The Unexpected Success of Horizon Zero Dawn | Retrospective

[@LazerzZ]

If you've just stumbled upon this video and enjoyed it, check out my BIG critique on THE SEQUEL, Horizon Forbidden West. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3XFgH59hq6ob9k

[@matthewmurphy8272]

I don't even remember why I clicked on this, but i'm glad I did. I played it between 2017-2018 without knowing anything about the game prior, and absolutely loved it. Listening to this video while working has been great and has motivated me to finally start playing Forbidden West. Great video, man!

[@DetoCerqueira]

I'm over three years late, but I must ask. What version of Zero Dawn is this? PC, with mods perhaps? Definitely looks sharper than what I'm used to. Maybe due to my TV being and old LCD lol.

[@LazerzZ]

@@DetoCerqueira This is the PS4 Pro version, I captured this and made this video before the PS5 released, and before the PC version was out

[@aidansilvia2663]

I think it’s so cool how the Nora’s entire religion was based off of the door control’s robot voice.

[@Fabler21]

and honestly it kinda makes sense

[@Toni-ow7qo]

In some holograms you can see a child saying that he wanted to be a king and see the real sun, this was the first sun king who discovered agriculture and started what became a meridian ( Elitia-9 )

[@balashibuyeeter2704]

@@Toni-ow7qo the one from all mother mountain?

[@Toni-ow7qo]

@@balashibuyeeter2704 ye

[@balashibuyeeter2704]

@@Toni-ow7qo ye

[@g.j.haycock1064]

Happy Birthday to Elisabet Sobeck. She was born TODAY! March 11, 2020 in Carson City, Nevada.

[@naraujol]

The woman who saved the future.

[@Pelikulayan]

Wow! Can’t believe I completed the game around the same time. I hope the make a Project Zero Dawn video game or some sort of prequel to HZD

[@yusef6356]

That's literally a day before my birthday lol

[@BaileyZK]

Holy shit I had no idea I shared a birthday with her!

[@MrDragos360]

We could use a movie about the events. A movie with 2-3 parts showing what happened before, how the swarm was made and how everything ended.

[@mannysantos1562]

"No. I never had a mother." "What are you talking about? You had two! A dead woman and a machine." Freaking savagery.

[@byshuma3496]

**Indeed**

[@Jazzy--]

I saw that as a compliment Like yeah, she is dead but like bruh having two moms while one of them was a robot? Hell yeah xD

[@dwaynehawkins]

Elisabeth is not her mother though since Aloy is a clone. Also a robot is not really a mother. I'd say the AI (gaia) is her real mother.

[@MrInconvenient]

@@dwaynehawkins Her entire genetic makeup comes from Elizabeth so biologically she's the closest thing she has to a mother.

[@storyshifttekanae7445]

three you forgot the mountain :>

[@cameoL]

"I guess... I would have wanted her to be curious. And willful - unstoppable, even... but with enough compassion to heal the world... just a little bit." this part EVERYTIME 😭😭😭

[@WebofHope]

I lost track of how many times I cried during this *video*, nevermind the actual game. The bit that gets me the hardest is the reveal when Ted kills the alphas. Holy shit, what a twist.

[@hoshi1599]

Finished the game and I actually teared up .

[@thelastheraldofmarvelcomic1981]

@Qyx you're crying in every thread. You're so masculine. XD

[@thelastheraldofmarvelcomic1981]

@Qyx how's the crying coming on Susie? XD

[@thelastheraldofmarvelcomic1981]

@Qyx would you like some tissue to wipe them tears up Susie?

[@mataeria]

That ending with Elizabeth saying “i would have wanted her to be... curious...” while Aloy turns on her focus symbolizing her unbounded curiosity that made her reach her final goal, it just freakin tears my heart apart i cry every single time.

[@jonbodhi]

One of the best, most emotional endings to a game ever.

[@manuelrose2996]

@@jonbodhi Dude the ending to ghost of tsushima is so much more emotional imo

[@MrTmm97]

@@manuelrose2996 they are both great. I will admit I teared up a bit with HZD but Ghost of Tsushima tore me up. Whole other level....its a relatively happy versus an incredibly sad ending.

[@manuelrose2996]

@@MrTmm97 Did you spare or kill?

[@MrTmm97]

@@manuelrose2996 spare...in the end... I won't kill my family. "You have no honor." "And your a slave to it" Amazing writing and acting.

[@chriscostello117]

I have close to 800 hrs in 5 campaigns. HZD literally saved me cuz I had just been a full yr sober and man this game filled voids that I thought were gone. The concept of uncertainty and fear facing in the game was my AA.

[@windebiesteultima3317]

chris costello dude that’s really cool to hear! I agree this game is my favorite exclusive and one of my favorite games ever. Can’t wait for the sequel

[@markarih]

thats amazing!

[@aidanclancy4366]

chris costello congratulations

[@delwigzieful]

Chris well done hope your doing well dude absolutely awesome my friend,ALIEN

[@LolWhattf]

Congrats!!!☺️

[@loonar7960]

Man I forgot how HEAVY this story is. What a game. I definitely need to replay it before the sequel. Aaaand now I remember why I cried when it was over. That last scene with Elisabet was powerful.

[@joshuasterling2144]

I am playing it on PC again. I have 165 hours in the game and I plan on hitting all the main notes on PC at HDR4k60 this time around.....

[@MrJaces]

Same bro, waiting for it to drop on PC so I can play it in that sweet 60fps in 4k. The end where she met Elisabet really punched me in the gut, like, did not expect that to hit me like it did. Amazing story had me gripped from beginning to end.

[@loonar7960]

@@MrJaces I'm waiting on the last part for my PC build now. I'll definitely replay this on PC before the next one releases.

[@TTIOttio]

I'm so glad I collected all of the metal flowers before I got that final scene with Elisabet. It put these seemingly-pointless baubles that I'd been collecting into a totally new context. When I replayed it, I read every poem with the knowledge of who was writing them and why... And it still makes me cry every time.

[@joshuasterling2144]

@@TTIOttio Some people do not get the nuances of the game. This story does not hold your hand and expects you to make connections.

[@victoriasharpe1661]

I was heartbroken at the end when she found her... but yeah, one of the most epic games I've played. Along with Last Of Us and Witcher 3

[@mikes5637]

I'm 2 out of 3 so far. Been putting off Witcher 3 until I have time to devote to it.

[@IzzyAndAndy]

mikes5637 same, I tried to get into it a year ago, but it’s so much

[@sovereigndeleon]

Gotta add RDR2 to that list.

[@juancarlosalonso5664]

All the names he mentioned I completely agree with, and you guys absolutely need to play the witcher 3 (and its dlcs, trust me). I put that game off too for a year, but it’s really great and one of a kind.

[@gamefan987]

Why are people putting TLoU on a pedestal ? That game is mediocre at best

[@klebii]

That Last scene with Aloy seeing Elisabet at her ranch pulled my heart strings again, this game is one of the if not, the greatest games to ever be made.

[@belfire777]

Not to mention the reveal that metal flowers are tribute to Elizabeth.

