw the trailer at gamescom plus the demonstration of battle I KNEW i would do ANYTHING in my power to play that game. Still my favorite game to this day. You can feel the love and dedication to the art that they created and the story that was written. It just feels so personal and real in a way that no game ever felt to me. Honestly HZD low-key ruined other games because I have not found another game that delivered the way HZD delivered. It's just so up my alley.

[@dannygld23]

PS4s release games were 🔥🔥🔥

[@Rocksteady72a]

For me, the jaw-dropping experience was in-game :D Hadn't seen anything on the game until the reviews came out, so it was such a fresh experience

[@billysweeney9994]

Easily one of the best games I've ever played.

[@Raza9428]

@Harry Abma nope. Metal Gear 5, Zelda, ff just to name around less than 10%

[@jonathansoko1085]

its just assassins creed with metal dinosaurs. You must have low standards

[@Raza9428]

@@jonathansoko1085 not really but ok

[@davideberhardt6150]

​@@Raza9428 how do you know what Billy has played? Maybe he hasn't played those? maybe it's a totally subjective evaluation?

[@Raza9428]

@@davideberhardt6150 was I replying to Billy? Check yourself before you talk

[@archbold1206]

Here I am in 2021 watching this again hyped for forbidden west…..really hope you follow this up with a doc about the new Horizon game!!!

[@rynoman85]

Same!!

[@DavyDavePapi]

1 month left!!!

[@CommaderRockwell]

8 days!

[@venomous_zxs5493]

@@CommaderRockwell 6 days!

[@knightwing2024]

Now on ps5

[@CurtMudgeon]

I don't know about you folks, but I find myself watching much more videos ABOUT gaming than actually gaming.

[@Terraceview]

Yup, got no time

[@BihagDave]

Exactly.

[@drunkenhowler22]

Yeah I can only squeeze in a couple of hours a day at most, unless its the weekend i get more time. But i mostly watch videos about them on youtube at work.

[@Terraceview]

I'd rather ride my motorcycle these days

[@drunkenhowler22]

fair enough, sadly my other hobby is fighting and self defence and it beats me up a little too much to do too frequently so luckily i can squeeze it in my timetable lol they weren't kidding that working life involves money and energy but not a lot of time.

[@juliaostowicz6501]

Despite having zero experience in story-telling, Guerrilla did one hell of a job on that aspect, creating one of the best story-driven games ever

[@reykennedy5716]

With what game? You realize Killzone had a detailed story, right? Uhh

[@n2nother]

@@reykennedy5716 yeah. Lol. All three of them did. Not sure what this person is talking about.

[@kcrtxbw.4349]

Well they did the right thing, and took two top notch creative people in instead of half-assing it. And boy, did it pay off !

[@zumabbar]

@@n2nother but in the documentary it said that Guerrilla hired/outsource (from outside of Guerrilla) for the story? I

[@zumabbar]

for the killzone games

[@SeriousGuy]

There should be such video for EVERY game, cause it adds to its replay value. Now I can replay the game knowing all this information about the developers and I will be more inclined to try out the sequel as well cause the devs are basically my home dawgs now. If you are working hard on something, you always have stories to tell from the journey, and I'd love to hear them to get inspiration.

[@hagen9027]

couldnt agree more!

[@johnerickson3858]

Hey Danny, I just wanted to say THANK YOU for creating this content. Unfortunately, as I've aged like many others my time has become more and more limited and thus I don't play games as often as I once did. I still absolutely love this industry and more so the developers/creators who make the content. No Clip has provided an insight to the creative process on some of the most awe inspiring games and their development process. Again, THANK YOU a million times over and keep up the great work!

[@delukard07]

you can become more selective. thats what i did, i only pay the games that my taste tells me to.

[@retsapb6319]

I came back to noclip documentaries everytime i need a motivation boost to make games. Thanks for existing

[@frostbite6644]

So true. Same here.😁

[@TYNEPUNK]

yep been doing that today :)

[@MikhailDaken]

I do this for music too.

[@DodderingOldMan]

Ha, I always find it rather DE-motivating when it comes to making games... I just see people who are more talented and intelligent than I could ever be, making things that are better than I could ever dream of creating. That may say something about my level of self-esteem I guess :P

[@retsapb6319]

@@DodderingOldMan progress in gamedev can be insane at times, i feel like i'm 10 times better at art/programming compared to 2 years ago. Nothing is too far away!