[@ThaCasualnooB]

This games story is one of the most interesting ive come across in a long ass time, I played it for the first time about a week ago cz it was free on ps hits so I downloaded, so friggin glad I did cz the game sucked me right in as soon as I started playing 😁

[@exlibrisas]

Concepts fascinated me to no end. Seeing the towns, establishments and places in the artbook before the apocalypse, and then seeing same places ruined and abandoned in game was amazing. I loved looking at game world's new communities, new concepts of religions and political beliefs; I loved seeing how pieces of old tech influenced people's worldviews and even aesthetics. And the main concept of the game was fascinating. When starting a game blind, you ask questions that game cleverly establishes to be explained by the end (why there are machines instead of animals? Why they occupy previously animal dedicated biological niches? How machines are made? What made them go crazy? ETC.) My imagination in games like these is stimulated. I imagine worlds and speculate about ways that people could go when such strong basis is established. And yet I saw the usual people, complaining about "terrible game's story" and "boring gameplay". I think there is so much more to video games then just gameplay...

[@metallicnole4514]

This and god of war are at the forefront of playstation's lineup. I always preferred playstation because their exclusives were more mature single player games.

[@morvorify]

Story-wise it's too fkn good. Gameplay is mediocre imho

[@JaiOnline]

Holy shit. I just finished the main game today and I never realized that Aloy telling Helis to "turn your face to the sun" was a direct recall to when they first met. This game is amazing.

[@TheRealPeachyFreak]

This game has somewhat ruined me to all other games... I tried getting into others since my triple play through of HZD, but I just can't. Nothing compares to the complex beauty of this game. One thing I admired most was the personalized game play. My husband played, and I even let my 10 year old play it.. And each of their methods of battle were vastly different than mine - but that's what was amazing about HZD. My husband loved to rush into a brutal battle and destroy everything in his path with no regard to stealth (or health sometimes.) I, on the opposite spectrum, play mainly using stealth, strategy, and sniper abilities. So, it was immensely satisfying that we could both play this game our own way and still absolutely love it.

[@akshaykarthik928]

Bethanie Cramer how does your son play?

[@TheRealPeachyFreak]

@@akshaykarthik928 A mix of how my husband plays and how I play. He's 10 so he really hasn't mastered strategy. He copies us as best he can... When he fails to be stealthy he goes in Pell Mell and often loses half his health 🤷🏼‍♀️ Now I've gotten my mother to buy the game and she's leaning toward stealth (probably because I'm teaching her.) She's only been playing for a few days but so far she really likes it.

[@dragonofthewhiteflame4987]

I love this game as well... Question tho... Have you played God of War?

[@TheRealPeachyFreak]

@@dragonofthewhiteflame4987 yep. Original, 2, 3, and the latest. All great games.. But still.. No comparison. HZD is my all time favorite.

[@vatossureno]

Bethanie Cramer play days gone if you havnet already. Big open World game with amazing story its also about survival but infected instead of machines...

[@darknessviking]

i literally started crying when i re-saw the part where she goes from a kid to a woman, holy wow what a strong moment in the game

[@joshuasterling2144]

I did a launch day play for my sister on the projector and when she saw that part she jump up and hurrayed...lol. She went and bought the game the next day.

[@abnormalnox]

Dude I bought this game a week ago. And after that part I IMMEDIATELY fell in love with this game. And I LOVE aloy. She is so badass

[@joshuasterling2144]

@@abnormalnox Yes, you are lucky to have played it and have it so close to Forbidden West coming out. The rest of us have been waiting for five years by then....lol Its one of my favs as well. Top five for the generation.

[@abnormalnox]

@@joshuasterling2144 im getting that too

[@kingt0295]

The montage was very cliche and cringe tbh, i loved the game but i cant pretend that whole cutscene didnt make me start laughing

[@AngryPieMan]

I still remember seeing the red lands and thinking, "This is Utah. I've seen these types of natural arches before." I looked it up, and I was right. I love when games incorporate real geography in their worlds.

[@lewismartin3430]

like sanctuary being based on a real places in fallout 4

[@Vrynn10]

I had the same reaction in the frozen wilds: “I know this place; it’s yellowstone!”

[@jlight7346]

The biggest thing for me was the Air Combat Academy, I’m very interested into going there (the real thing, the USAF Academy) when I’m of age so I instantly recognized the ruined chapel when I came across it.

[@frameturtle]

@@Vrynn10 oh dope i just finished the game but have yet to play the dlc, I love yellowstone

[@klebii]

@Qyx "oh my God horizon stole Utah and put it in there game 😡😡😡" lmao

[@gregthomson1064]

15:50 The shot of young Aloy going into a roll and older Aloy coming out it is masterful. Probably my favorite shot of the entire game.

[@DereBear]

This game has some of the most insane script writing. HUGE SPOILER When I killed one of the main antagonist (Helis), I chose the dialogue option “heart: it wasn’t supposed to be this way” and at the end when he looks you in the eyes and goes “you pity me?” I got chills, I had never felt like I had beaten a villain harder. I had never been so emotionally invested in beating an antagonist. Him realizing that you destroyed every idea he originally had about you when he held you over that mountainside, along with him. You’re the outcast’s outcast, and you beat a king who has the power of a god, a god who just used him. Incredible.

[@ungusbungus2486]

That’s the one I used as well

[@lolersthe4th880]

I got shockingly invested in this game and what was even more of a pleasant surprise was just how frozen wilds went and genuinely improved on all the base systems (character dialogue, quest design etc). I still think the Witcher 3 has the crown for best dlc, but I'm so excited for the next installment just seeing how much Guerrilla Games improved in such a short time. This full blown sequel has me VERY excited at how they'll refine it further.

[@prons_gaming5083]

I chose the "i hope this hurts". It seemed like the option she would've chosen to me, especially since she yelled "Why leave it to them, come kill me yourself" at the arena, I felt she was really done with his crap.

[@skyfox585]

This, for all the flaws this game has, sometimes the dialogue jsut enters godmode. Like helis being completely broken by Aloys completely impersonal destruction of his manipulated ideals. As well as Erend acknowledging Aloys insane journey from nothing and nobody to what she is by the end of the game. When he says that line of "I thought I was just a big shot talking to a pretty girl in the middle of nowhere but now I see I was just luck to get a moment of your time" the way that calls back to the exact vibe he gives off as a character before the proving and how it acknowledged Aloys insane journey in a way that most games just arent self aware enough to do, is just mind blowingly well written imo.

[@420BongHit]

This game feels kinda life changing. Without the Horizon experience i wouldn't be complete i believe.

[@jwbartle]

"So Rost took it upon himself to raise her, and became outcast" He was already outcast due to becoming a Death Seeker to hunt down the raiding party that murdered his family. The Matriarchs couldn't settle on raising Aloy within the tribe due to fears she was put there by a demon, and knowing Rost had lost his child, offered her to him, to be raised as an Outcast by an Outcast.

[@basit_manzoor_]

I believe you misunderstood his point. "So Rost took it upon himself to raise her and become outcast", meaning SHE became outcast, same as Rost already was. He is referencing Aloy here not Rost. The sentence was ambiguous so I can see why it was taken to mean otherwise though.

[@jwbartle]

@@basit_manzoor_ Ahhh thank you very much, yeah it makes sense when read that way.

[@FlankerB3]

@@basit_manzoor_the sentence in the meaning you say is grammatically incorrect. If two predicates have different subjects both need to be stated. So: "Rost took it upon himself to raise her and became outcast" would mean that Rost is the subject for both predicates.

[@jewel2318]

When you realise those metal flowers are parts of Elisabet's stories she told GAIA in the end.... That's what made me cry even more. I've replayed this game so many times and it just never ceases to amaze me. Being Dutch as well I'm really proud that a game studio from my country created this masterpiece.

[@hansolowe19]

I hadn't noticed that. Nice.

[@losmosquitos1108]

You are so right! Did we ever learn who or what sent the signal to awake the Hades AI? I guess this was left open in the end, wasn‘t it? Wonder what the collaboration between Sylus and Hades was like and if we will learn about it in the sequel… Btw, Sylus, did you realize who the actor was? Lance Reddick, who played Agent Philip Broyles in FRINGE. 🤭

[@ayeitzdj]

@@losmosquitos1108 only the sequel can tell us

[@losmosquitos1108]

@@ayeitzdj yes! If you have a console, lucky you! 👏😛 I have to wait some years though, it sucks… 🤷‍♀️

[@Claeymore]

@@losmosquitos1108 it's theorized on Reddit it may have been an AI named VAST SILVER that may have escaped, found its way on the Odyssey (a 'Plan B' space program to Zero Dawn) and faked the destruction of it.

[@crocmister1232]

This game genuinely has the best all around execution I have ever seen.

[@unicorntomboy9736]

As well as NieR Automata. That game is a masterpiece from Platinum Games.

[@Jack_______oh]

This game has so many incredibly bad design choices I don't know how people overlook them. The constant need to scavenge small bits of materials to maintain ammo, the fact that none of the weapons really feel good to use, combat doesn't get really enjoyable until mid-late game and by then it's extremely easy. The characters and writing are seriously TERRIBLE. The story itself is not so bad, although it takes itself bizarrely seriously, but the dialogue is absolutely atrocious, and the characters are not believable at all in this setting. Everyone is so clean and young and healthy, it totally breaks immersion. Finally, the only fun dino to really fight is the T-Rex. There are like 5 versions of a sabretooth tiger that all feel the same. The DLC monsters are annoying to fight except the bear. The game is gorgeous, that's about all they executed on.

[@crocmister1232]

Jack I suppose we disagree then.

[@EmoZix]

@@Jack_______oh True. I bought the game early last year because I wanted to try it out since I haven't, and after 3 or so hours into it I just gave up lol. The game wasn't really that engaging as i'd hoped, graphics were amazing tho. This year, I was willing to give it another chance. After beating Death Stranding I wanted to see more of the Decima Engine. I re bought HZD and I played it again.. I started to remember why I sold it in the first place rofl.

[@regret9423]

Jack Did you paly the game?

[@trevor3013]

Horizon does one thing amazingly. It let's the open world build the story instead of the open world taking from the story instead. It's amazing

[@georgen5882]

Yeah I agree. A lot of visual storytelling inside the game. Especially with those scenic things you find that point to the past. But just the world in general; broken down buildings, tanks, cars just sitting there. Told the story in a similar manner to the last of us when you go through the world after the intro.

[@Jautis1]

Imagine how horrifying it would be for us to all hear about the inevitable end of the world like that, AND it's happening within 16 months. Appreciate every day man, never know when something like that might actually happen.

[@r.i.peperoniiiiroh9625]

it surely is now (coming from someone who lives in europe)

[@carlos.m.7210]

Biomass fueling machines are scary as fck...

[@AlexYadaYada]

It’s even more horrifying when you realize that the men and women who fought on the front lines against the machines died believing that there was way to win, that there was way to cure the Faro Plague. But really, they were stalling time so Project Zero Dawn could be completed. A project that was meant to save humanity’s future, not it’s present.

[@catcat63527]

With the way Elon Musk is going, the guy probably idolises Ted Faro.

[@markdotinc8371]

We would have been blindly sent into the meat grinder that was enduring victory

[@muskularchicken]

Now, after years when I saw the cutscene when she turns into a grown up, feels got to me, bro...This game is amazing. Cant wait for The Forbidden West

[@HovektheArtist]

Legit so many cutscenes still get me after 4- playthroughs, in no small part to the music ramping the feels up

[@metaspherz]

That scene also brought tears to my eyes 4 years later playing it on a PC. It's absolutely one of the most emotional sequences in gaming history or at least all of those that I played. Great story. Great music. Great game. Now I just started The Frozen Wilds.

[@HovektheArtist]

@@metaspherz then commune with the great spirit of the banuk and feel the ice inside you melt once more

[@mike0o0animates11]

I feel like the third game should be called search for Apollo

[@MediaDroid960]

All that scene needed was hustler by zayde wolf and it would’ve been the best training montage scene ever

[@lexajewel]

HZD will always hold a special place in my heart, because the lake in the western-most part of Carja territory, is part of the lake that I grew up next to. I was so blown away when I found out! It's very surreal to walk around in a place that is so close to my home.

[@asianhavoc1872]

Damn! Lucky woman!

[@cynl730]

I grew up in the area where the Nora are. So many places and landmarks I know personally. Playing makes me feel like I'm home again.

[@lexajewel]

@@cynl730 haha we're practically neighbors!

[@dalestoddard2742]

Same here. I drove through the Utah desert area every weekend when going home.

[@cobrazax]

@@cynl730 u were near NORAD? (the real origin of the NORA tribe name)

[@machine1685]

One of my favorite things to do after a big story development was to go back to Rost's house and visit his grave. I especially did it before the big battle. Aloy had lines of dialogue that she says while talking to him that really delves into her character a bit more. As small as that is, THAT is my favorite thing about this game. I was genuinely upset when Rost died, so Im happy that they added a memorial to him.

[@MYuee]

I try to convince my friends to actually play this game. To them it's just a game with a redhead fighting robot dinosaurs. But holy hell, it's so much more. The structure and mystery of the story and how it all unravels, aloy herself and just the world design - everything has a reason to be there, nothing feels badly thought through. It feels so real.

[@xzenitramx666]

So how they acted when you decide to find new friends?

[@Palomisha]

same with my sister lol

[@Captainrave]

I was sold on robot dinosaurs. What I didn’t expect was how brilliant the story would be.

[@MYuee]

@@Captainrave YES! Started playing the game thinking "Robo Dinos sound fun" but I was blown away by the characters and story! I'm replaying it just now before forbidden west, but omg that moment 44:07 always gets me. This is the moment you realize how brilliant the writing is.

[@jonbodhi]

‘Robot dinosaurs’ was all i ever needed to hear.

[@elmersglueio4979]

I love how every side quest felt personal... It didn't feel like "Oh- I need to do this for points". Well yes you often do the side quests for points, they never deviated from the main storyline. Everything was so personal and amazing!