[@AveragePeteyReal]

It’s 2020 I’ve just stared replaying this game completely after getting a 100% on everything, starting a new fresh game file on a new PlayStation 4, still my favorite game ever 💕😳✨

[@lunesre417]

woah have you obtained all of the trophies in the game

[@AveragePeteyReal]

lunes re yeah! My first play trough, got all of the achievements! Currently half way

[@betinajuchemclemens7119]

I'm about to get my very first platinum on it tonight! It's the 3rd time I'm playing it, I love it that much. I decided I need it to be my platinum!

[@AveragePeteyReal]

@@betinajuchemclemens7119 congratulations dude!

[@stephanward953]

It’s 2021 and I’m playing Horizon for the first time. Got inspired after seeing the trailer for Horizon 2 for PS5

[@darksoulmusic6042]

My god this game is an epic masterpiece. Period.

[@AllThatJuice-]

Cant wait to see what they do with Horizon 2. Theyve built themselves a solid foundation with Zero Dawn, now the sky's the limit

[@umphreak9999]

i wouldn't mind some lite base building mechanics (an upgrade system, not a complete Fallout style building system), especially if it can be combined with permanently overriding multiple animals. i want my own menagerie of robo-animals that i can choose from as a mount/companion

[@hecdavid11]

Watched the entire thing. It feels somehow organic, like I just had a friendly personal dialogue with the devs, telling me how they worked on my favorite game, face to face. I *loved* this. Thank you, Noclip!

[@hadsbros]

I fell in love with this game for what this video embodies. The endless physics are a test of time in gaming history. It's so realistic that I'll use Corruption arrows just watch the "wildlife" interact and defend itself for fun. Simply brilliant and infinitely innovative. A breakthrough in the industry.

[@logixindie]

Funding shouldnt be much of an issue after this game. They have learned so much, looking forward to what's next.

[@joojoo7374]

Hi. I came from the future just to tell you that they will announce horizon forbidden west right about in 5 month's.

[@earthinthecomments4944]

3 words. Horizon Forbidden West.

[@giampaolomannucci8281]

yeah, not a problem for funding, yet the sequel is sold to sony and will be another playstation exclusive fuck that I want it on pc, I just completed the first one these days

[@umphreak9999]

@@giampaolomannucci8281 geurilla have been owned by Sony since 2005, they didn't "sell" their game to Sony, kinda hard for Sony to buy something they already own. Not guerilla or sonys fault you don't understand how exclusives work

[@thisvisayandude2031]

@@giampaolomannucci8281 this idiot didn't know sony owns guerrilla games ...sony also owns decima engine but pc port beggars just cant take a break..

[@SelfishGamer_]

"...three months before it was done; it was nowhere near done." Now that's eye opening. That's a nice perspective for other games that get postponed even for a couple months.

[@RandomGuy285]

We heard the exact same thing about The Last of Us delay years ago. Sometimes the margin for error between Average and Masterpiece can be razor thin.

[@BurnoutsAndBourbon]

I never comment but this was awesome. I really wanted this to be 3x as long. Going into minute details of sound mixes, what weird objects they used to create them, the animation process, motion capture, biggest bug hurdles etc. Bravo and keep up the great work sir!

[@rednax3333]

Burnouts And Bourbon Seriously, isn’t Danny amazing with these documentaries?! They’re better quality than most of the “big” ones (or studio-backed, shall we say?) that I’ve seen anywhere else, be it network TV or a pay streaming service… kudos, definitely! 👍

[@daLukasMain]

AHAHAHA yeah me too. LMAO. When the screen faded to black BEFORE the credits I was saying to my self, "No, please don't end. Please"... lol almost begging it to keep going. ahaha

[@rednax3333]

Luke Ferra I know- there’s a good reason that No Clip was the first channel I began supporting on Patreon.... dude produces fantastic work!

[@jorisvanveen4021]

The sound of the Killzone spaceships are the trams of Amsterdam played in reverse.

[@GS2YoutubeChannel]

Completely Agree, would love to see more

[@HoltKezed]

45:28 - So Guerrilla Games just gave Kojima Productions their engine source code and the Decima engine was born, just like that? I must thank Guerrilla Games for their Strand Contract with Kojima-san. I have over 300 hours in both games, and didn't even start the Frozen Wilds DLC!!!

[@apictureoffunction]

Frozen Wilds is fantastic. One of the sidequests made me cry.

[@minners71]

It was always the decima engine even before Kojima used it.

[@MaxIronsThird]

Technically, the Decima engine has been around since Shadowfall.