[@ericlamburg6751]

It's funny, I was searching results for Horizon Zero Dawn 2 to see if there was any new information available, but instead I came across this video and was pleasantly surprised to find this hour and a half love letter to a game I hold close to my heart. 🙂 I used to enjoy video games a lot, but ever since my colossal disappointment from Far Cry 5, I've never felt the same spark of passion that games held in my heart in the past. Even with games I did really enjoy, like God of War, A Plague's Tale: Innocence, and Persona 5 didn't make me feel that spark all the way through, and I ended up feeling depressed that I couldn't enjoyed things like I used to. So you could imagine how happy I was when Horizon Zero Dawn, a game I randomly picked up on a whim, helped me feel that spark for gaming again (or at least reminded me I could STILL feel it) and became one of, in not, my most favorite games of all time. Like, I vaguely remembered it being on an OutsideXbox video briefly, but other than that I had no prior knowledge of it. I just remembered it vaguely existing and saw the $20 price tag and cool back of the box and thought to get since I had nothing better to do. I had no idea I was going to end up this in love with a video game again. ☺ Sorry, I felt obligated to gush after watching your video. It really was a treat, and I will only buy a PS5 if HZD2 is on it!

[@LazerzZ]

Thanks for the comment! It’s so nice to see people’s love for Horizon and that my video speaks to that love other people have. Glad you enjoyed!

[@thatsjusthowitgoes]

Man, you explained my predicament when this game out perfectly. I couldn't find games to get me excited, just ones that were kinda fun and passed the time. This was the first game I truly invested myself in for a long time. And felt the need to endlessly spew my thoughts about to my friends haha

[@Zeonthebrave]

We are getting it 2021!!!!!!!!!!! I’m so hyped for forbidden west!!

[@elifsukabak2635]

Horizon -Forbidden west will be available for the players on the ps5!

[@laralerobbe]

Horizon zero dawn 2 will come next year on ps4

[@XProjectHunterX]

This was such a good game. I can't wait for the sequel.

[@OverdoseOnRice]

It’s 50/50 maybe lower chance because the developers answered every mystery just in case they decide not to do a sequel

[@verbon47]

@@OverdoseOnRice didnt they already say they are going to do a sequel

[@Luca-bv5ic]

@@verbon47 ye they are

[@elijahvangaasbeek571]

We got the official trailer for the sequel today!

[@colboy1fish]

@@elijahvangaasbeek571 Funny that this video is getting new comments when the release trailer released.

[@shamuldouglas7726]

The part with Ted and the alphas really just shows that narcissist really will blame EVERYONE but themselves

[@shepardcommander5174]

Shamul Douglas well if that isnt trump

[@davidlister7590]

I think it was more he was scared people would end up repairing the machines and it starting over again and it was better to not risk it and let people start afresh.

[@cobrazax]

@@davidlister7590 he was more scared of him being forever known as the man who destroyed the world. thats the real reason why he destroyed Apollo...everything else for him is just an excuse. Apollo was designed with this as the primary goal, to educate humans to not repeat the same mistakes. what he did was to reset everyone to 0 education and repeat ALL the mistakes we EVER did through the entire history of the planet...or worse.

[@davidlister7590]

@@cobrazax I do not buy that since he could just edit Apollo and change it or remove that. Its far more likely it was done for another reason IE to make sure people could not ever repair the swarm.

[@cobrazax]

@@davidlister7590 No as he cant erase such a significant part of apollo. Its a huge part that he is guilty of it all. He cannot erase it everywhere and fill the gaps with lies...its way too hard and not really possible to do that..his only way was to delete apollo completely. Also its a matter of time before humans reach technology anyway. btw it seems apollo data still exists inside the subsystems as Hades has a LOT of knowledge.

[@Wackaz]

The world of Horizon: Zero Dawn is the most immersive, beautiful, cosy and peaceful world I've ever played in. I think the open world that was created in this game is so damn underrated, it makes me mad.

[@flobbie87]

It is a lil small, isn't it.

[@ce5834]

@@flobbie87 big enough. alot of interesting places and happenings to explore.

[@Ptolemy336VV]

@@flobbie87 I played Assasin creeds. TOO big and empty and the vast majority people don't finish doing all of the game. Horizon is literally perfect. It's really big, really interesting, wonderful. lore, beauty, all of it

[@potentpotassium5776]

One of my favourite scenes is when you escape Sunfall with Sylens, and he gives you a new focus. The throwback to that scene at the start, happy birthday Isaac, really makes you feel how much you've been through since you fell into an abandoned subway station.

[@casamir1]

Daddy's little big man!

[@TalonAshlar]

This is how you establish a strong intelligent moral female lead character who isn't a Mary Sue, prologue, backstory and training montage.

[@LazerzZ]

dale osborne 100%

[@mohamedelkayal2068]

That's how it should be for protagonists in general, this makes them interesting not boring or bland. Unfortunately, creators seem to not care so much about quality and this trait became scarce in other media such as movies made by Hollywood.

[@Loophole23742]

So true!

[@Largentina.]

That goes for protagonists of any gender. This is how it's done.

[@edstevens2772]

She still has Mary Sue traits though, everyone instantly falls in love with her, those that don't are instantly silenced with a not particularly witty quip, shes secretly related to a legend of the past, the writing goes out of it's way to make her seem badass.

[@Social_Pugatory]

I always wonder of the bravery of those scientists and just people in general fighting to create a world that they knew they would not live to see. They stared into the abyss before them and all worked together to fight for the chance of survival of life on earth (except Ted Faro, fuck Ted Faro). It’s such a tragic but a triumphant story.

[@joshuasterling2144]

Never make decisions wracked with guilt, that is the lesson I leaned from Ted Faro. Although like you mentioned I found it impressive as well and I love this story.

[@destroyraiden]

I like how you can find all sorts of holo recordings in the world not just from the scientist but pop songs for the war effort, people complaining about said pop songs. cursing sobeck and the euthanasian zones after they arrived at the project for those just incapable of handling the seer mental, emotional gravity of the situation the few in that room were the ones barely able to hold it together long enough to do what they did. I also like how they didn't win like you first think they lost big time with consolation prize they'd never see.

[@joshuasterling2144]

@@destroyraiden I imagine it was a crazy mental balance, you needed enough hope, ambition and drive to get things done, but not enough to distract you or destroy your mental state.

[@Lasse3]

@@destroyraiden I remember after my first finish of the game, it actually took a couple of days for the story to fully sink in, and then I realized this story and the odd backwards way it unfolds, is an absolute pure stroke of genius. I had to do a second playthrough, and this time I were diligent, getting all the recordings, and the "easter eggs" Sometimes it almost left me with an eerie feeling listening to these tapes, the voice acting and the writing was that good, also reading all the texts, the one with the dolphin that were blended into a pink chum comes to mind. The company behind this game is light-years ahead of its competitors, in the context of this particular release! I hope they will continue on this path, and not let this be a once in a lifetime lightning caught in a bottle kinda thing. And don't get me started on the visuals and the actual gameplay, breathtaking! Because of this game I felt it could be justified to upgrade to a PS4 Pro, which I did 😅 How they managed to get *Everything* right, is beyond me. Anyone who disliked this game, had to be a fool.

[@verag6797]

Fuck Ted!

[@chrislambert9903]

I literally bought a PS4 for Horizon Zero Dawn

[@unicorntomboy9736]

I bought it for The Last Guardian and Persona 5.

[@mikes5637]

And people will do the same again for a sequel on PS5.

[@unicorntomboy9736]

@@mikes5637 What about Day's Gone 2

[@mikes5637]

@@unicorntomboy9736 I've just got Days Gone and haven't played it yet.