[@humanbean3]

@@minners71 it was just their proprietary nameless engine though. it wasnt the "decima" engine. fun fact: because of the deal with kojima they decided to name their engine Decima, named after the trade port island "dejima" in japan that was the sole trade spot for the dutch and japanese

[@zig9260]

This game totally jumped to top 3 ever in my 15 years of gaming! Absolute masterpiece ! Waited 3 years to get to experience it in full ultra/100~ fps. Totally worth the wait!

[@brutalwang4106]

I think I will buy it for the PC! Not many games get my attention, I'm so fussy. But this looks beautiful and immersive. And everyone has such great things to say about the game. I'm rather excited to play it now. Thanks :D

[@Renan90Ts]

@@brutalwang4106 JUST DOOO IT BRO!!! Enjoy!! 😁

[@madmac3981]

@@brutalwang4106 DO IT!! JUST DO IT!!! :) Have you bought it yet?!

[@IIIiiiDAWiiiIII]

It generic console game. There's 20+ games like this,story is trash, characters are trash and when you start thinking about aloys personality.... Pure 0

[@humanbean3]

@@IIIiiiDAWiiiIII lets hear some of these gems u must be playing then? :P if u actually like good games and have a good pc (ur avatar looks like the razor mouse logo ) and havent played this and are just judging from appearance, try it. the gameplay alone is so smooth and can be a challenge too if u like games that take "skills".

[@kemengjie]

Hands down this is my favorite game on the PS4

[@tariksnn8048]

@@jmarra07 wtf

[@umphreak9999]

@@jmarra07 i don't think you get to make that determination

[@JumalaPlays]

@@jmarra07 thats a lame ass joke

[@beastmotoz]

@@JumalaPlays ignore him he never played it, but I have been playing Horizon zero dawn for a week and still haven't completed the game yet I have been exploring the game and I have last mission left to finish it. The game is truly amazing one of the best gameplay you can get and it also has awesome storyline.

[@tariksnn8048]

@@beastmotoz I mean it's not the best in My opinion but who am I and all the others to judge HIS opinion.

[@jonathanvantende]

I liked that people who have a passion for videogames where given the change to make something they wanted, this is how good games are made.

[@pistolwhipuk7738]

@23:34 I don't remember who... Find out and GIVE THAT PERSON A RAISE!

[@wizaard7]

Just now got around to watching this most excellent presentation. Two things I learned: 1. I love the Dutch. 2. I love Guerrilla even more now than after I finished HZD. I distinctly remember sitting with jaw-dropped watching the credits roll, in near disbelief at what I had just experienced and what this studio had accomplished.

[@MeggaMann_theBlueLion]

Same

[@colelegante]

My favorite documentary yet. Keep 'em coming mate!

[@Tool0GT92]

This game was so amazing, I bought it thinking I would blow through it since I'm so busy but instead I wound up getting 100% and platinum in the main game and DLC. Just a complete masterpiece. Another great documentary, the DOOM one convinced me to play that game, this one is the same for anyone who never played it. A little upset we missed a section on the amazing music.

[@sgtbaker2072]

Right?? Music was so on point. The Meridian theme reminded me of Jesper Kyd's work on AC2. Beautiful. And The Frozen Wilds music is super sweet.

[@gioisblue]

Dude I finished watching that the other day and went out to buy the game last night hahaha

[@skins4thewin]

Those Narrative directors were one helluva smart hire, as the lore of Horizon is probably the very best part of the game. Hoo boy is the story ever epic and huge in scope, and I love it for that! It's also infinitely interesting! I myself can't wait to see what is revealed about this past world in the sequel!

[@drorbedrack8820]

Having just finished the game (had to wait for PC port) : This game is a Masterpiece. Amazing work!

[@JorRaptor]

Really nice work man! Awesome to see another look at my favorite game of the year, keep it up!

[@LiquidSnake1988]

JorRaptor yo

[@xBeyondBeliefx]

Thanks for all the content you put out covering this game!

[@olivercruz8665]

JorRaptor I literally expected you to be here 😂😂, you love this game as much as 95% of the population do😊

[@mrunknown7995]

oliver cruz I love Horizon Zero Dawn SO much but im anticipating God of war way more

[@dimitriosfromgreece4227]

JorRaptor YES!!!! LOVE THIS AMAZING GAME ,, loveeeeeeeeee from dimitrios

[@subodhpareek18]

Noclip to me has really been pushing the boundaries of high quality content produced entirely for youtube.

[@cosmicskye]

Before i ever discovered Horizon my fav games are Medal of Honor.....then one day i walked in a games store and i thought i need something completey different and i looked at Horizon and bought the game and gave it a go....Zero Dawn i thought WOW this is amazing...the graphics the story and quests and Aloy are beautifully put together.....now i cant stop playing the game and i have completed the main quests but iv'e gone back to complete sides and errands....i just love everything about the game.....i should have looked for this 5 years ago but now i am soooo glad i bought this game...I think the game developers and eveyone that is involved deserves every penny they make.....Just about to start The Frozen Wilds.....i cant wait ....Bravo to all the team 🙂

[@ShawnTheRazor]

26:47 that guy is really going HAM on that lollipop.

[@keeper0754]

Truly an enlightening documentary on a superlative game! The only nitpick I would make is the lack of a section on the music as I personally feel this title has one of the best soundtracks in recent memory.

[@NaturallyNavi]

Gabe Constantine Yes!!!!

[@PradyumnaKamat]

My thoughts exactly! Totally missed out on the music segment.. was a huge part of the emotional delivery in this game!

[@joshualane1716]

26:46 "How many licks to the center of a tootsiepop..."

[@HarriJokinen]

Haha, that was hilarious :D

[@TheJamF100]

Joshua Lane I don't get it...

[@joshualane1716]

Wrong time stamp. Check now.

[@cucoacosta2481]

He was probably talking about an experience.lol

[@allanshpeley4284]

Dammit, I was going to make this exact comment. Beat me to it.

[@ardent9422]

This game was incredible, I just got the platinum trophy for it on my first play through, so good I couldn't wait to get back to it, I did everything and wanted to explore every where. One missed opportunity that I would like to see in the next game, being able to fly the storm bird, or at least the Glint Hawks, it would be a great way to travel around the map if it's possible to make it work.

[@ravenalexandria9303]

Well we get to fly in forbidden west

[@darrenbermingham]

What you guys do is *staggering*. The interviews you do and the questions you ask, this is not just "content"; this is legitimate Game Preservation. I've found myself coming back to NoClip every time I play a game to see what you have to say about it, and when I don't know what to play... I come back to NoClip. Your team work hard, that's very clear, but I sincerely hope they have a comparative amount of pride in their work relative to our appreciation. You guys are a godsend to storytellers who would otherwise not be heard. I cannot thank you enough. When I grow up, I wanna work for NoClip. [I am 39]

[@omegazio]

I'm glad that Guerrilla Game Acknowledged that the Killzone E3 2005 Trailer wasn't meant to be shown in public because it was pre rendered piece that they only intended for internal use only to aim for this is why marketing teams need to be with development teams to give accurate info.

[@drunkenhowler22]

Marketing people are generally known in pretty much every industry as total bullshitters, so it was fitting they did what they did. They most likely knew but figured they'd just "promise now, pull it off later". Which unless promised by the studio because they know what they are talking about is a major pain in the arse for them and can be a disappointment to the gaming community. A good example is Ubisoft "bullshots". I can just imagine the studio rolling there eyes in dread yet again being made to make something they have no idea if they're gonna be able to pull off once they actually piece the game together.

[@aaronsmith7143]

Jack Carter The major difference between that 05 target render and what ubisoft does is that ubisoft has playable demos and that 05 KZ video was just a vid.

[@Finalrellik99]

Game of the year 2017! God these documentaries are good

[@dejadejod3rYT]

@Dr. Loomis BOTW is overrated , Horizon is better

[@dmytroboiko1]

This game is GOAT, for sure. I love all in it. Thank you Noclip guys for filming this, and off course special thanks to Guerrilla guys for making this amazing and great game!!! The fact that Kojima team came to you and ask for the engine - says that you have done a titanic job on the engine. As a junior game developer I hope that I will reach the level (I definitely will) on which I can work with you, such a professionals and talented people!

[@jackcall3815]

This is a masterpiece through and through no doubt about it. 10/10 both this and Forbidden West

[@alexmoffat7302]

Horizon Zero Dawn is my game of the year for 2017. It's an amazing game that was an absolute blast to play.

[@TempusFugit78]

28:47 Having played both, things now make a lot of sense to me.

[@ovros6969]

same. I love both games

[@Zeus57234]

yup that certainly explains why all of the various tribes and factions were completely unique and interesting.