[@unicorntomboy9736]

@@mikes5637 It's a great game

[@jonbodhi]

That monologue you opened with, which ends the game, is one of my favorite moments in a game, EVER! It perfectly distilled what narrative can bring to a game. Seeing the daughter Elizabeth never lived to see, and have her be EVERYTHING Elizabeth could have hoped for? That moment got me. That’s good writing for ANY medium.

[@MrVvulf]

48:02 This is one of my favorite scenes in the game. Aloy's blistering fast intellect and Sylen's surprise. When you read between the lines and understand that Sylens is the one who at one time thought the world was flat, but Aloy using only information available in the wide world had deciphered reality - to know the world was spherical. The voice acting in this game is commendable, really top notch. Lance Reddick is wonderful, and Ashly Burch offers the perfect foil for him to interact with. I'm really looking forward to "Forbidden West". I enjoyed your video.

[@TheWorldsOfGaming]

Man, the world of Horizon is so beautifully realized!! The forests, jungles, deserts and especially the snowy parts together with the great sound design & the music... sooo good! I took countless hours of video footage and plenty of pictures. And of course the surprisingly good story - I love everything about this game. It‘s a shame you can’t play it again for the first time... ♥️🏹

[@lnrdshelby]

TheWorldsOfGaming don’t forget the performances of the voice actors, specifically Aloy & Sylens... a very special game! (Just saw your Horizon vid btw... good stuff)

[@TheWorldsOfGaming]

Paul thanks, man.

[@LazerzZ]

It really is one of those games I’d love to play again all over again for the first time, such a special experience!

[@TheWorldsOfGaming]

LazerzZ [builds time machine]

[@shadowmaster335]

a film critic once wrote "if i could have a wish granted, i would wish to be able to watch my favorite movie for the first time again", switch movie out for this masterpiece of a game, and it's an identical copy of that sentiment ;)

[@stevenbruno7710]

I remember when I would reach milestones in the campaign I would go home to visit Rost’s grave and I loved what Aloy would say to him. Then once Teersa had told you his story and why he became an outcast and how his daughter was murdered it made so much sense why he raised Aloy the way he did. Firm but ultimately loving her without outright stating it but acting on his care for her and ultimately sacrificing himself so she could live. Then that final chance you can talk to Rost before the ending actually had me in tears bc of my own personal issues with my old man and how it felt witnessing a fictional character tell things to their late father that I kinda wish I could say to mine. You know a story is top tier when it can affect your emotions to a way that makes you reflect on your life and the decisions you have made and the ones you have yet to make.

[@Acefdiamonds]

I need to find teersa

[@jonbodhi]

So few knew you could do that. It added a lot to the game. There was so much care taken

[@Connor-jl9gq]

i visited before I left the ancient land and at after I completed the game and both times it was an emotional gut-punch I always leave the starting area and don't return until after I'm done with a game so it was really nice to see a game recognise that way of playing

[@paulpewpew8181]

Opening the last 2 vaults is incredible. I don't believe I will feel that from a game again.

[@prabhavdeuja6926]

Assassin creed will

[@paulpewpew8181]

@@prabhavdeuja6926 I've played everything from Ac2-Origins and the ending of AC Revalations was the only one that even got close. AC is my favorite series but I firmly believe the writers of Horizon:ZD are better than even the Witcher writers.

[@prabhavdeuja6926]

@@paulpewpew8181 I didnt disagree. Origins and Revalations endings are great.

[@davidrgrech0]

1:14:50 One of the develops on reddit had stated that storywise, the best point to play Frozen Wilds is right before the The Grave-Hoard. It's the point after you see Sylens in hologram form and Aloy had heard about Sylens having history in the Cut. So narratively it makes sense as you're there to get info on the guy who's talking to you as you uncover this mystery and seeing if he's worth trusting at all. Sylens even asks you what you're doing as you're climbing up the Cut for the first time. Also at that point in the game, there's no sense of narrative urgency. As far as you're concerned, all the mysteries left to uncover have long been buried and they'll just stay there until you uncover them. Only problem with playing it at that point is that you're probably not as levelled as you are later in the game so the DL can be quite the challenge, especially if you hadn't done most of the other side quests and gotten all the high end gear

[@whiterspon573]

i play Frozen Wilds totaly like you say before Grave Hoard :D some days a go I finish and Start New Game Plus on Ultra Hard :D

[@identitymatrix]

I play it now, after 100%ing everything else, even collecting every data point

[@mariopalenciagutierrez4318]

i love how in the training montage they show that while she was by herself, she was never alone. Her father was always there, not to help her do things, but to keep her from failing.

[@MasterLibra]

that bit with the Nora after emerging from the Cradle was SO good

[@LazerzZ]

Incredible scene

[@Underprecedentd]

Guillermo Plata timestamp?

[@ShinachiHChan]

@@Underprecedentd Timestamp: 1:11:59

[@TheUndyingDarkness]

The voice acting was the best thing in this scene! I had tears in my eyes while feeling the desperation and anger in her voice...

[@cobrazax]

@@LazerzZ why u didnt mention anything about the dialog with the people there after that scene? it is so cool to see how they all speak to u...they had MULTIPLE dialog sequences with some characters so u can talk to them multiple times and they react differently! also Teersa finally tells you about Rost and his real story...did u miss it???

[@noahcarolan9639]

38:40 “ You have quite a nice little climbing set piece...” he says while proceeding to jump and miss a platform and fall to his death.

[@TheBranderCZ]

I was gonna say the same thing! Wonder how many people died there aswell. xd

[@chrisisweird7463]

I did and laughed my ass off

[@byrisegaming8929]

@@TheBranderCZ I'm not proud, let's not talk about this

[@hansolowe19]

Nice.

[@AluraAlua]

I just beat the game today in one big session and after I went through the GAIA prime ruins on my way out down that zipline Aloy missed grabbing the line just as Sylens was telling her not to fall to her death 💀 I laughed so hard. Had to wonder how many players died there too and if they had him say it there bec they anticipated players missing the zip grab

[@skippythepeanutbutter1886]

1:11:35 Sylens being the voice of every viewers towards a self-deprecating, monologue of every OP protagonists is Mood. Love this game so much!!!

[@LazerzZ]

I love Sylens, his little comments are some of the best moments

[@skippythepeanutbutter1886]

@@LazerzZ You're right that he is kind of a sociopath though. Hope it gets explored more on the sequel.

[@MrVvulf]

The real question about Sylens is did John Wick ever return to pick up the dog he was watching for him?

[@KDB349]

Eh i can't stand him.

[@LeeEverett1]

I got this game on PSN when it was free months ago and always slept on it, I had other games I wanted to complete first. I finally started it 2 weeks ago and been playing it daily for hours getting completely lost in the story and world, I cannot believe I passed up on this game. It sounds cheesy, but I'm actually keeping the name "Aloy" in my list of potential names for a future daughter.

[@Lionshart]

I'm in the same boat man. Wonderful game, and wonderful name.

[@michaelbush4506]

Aloy is the perfect name for her. I think it is so close to "alloy," which is a mix of two (or more) materials, with the result being stronger than either one alone. In the sense that Aloy is also a mix of two different times separated by 1000 years, of technology and tribal, and is a person of intelligence, curiosity and courage.

[@zuulmeister8409]

I always tear up when I reach Gaia's message to Elisabet/Aloy. She is an incredibly advanced computer and she cannot calculate a way for Elisabet to return to the Cradle and see this message, but she knows what Elisabet is capable of and she has faith that her creator will find a way. There's something so incredible about such an advanced and powerful digital being saying "I don't care how hopeless it is. I believe in you."

[@oscarlingwood3486]

This is has the length and quality to be a TV documentary made by a team. Wtf, James.

[@mikes5637]

You just had to start with THAT scene... "That's all for today, Gaia. Time to tuck in." Still too soon, man. Joking aside, I thought one of the biggest errors in the early trailers was revealing this is Earth upfront. It's not actually confirmed until Aloy finds the first relics in the first city; the coffee cup from a company in Colorado. This should have been a big reveal moment like the end of the original Planet of the Apes. Up until then this could have been a fantasy world, or even the Killzone universe in which the Helghast and ISA had finally annihalated each other.

[@piratetv1]

I remember playing, not knowing what part of earth we were in then i saw the airforce chapel. "Colorado?.... ohhh N.O.R.A.D. NORA

[@mutalix]

Wow, a way to connect it to the killzone series, that would've been amazing!

[@pbjent]

@@piratetv1 Thanks that makes perfect sense where the name Nora came from. Now I think if we look around a little closer at the real world, now that we know where the game takes place, we can connect the dots as to names in the game world. You just made me think a little deeper.

[@piratetv1]

@@pbjent they went really deep on the real world places, all the bandit camps are famous places. I wonder where the tribes come from. A little girl from the banuk mentioned the tribe being from the great frozen lakes. Maybe somewhere near Detroit. If that's true we still don't know where Utaru land is. Id imagine Utah, but the Carja live in Utah. We also don't know about the claim or mainspring. They may be in the north. I think in the second game we'll be going to the forbidden west also.

[@pbjent]

@@piratetv1 I am a First Nations man from Western Canada and we eat a traditional flatbread called bannock. hmmm.

[@camilasuarez4596]

I could never thank my brother enough for telling me “play it, it’s incredibly addictive and the story is out of this world”. Damn he was right!! Since day 1 I got hooked and the story as a whole too. Personally (and as a History student) when getting to the big reveal of why future humans didn’t have any notion from what happened before them boiled my blood so much!! Damn you, Ted! And that ending with the symbolism around Elisabet definitely got me deep. Spectacular video dude, I got here by mere coincidence and watching this was one of the best decisions I made a Sunday afternoon ❤️

[@veiga4051]

Camila Suarez The Zero Dawn reveal always gets me. The music, voice acting, everything ❤️ It’s such a special game to me

[@cobrazax]

it was a work of art...a masterpiece

[@yiklongtay6029]

I am curious if this was your first game and that this was your introduction to gaming.

[@lizziedavidson1987]

the Nora Brave whose reaction to a deathbringer is "you seeing this shit, boss?" sends me everytime!

[@AgentDigits]

It honestly felt like a video game adaptation of a book... Like a chunky, universally loved book. That's how well written it felt. There was so much care put into the game and it's story and it shows

[@Schroedingers_Bad_Kittey]

I freaking love Horizon Zero Dawn... the world... the story... and Aloy. She is a stunning strong beautiful women. Can’t wait for the HZD 2 and also for the PC release.

[@asianhavoc1872]

You mean...HZD PC release right?! HZD2 will remain a exclusive to Playstation!

[@Schroedingers_Bad_Kittey]

@@asianhavoc1872 Yeah hzd2 is ps5. I mean the hzd (1) pc release

[@robgraham5697]

That final scene at Elisabet's home gets me in the feels every fucking time. What makes Zero Dawn such a great game is that it is such a great story. A central character that is strong and empathetic, a deep mystery unfolding, supporting characters that are themselves, a wide and complex world to explore, an original piece of world building; all these make for a wonderful story. It's so rare that all these elements come together so well. Brilliant work.

[@MsUnamusedNerd]

I wish a novel series would spawn from this. Finishing the game left me wanting to explore more! learning about the other tribes, explore backstories for characters such a Rost and Sylens, and the history of the Tribes like going into the events of the mad sunking ruling the Sundom or the red raids.

[@tarawhite24]

There is a comic book series set between the 1st and 2nd game! I do recommend to give them a read! The 1st volume is able and the 2nd I believe comes out in August (2021)

[@boywonder029]

When you realize that Sylens is the "Dr. Faust" with Mephistopheles being Hades

[@cayden6057]

That's actually such a weirdly obvious connection. HADES is obviously the Devil here based on both of them having connections to general unpleasantness and death, and Sylens, like Faust, constantly searches for knowledge at the cost of something great (in Sylens' case, morality and innocent lives).

[@colosine]

I'll never get over how amazing of a gaming experience this game was, when I got it all I knew was it was slated for game of the year and you fought giant robot dinosaurs, my brother wanted a new ps4 game and I told him it was supposed to be really good but I didn't know anything about it but it was new so we picked it up, I tend not to care about hype and neither does he, I watched him play for like 30 minutes then he had to go to bed, I jumped on and I was lost in the world of horizon for hours just playing with the mechanics and exploring the landscape, the story was a shining example of what I feel many games are missing, my favorite games tend to be snes turn based rpgs like Final Fantasy VI, they focused on the story more than any element but gave a fun system to play with, Horizon Zero Dawn took the modern graphics and physics system and decided that story was just as, if not more, important and I agree full heartedly, I truly feel that this game could have been made as a movie or TV series and it would thrive, overall the game is a shining example of what you can do with a game to make the player feel like everything is worth doing, the only thing I don't much care for is the after game but that's a complaint I have for %99 of all games, over all I give it an 11 out of 10

[@seratope]

It's still a 'hidden gem'. I remembered it on my birthday, remembering the gameranx hype, and I wanted to play it even after I stopped watching Falcon and crew.

[@robertdegroot8302]

If it had a hype then it´s not a hidden gem. Just saying.

[@seratope]

@@robertdegroot8302 People haven't talked about it much a year after it was released. The only recent time anyone has spoken about this game a *lot* after the first release was when the PC release was announced. I will edit my comment though. Thanks.

[@chris.replay]

My biggest hope for the sequel is that they go the James Cameron's Avatar direction, expand on the world and show us more; Let us override Glinthawks and fly around (not indefinitely, say the Glinthawk has to land to recharge after a set amount of flight time) Let us override some form of underwater machine and go below the surface (using some form of futuristic rebreather that allows us to breath underwater for a long amount of time) I'd also like more survival elements, let us make food, sleep, give us stat buffs or debuffs due to these activities I feel all of these things would work excellently if they made the west coast they next setting. California alone has oceans, beaches, snow capped mountains, fields, dense forests (omg the redwoods would be amazing), desserts and could have massive ruined city remains. Imagine a suspended tree-house style town up in the California Redwoods, swinging and jumping between trees and platforms like the Ewok village in Starwars Return of the Jedi Imagine flying a Glinthawk around the ruins of LA, swooping between skyscraper spires, or even sitting on the last pieces of the Hollywood sign. Or flying around the golden gate bridge in San Francisco Imagine exploring the remains of Alcatraz prison, having Alloy view all these old data files about the tragic past of the prison, or seeing all the fun people had on the beaches in LA Imagine if you overrode and took a subnautic machine under the ocean and discovered a deep sea station at the bottom of the ocean, undamaged and with the descendants of our civilization still alive down there. Having Alloy be the bridge between her world and theirs (ours), which she arguably already is, reintroducing our people to the new world. Honestly, imagine if one of the guards of this place was someone like Alloy, who wanted to see the world and explore and feel like there was more he was destined for. This character could make an excellent romantic interest for Alloy, with each of them learning about each other's worlds and societies from each other. Imagine Alloy teaching him to use a bow and hunt, the way Rost taught her, and him teaching her the history of our world, how to read and write Anyways, I don't know if you'll ever see this James, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on my ideas, haven't really ever heard anyone have these same thoughts. Cheers mate, thanks for the excellent video, you did HZD good