[@Bonanzalol]

Bethesda should have hired John Gonzales from Obsidian for fallout 4. Instead they went with Emil Pagliarulo who believes there shouldn't be rich storytelling because some people skip dialogue.

[@seawolf39821776]

TheRatorFan did he really say that? What a dumbass

[@MarkPTP7000]

After both these projects, whatever John Gonzalez is writing next I will be playing.

[@iamomarhachem]

I'm blown away by the amount of thought, testing, and care that went into creating this gem of a game. It's interesting to see all the work that goes on behind the scenes, stuff we might not even think about until stumbling upon a video like this. The shooter genre is a bit outside of what I'd normally play, but the captivating storyline and stunning graphics really drew me in. I felt emotionally connected right from the start.

[@joseignaciolopez4380]

So the same guy that wrote new vegas also wrote horizon??? damn son, i've been his fan all this time and i've never even realised

[@devilgames2217]

Guerilla is love and HZD is my GOTY of 2017. Can't wait for the sequel AND that other game they were working on. The future looks fantastic!

[@TheMayz05]

*1:00**AM* I'll just watch the intro and sleep, this seems like it would be interesting to finish tomorrow *2:07**AM* Holy shit that was incredibly beautiful 😂😂😂

[@liamboehning4398]

Same dude...same.

[@Mrgamingalldaylonful]

same aswell haha

[@PaleBlueDott]

That's me every time a start a new single-player game. I go from "just a couple hours a day" to actually playing 50+ hours in a single week. Once I am immersed in a new world, it becomes MY world and I can't do anything else.

[@tiredlocke]

It's 2am here, and I'm still watching this video... :-D

[@DerInterpreter]

Sammeee. I said just 15 minutes, I’ll quickly skip by to see if I like it. 1.30 now and I have to wake up in 7 hours. Fuck.

[@vanillatography1544]

That was a fantastic documentary, thank you so much for creating it and credit to the top quality editing, sound/voice recording and music. Very well done, I look forward to the rest.

[@noorahmedsamir203]

Simply beautiful, everything! From the documentary itself to the narration, the amazing talents and even the background music... Thanks for this amazing piece of inspiring content.

[@junaidx]

26:46 the guy is really into his lollipop

[@everydayaussie]

hahahaaha i noticed that aswell

[@nathangabrielmusician]

Was looking for this comment.

[@thunderwood]

Ahaha so glad someone else saw this!

[@Samael767]

Holy shit

[@xser4321]

I WAS LOOKING FOR THAT COMMENT!!!1!

[@csmith219]

You guys created something truly special with Horizon Zero Dawn. It’s the most beautiful, amazing, best open world game ever made. Can’t wait for the second. Thank you guys 👍

[@balashibuyeeter2704]

That's a weird way to say red dead redemption 2

[@Ptolemy336VV]

@@balashibuyeeter2704 Red dead redemption 2 is also a great game. Horizon however is much more special franchise. Nothing looks, feels, sounds, plays like it

[@stephensharma5275]

I can’t wait for 3 4 5

[@crooksndaniels]

@@balashibuyeeter2704 nah red dead sucks

[@balashibuyeeter2704]

@@Ptolemy336VV that's the same with read dead but alr.

[@TebakGambarAI]

2019 and still one of my favorite game. Aloy 💕

[@moneyl6594]

I really love hearing about the custom tools devs use while making games like they talked about in this video. I get that many devs probably aren't willing to talk about their tools, but if you guys could ask devs more tooling questions I'd appreciate it. Also, it'd be neat to see how THQ Nordic and some of their studios do things. Great video.

[@dmahadyman]

Great documentary, though I would've really loved to have seen even a brief segment on the amazing soundtrack. It added so much emotion and scale to the experience.

[@FraserSouris]

Joris De Man did do a written interview on it www.lacedrecords.co/blogs/news/melody-maker-horizon-zero-dawn-co-composer-on-odd-samples-scoring-tricks-and-teamwork

[@poncho12391]

Christ Guerilla games seem soooooo fucking chilled, must be amazing working in that studio. Amazing game and an amazing company full of amazing people.

[@BackpackerBlokker]

David Drysdale dutch people for ya 😅

[@fluxoff]

What I've heard about the Dutch is they are very disciplined about work. No slack.

[@janwillem1246]

@@fluxoff That's true. Working efficiently and go home early. In Europe, Dutch people spend the least amount of time at work

[@derechtem0mo]

@@janwillem1246 And the result is one of the best games in decades, seriously im not even hyped a bit but the overall artwork and this openworld, i have very few games where i just look around with my mouth open looking at the stunning world in a videogame. Horizon did this many many times to me. What a masterpiece.