[@cdn1588]

chris replay yeah I definitely would love the option to (or learn to) override both flying and aquatic machines. Glinthawks might be too small to ride. Perhaps a stormbird or a different machine altogether introduced in HZD2. With that being said, if you can override and fly stormbirds who’s to say that the map won’t extend past the typical sized open world? With a literal machine flying you around you could reach different cities and states in record time. Perhaps go investigate new cradle facilities, caldrons, enduring victory stations and the likes? The idea of other humans in cradle facilities has occurred to me as well. However, remember there is only one Hades, and at that point in time It occurred where in that area of the states, enters why Gaia spawned a child with the genome of doctor Sobeck where she did. So there is only one Aloy, meaning a being created for that particular purpose, that of undoing Hades’ “machinations”. See what I did there? The idea of people living isolated in a bunker somewhere is not entirely far fetched. I’d attribute that to a group of fearful and power thirst zealots idiots who have convinced the others to remain inside. We will see, I can’t wait. I hope that we can get it soon but if they keep with their pace we will probably see it by 2023.

[@chris.replay]

@@cdn1588 awesome ideas! Assuming hzd2 is a next Gen exclusive, the world size could be absolutely massive, so riding a flying machine might actually be necessary Also, I think we'll see the game as soon as 2021. Hzd took around 5 years to make, that's including coming up with the idea AND modifying their game engine to suit the open world nature. Assuming they've now become very familiar with Decima, and that the Decima engine is really easy to develop with (look what Hideo Kojima accomplished with Death Stranding, which only had a 3 year dev time), I have no doubt Guerilla could make a bigger and better sequel in 4 years time.

[@wolfyarocho7584]

Ever since I encountered a StormBird I’ve always wanted to override it and to ride it. That would be awesome for the second game

[@chris.replay]

@@maakin10 I love how I predicted more than half the stuff in the trailer 😅

[@KatyaXx0]

Bruh, I need a storm bird ! 🤣

[@holamoco]

The story is so sad and emotional. I loved this game.

[@irishbob26]

The writing in this game, the environmental story-telling and the lore building is second to none. I'm absolutely blown away by everything jammed into this game.

[@cameronbarnes4216]

I like how this game just burns flat earthers by saying even our race going back to the iron Age still know the earth is a globe

[@NiiiiChan]

I was looking for this! Thank you

[@TheNheg66]

It also burns our ancestors who believed it quite a bit.

[@cameronbarnes4216]

@@TheNheg66 Until the Ancient Greeks proved it was round 2000+ years ago.

[@sartavin]

This was the first game I played in 12 years, after picking up a PS4 during 2018's black friday sale. I was completely blown away. Having grown up in Colorado, it brought back some massive nostalgia from the late 80's, wandering the mountains and wondering when games would be able to recreate a realistic natural setting (compared to the 8-bit graphics of the time). The gameplay, for me, is so smooth and Aloy is so responsive that HZD is still a joy to play, 200+ hours later. The only negative is that all the games I played after paled to some extent; only the Witcher 3, Nier Automata and Last of Us hit that sweet spot of narrative escalation, character and world development, and in-depth exploration of story and theme. A lot of other games, including the recent Assassin's Creed open worlds, feel sort of empty and dull in comparison. Great retrospective! edit: for an even better experience, turn the HUD all the way off. Really becomes an immersive, cinematic experience.

[@Armaan8014]

Funnily enough, despite enjoying HZD a lot overall, I found its world to be very empty and dull - the cities/ towns were just surrounded by open areas full of enemies and nothing else. The open world just felt like a combat arena, and didn't take advantage of it's visual beauty by encouraging exploration (And not just focusing on enemies)

[@sovereigndeleon]

RDR2 is up there as well.

[@solepassenger]

Thanks man !

[@campkira]

still can find time to finsih it...

[@sartavin]

YMMV. For me, the use of terrain and geography made the combat so rewarding, in that how you use it can lead to great advantages or disadvantages. The Vantage points and various pre-apocalypse recordings scattered around the world gave it significant depth, for me. The towns and Meridian were somewhat lacking, I agree, and I don't think any game has matched Novigrad in Witcher 3, or Toussaint's capital, in terms of depth or atmosphere... hopefully the sequel will improve on these aspects.

[@8bitboss929]

Such a beautiful epic game it’s really a shame that only around 10 million people were able to experience it. It deserve to be played by everybody. In my top three for PlayStation exclusive games this generation

[@Largentina.]

More than ten million played it. It SOLD ten million, but that doesn't include people who borrowed the game from a friend and it doesn't include the people that bought pre-owned copies.

[@somnia3423]

well more people are playing it soon on pc✌️

[@8bitboss929]

Somnia good it deserves it

[@crypticvyper3092]

You're not counting those that bought it used, or for $20 at Walmart or Target. The store bought complete edition has Frozen Wilds tie into the main story, if you do Frozen Wilds, everything except upgrading the staff, immediately after you learn Sylens name, Hephaestus is added into the main story dialogue, you return to the Frozen Wilds after Sylens gives you his staff and you upgrade your staff. Then complete the Frozen Wilds staff side quest to upgrade it again, then complete the game, all the dialogues in game will make sense playing it in this fashion. I recommend doing it when you play New Game + on a second playthrough. I did it that war on my 2nd playthrough at level 60, it ties up a lot of loose story points, except who sent the signal, which is what the Forbidden West is all about. There are 3 quests that imply you going to the Forbidden West, which is how the Devs set it up for the sequel. I am truly looking forward to Horizon II: The Forbidden West. I hope the game allows you to carry over character progression from the first game (I plan to put HZD on PS5 and transfer save files via USB), but also offer one to build up from scratch if they haven't played the first game or don't or can"t transfer game save via PS Plus or USB stick.

[@vanillacream2383]

This was my first PS4 exclusive I was interested in. Glad I had that experience years later.

[@DatWeedGood]

Vanilla Cream this was my first ever ps4 game

[@bubbaj7824]

Can we honestly say that this is probably one of the deepest and best story driven games in the history of the ps4 console? Definitely even years after it is an amazing game that would just about capture everyone's attention one way or another.

[@miracleofsound]

One of my favorite videos on KZbin. You did a fantastic job analyzing & retelling the wonderful story of this game :)

[@SnakeEaterGaming]

I dont know why but it’s taken me 3 years to finally buy and play horizon and holy shit I’m totally addicted. I can’t stop playing. The graphics are amazing , the combat is so perfect , and aloy is a freaking badass.

[@cobrazax]

did u finish it? how was it?