[@SiljCBcnr]

Great documentary, thanks to everyone involved! What a great team effort by Guerilla to create such a wonderful game. Playing it again on PC this time and it still touches me almost as much as the first time on PS4. Can't wait for the sequel....

[@uncredule8038]

I never play on a console, only on a computer. What a joy it was when I learned that Horizon dawn (which I dreamed of playing) was going to be adapted on PC. I hastened to buy it, and as I expected I was not disappointed. Thanks for the PC adaptation

[@Gallyga]

As someone who has played almost exclusively on PC and Switch this year, I have to say this game is right up there with Zelda and Mario for my clear GOTY. The three games are in a league of their own, in a year with some pretty damned decent games. HZD certainly up there with Zelda as the most unpredictable dynamic feeling open world sandbox I have immersed myself in this year. Some of the fights can turn into complete clusterfucks if you don't control the fight, and this really adds to the gameplay.

[@HugoStiglitz88]

Hzd is better. Much better combat and story

[@asandax6]

Don't get me wrong Zelda is really good but HZD is on a higher league.

[@YEY0806]

It's upsetting that a game can achieve the standard of a "masterpiece" by rigidly mimicking ubisoft tropes disguised with bells and whistles in order to cash on fanboys and casual players that never bother to expand their horizons to actual good open world games like Gothic or even BOTW. While one innovates the open world design in order to bring interesting experimentation at the detriment of not being wildly appealing, the other continues to stay safe and never stand out due to concerns of being offensive to both publishers and fanboys due to being marketed for casual audiences.

[@titanspirit7238]

"I really wanna go party in Amsterdam, do we know any developers there?" NoClip - 2017.

[@turczech]

As a PC gamer "successfully" avoiding PS most of the time, played some Colin McRae on a friend's PSX, Medal Of Honor on another friend's PSOne, completely avoiding PS2 and PS3, when my wife saw a PS4 one day in a store and asked if we could buy it, I saw that Horizon was one of the 3 games packed with it and I said "We have to buy it!". Then I spend a couple of weeks playing Horizon and later acquiring the only DLC, finished it and went back to my computer. This game indeed is one of the best I have ever played.

[@jesusgst]

Same, but in my case got 4 games, Horizon with them and for me, the best in the bundle. It is worth it so much. Plus there's this Photo mode in which take really good HD pics for wallpapers.

[@VitaKet]

Coulda waited for that PC release!

[@Epicloser10391]

If you're on PC go back and emulate some of the past consoles. Sony has some amazing exclusives on the PS1 and 2.

[@milboxr9772]

You gotta play god of war and spiderman then

[@TryonixGaming]

Thank you thank you Noclip teams!! Rewatching 3 years after the release of your documentary and I'm still so devoted to the game and infinitely thankful to the job you have done here! Listening to so much details and insights about the game development, it's uniqueness, how the engine works, how they managed to create everything and so on is such a bless!

[@gus8426]

Guerrila Sony its one of the most succesful and not toxic developer-publisher relationship I have seen. Many people dont care about Killzone but the 2nd game had one of the best multiplayers I have played. Definitely the FPS I played the most online in the PS3 gen. And now they give birth to an amazing new franchise, see EA? Maybe if you stop destroying studios and let them do what they want we could still have Visceral Dead Space.

[@zyanhd1892]

Gus V the Killzone franchise is underrated imo

[@ped7g]

EA: my MBA and leet excel skills says NO. :)

[@IlDeimos]

With the release of Horizon Zero Dawn, they are my 2nd favorite Game Studio, my 1st will always be Kojima Productions. I like how Guerilla Games added in a Loot Box system, but not a bad greedy way, they added in Loot Boxes WITHOUT micro-transactions, without any real world paid currency, without any online elements in the game. The Lootbox system is for you, the player, bought with your own in-game currency. That is awesome! That's how the Lootbox system is suppose to be implemented in games, that's how it was intended. Some of these greedy publishers like EA, try to take advantage of the Lootbox system for thier own greedy and selfish gains. I'm so glad Guerilla Games focus all of thier time and energy on just making a great game, without the greedy business practices. That's one of the reasons why they are my 2nd best game studio.

[@Zetrominator]

a moment of silence for sci-fi space gore...

[@shanena5322]

I enjoyed the first killzone way more than halo. Never understood why it wasn't more popular.

[@SerPodrick]

Please please please do a documentary or even an interview on the roles and impacts voice actors have on videogame development, in respect to enabling 'living' characters. Ashly Burch as Aloy, Nolan North as Nathan Drake, or even the unsung heroes behind our favourite npc's. Could be an interesting insight

[@BrentMurray94]

JonnyKondz54 this! I’m sure It wouldn’t be easy or make sense seeing as Ashly Burch isn’t hanging out at guerilla, and same for the rest of these actors. But I would love to hear their side of things. WHAT SAY YOU DANNY

[@drunkenhowler22]

Yeah i'd love to see a documentary just generally on voice actors in the games industry.

[@umphreak9999]

if that's the angle you're going to take, they should probably focus on Bryan DeChart and Clancy Brown. according to Bryan's streams, they went off script and improvised a lot, which normally David Cage hates (because he's an arrogant tool who thinks he's the second coming of Orson Welles). Thankfully, due in part to the actors lobbying, they were able to overrule him and things like Connor's wink or Hank decking him for not saving him on the rooftop were kept in

[@iRushil]

I'm gonna miss running through those woods :) Thank you for making such a beautiful game and such a beautiful documentary.

[@arnabpatnaik]

Brilliant video ! Love the insights and the production of the entire documentary !

[@gils501]

Can never get over how proffessional and complete your content is, the lengths you go through to finish these. Thank you so much, I love all of your content, Merry Christmas and good luck for 2018!

[@jordanbennett6461]

Such an amazing game. The mechanics, view, and story. Actually brought tears to my eyes a few times.

[@papabearave9830]

I always love to watch these behind the games docs. I love seeing the love and work put into these legends. Wish others could learn from these people.

[@kg_canuck]

Although this game has issues that frustrate me (fighting humans and restrictive climbing being my two main ones), this out of all the AAA games in the past 7 or 8 years is one of maybe 3 games that I actually catch myself really thinking about and just wanting to experience for the first time again. All the more impressive when you remember these guys had been exclusively putting out linear shooters.

[@0RecklessAbandon0]

Hahah I love that guy's thing about the "rule of cool" and then 5 minutes later they're like "yeah robot dinosaurs bruv." As if that isn't one of the coolest things ever.

[@kcraft1994]

I haven't had the chance to play Horizon Zero Dawn yet since I don't own a PS4, but every time I see this game I'm tempted more and more to finally pick one up just because of how beautiful the game looks. Also, I don't what it is, but I constantly had a smile on my face throughout this entire documentary and could have easily watched another hour or two more! The hour went by so quickly.

[@ZoneZero253]

Vega if you have the cash, pick one up second hand and pick up the complete game. Its worth it. I love the world they created

[@kcraft1994]

Yep definitely thinking about it.

[@Mr.Salad_]

You really should its a incredible experience and I can't wait for the sequel

[@axol4466]

Do it!, the world (of horizon) it's beautiful, the characters are likeable, the lore in this game (from religion to social class and it's past) is unlike anything I have experienced. the lead writer for this game was the same writer from fallout new vegas, and it shows how much love and passion when into this game. you owe it to yourself.

[@joelman1989]

Let me put it this way. As a gamer who plays almost exclusively rpgs. Who loves that genre. After playing HZD I can never play another rpg the same way again. The combat is the best I’ve experienced in an rpg and one of the best in an adventure game period. Take away the open world and amazing story and it would be a fantastic game on combat alone. Now add a gripping story, unique take on post post apocalyptic setting with some exceptional world building, big, diverse, and beautiful open world, some of the best graphics on the PS4 and one of my favorite female protagonists and you have a masterpiece.

[@nukedflounder3949]

Guerrilla made such a gigantic leap from linear first person shooters to this wide open third person adventure, it is so amazing. This is a company that deserves all the praise they have received for challenging themselves in such a huge scale, and I can't wait to jump back in and play it on PC in just a few hours. Furthermore, I am so excited to see how they improve everything for the second game. If Guerrilla can make another huge leap forward with the second game, and I believe they can, it will be beyond expectations and blow me away.

[@eriklehmann6252]

Just experiencing HZD for the first time on PC. Breathtaking! Wonderful work on the documentary Noclip! (Greatly appreciate that it is spoiler free)

[@eternal_napalm6442]

I love Horizon Zero Dawn. It's a masterpiece.

[@SharpWalkers]

I keep forgetting how big Aloy's head is as a kid.

[@Ryotsu2112]

SharpWalkers I could never forget. It’s the only thing I think of when I think of child Aloy.

[@NaturallyNavi]

Hahahhaha cute Aloy

[@89ji36]

I loved this documentary and I am beyond grateful to all these talented and hardworking people for creating a game I love so dearly. My life is absolutely better for having experienced this game and it's story. It's been about 2 years since I first played Horizon and I think it will always hold a very special place in my heart. Really hoping for and looking forward to a sequel!

[@Jigsawn2]

I just finished the game today and absolutely loved it. I was hoping there was a Making Of somewhere and turns out NoClip was already on the case! Great documentary and answered so many of the questions I had, looking forward to getting stuck into the extended interviews. Thanks NoClip for getting behind the scenes and thanks Guerilla for taking the plunge into something new and creating an amazing world and lead character to enjoy!

[@aaronseet2738]

Effects on memory: Well I noticed (cannot be missed) the further one fast-traveled to, the longer it takes for the map to load. But that wasn't a big deal to me. What humoured me a little was when I defeated Redmaw. It fell on a particular curb with a couple of trees in front of it. Talanah was stuck _forever_ running inside those trees; since she's "still running" to the destination (i.e. Redmaw) there was absolutely no way I could talk to her to complete the quest. No amount of pushing and nudging her away helped to snap her out of that routing loop. In the end I gave up and "abandoned the quest half way" like they mention, by fast-traveling to another part of the world, then returning to Redmaw's location. That did the trick to position Talanah properly for conversation.

[@humanbean3]

haha she got stuck on his tail on my playthrough, i shot her with the blast slingshot a few times and it moved her enough to get free xD

[@mishukzoo]

Aaaah man the moment I saw John Gonzalez as the narative director everything clicked in my head. I had a feeling of Fallout NV resemblence in Horizon's quests and dialogue but I had no idea.

[@eternalbeing3339]

Very in depth documentary. Well done.

[@davecarsley8773]

Good doc but kind of a bummer that there was no mention or recognition at all of the music. It was great.

[@travis113]

So true its soundtracks are awesome

[@michaelcostaphoto]

The story of HZD is the best I've ever experienced in any game.

[@ishahrukhqasim]

its really good but nothing close to the best? (still one of my fav games ever) I just can't help but give mass effect trilogy that title.

[@bladelazoe]

In my opinion, HZD has the SMOOTHEST game play I've ever played in a video game. No game really compares to it in that regard. Along with that HZD nails many other aspects of a AAA game that many companies try to aim for but sometimes never actually achieve.

[@shadowuaw-0001]

The gameplay was wonderous, I will not argue, but I CRAVE more of the story. Thank the powers that be, that the second one is being released.

[@clxwncrxwn]

Shah Rukh Qasim well I felt more despair with humanity’s extinction from a stupid overconfident narcissistic sociopath’s decision to make his robots unhackable. no back doors no nothing. the reapers were thought to be a space myth. However no character fills me with so much rage as Ted Faro. the amount of hate I have for him has no words. And I’m not the only one. He killed us twice.

[@socrattt]

Have you played many games?

[@Eamonn500]

Favorite noclip doc yet! Horizon is a special game. Really a game that makes me think, “how in under fuck did people mange to make that!?” This doc answers and celebrates this question. Well done Danny and crew!

[@skins4thewin]

Great documentary! Am so glad to hear that they are not sick of making open world style games. Keep it up guys, yall are great at it!

[@erinschneider7437]

Just found this channel at random, Listening to the documentaries while working on my own class projects as a game artist is so cool!

[@hjaltetagmose]

26:46 the way that guy eats his lollipop is amazing.

[@Jambobist]

Pretty sure I've seen that technique on Pornhub.

[@anonony9081]

Hjalte Tagmose haha I think he was mid conversation but he sure does look enthusiastic

[@aparkc]

Great documentary! The enthusiasm on display is palpable from everyone at Guerilla. They really hit it out of the park on their first try at a completely new genre. It's become one of my favourite games of all time and I can't wait for the sequel!

[@4evaReadyEddie]

I cannot believe I doubted this game when I heard of it 4yrs ago, I ignored it thinkin it wouldn’t be appealing to me. Just started playing it in 2022 just by chance and OMG, what a game 💯💯💯💯 Soooooo addictive and pulls you right in from the start

[@beyzayuncuoglu]

Such an amazing video demonstrating a lot of aspects of the process. Huge respect to everyone involved in the making.