[@SnakeEaterGaming]

cobrazax finished it, and finished the DLC. It is easily my top 5 favorite games ever. Going to have to play it again later this year.

[@cobrazax]

@@SnakeEaterGaming I never played it...no PlayStation. But i did watch many others playing it and it was awesome. A work of art

[@iam_jesse_9015]

@@cobrazax If you hava a pc you can game on, you can buy it this summer from steam

[@cobrazax]

@@iam_jesse_9015 for PC???

[@jmc3971]

No one comes close to making retrospective videos as good and detailed as you James. It's honestly unreal. I feel as if I'm watching a show, not a yt video. Thanks for all your hard work. It definitely shows.

[@LazerzZ]

Thank you so much mate 🙌🏻

[@timkey_4542]

This game still fascinates me. Also the fact that this timeline can also happen in our life.

[@toastynachoos]

If I want anything from HZD to come alive it's the claw back of the 2040's... Though not the billions of deaths.

[@thegamingferox5632]

This game is just. Wow. And the fact that we are getting a sequel is even more amazing.

[@UncleRico21]

I'm LDS and when I saw a bandit camp that looked just a bit too familiar I looked it up and sure enough it was the Provo Utah Temple. I'm convinced NO ONE outside of the state of Utah would have caught that and they threw it in anyway. The attention to detail is masterful

[@nicolas2707_]

What a masterpiece of a game! These Retrospectives are incredible, James!

[@pease1197]

Been playing this beautiful game for the last week. I want a sequel so bad.

[@DatWeedGood]

Thomas Pease there is going to be a sequel

[@DatWeedGood]

Thomas Pease *Spoiler warning* But at the end of the game there is a bonus scene where sylens captures hades and says “we have much to discuss old friend” as he turns around and all you see is snow but then you see one of the metal devils

[@pease1197]

@@DatWeedGood Yea Ik. I just want it to come out!

[@seth-nico]

A sequel is pretty much all but confirmed at this point. The cast have slipped up on it in interviews.

[@Zalarian]

A sequel was just announced! :D

[@cultofgoose1942]

This was one of the greatest single player experiences I’ve ever played and I’m so hyped for the new games in the franchise

[@YeeeeGreg]

For the longest time I considered Skyrim my favorite game ever but after my second play-through of this game, I now consider it my favorite and this video does a wonderful job explaining and articulating why it’s so great! Absolutely cannot wait for sequel!

[@pogtuber5146]

If anyone is interested in Forbidden West and hasn't played this game... go play it now. If you don't have time to play the first game, then watch this video because it's an excellent overview of everything that happens and why this game was so good.

[@MrHellgate82]

I love this game and can't wait for sequel. The lore of this world is incredible.

[@coolbroccolie6455]

So I wanna know, were you guys more of the fist? The brain? Or the heart? I was more of the heart. It really captures more of how I am. I always try to show my empathy and care even when it aint deserved for some people. I think showing some people you can be kind even when some or not okay to them is the best way to make them think about thier action

[@gabe_lamas_art]

That was me on my first (and so far only) play through. I take those options on my initial play for rpg's like these. And if I have time for a second, I'll explore other options (dark side decisions, bad karma routes, brain/fist, etc.)

[@marccuffe6392]

I was more often than not choosing the brain, occasionally choosing the heart and very rarely the fist.

[@keystone6561]

I went more towards heart just to fight like a heartless demon destroying everything brutally

[@krislancaster1214]

I usually stuck to the brain, but there were some interactions that compelled me to choose the heart. The writing and the acting was so good in this game

[@vacdir]

i killed the dude, so i guess i was fist whoops

[@horstheinemann2132]

This is really my favourite game of all time. And even after these years, just watching this video brought tears to my eyes. The story of civilisation falling and the connection between Aloy and Elisabeth Sobeck exisiting although they never met are amazing.

[@MrTmm97]

Just finished Horizon Zero Dawn on my PS5...first time I had played it. Amazing, beautiful game. Very excited for Forbidden West!

[@kaygames956]

Me too!!

[@millieboon]

It’s a really cool concept as yes it does follow the chosen one having to find out who they are but it really gives so much details that go Beyond it that keeps it fresh

[@BenRajan]

Just a thought but this game’s name is Horizon: Zero Dawn. So potentially the next game will be Horizon: Forbidden West or something of the like.

[@italov7816]

What? How's one thing related to the other?

[@edenromanov]

How did you get Forbidden west from Zero dawn??? O.o

[@way2bedeed]

@@edenromanov Zero Dawn refers to the creation of Gaia and her sub-functions. During gameplay, there are mentions of the Forbidden West in notes and from the machine blood drinking Banuk shaman (from a side quest). There is zero mention of land east of Nora land...just land west of Carja. So people are curious about the Forbidden West...especially if it involve water dwelling machines, aka whale-like creatures, etc. The possibility of underwater exploration, visiting California/Nevada, etc...very intriguing.

[@edenromanov]

@@way2bedeed :O That does make sense

[@colboy1fish]

Well good job guys, it is indeed the forbidden west. Nice prediction there.

[@Misterobozo1]

This game is still one of my favorite games ever. Such a beautifully crafted story that kept me intrigued all the way. God of War came close, but this game hit more to home. I don´t feel that a sequel is needed. Of course I want to play more, even play the game again (but for the first time again) to rediscover and be amazed all over again. I like it as is; a wonderful one shot, complete story.

[@shepardcommander5174]

Pan Da but we still dont know who sent that signal that corrupted Hades :O

[@lewismartin3430]

i feel like they did an incredible job setting up for a sequel. with many questions left unanswered deliberately. like who sent the signal to gaia. and what sylens plans to do with hades

[@Misterobozo1]

@@lewismartin3430 I just replayed the game again (because I wanted to see if there were any improvements on the Ps5).. And this time knowing of the sequal coming, I can't wait play and know more. It is still a great standalone game though 👍😊

[@terrainvictus1210]

Good tips for the future - don't make robots that consume biomass - don't give it the ability to self replicate - and don't make it unhackable

[@Shamman_komanch]

Oh i love Silens he's like Varis fom GoT. Controlling the flow of events from the background and using people as pawns to further his own interest.

[@viscousvenom4602]

I never cry at video games, but that moment when aloy finds Elizabeth who is basically her mother, i cry everytime. And the story is just spine chilling to me because it doesnt seem all that crazy when you stop to think about it and that it can easily happen to us.

[@maxreardon1149]

Love this game so much. The Aloy montage is honestly one of the best cutscenes I’ve seen and always brings a tear to my eye and I never skip it. The Zero Dawn reveal is also one I don’t skip and just gives me chills every time. The music in both is a huge factor and in this game the soundtrack is master class. When dealing with the tribe I always go with the angry option that gets as close to saying f*** you, except to Bast he deserves to be belittled and humiliated by being smarter than him. Every time I play through I just never want to actually help the tribe and with everything the tribe has done I also feel Aloy would be the same. Instead of helping near the end I would love to go to Erend or the Carja warden woman and be like “hey let’s go on a date. Ya my tribe is probably dying right now but they ostracized me my whole life so not my problem” but yah can’t do that lol. The Banuk are my tribe and I always wear the chieftains armor just to shove it in the face of the Nora showing they love me and I’m actually a person of importance and power despite the Nora abandoning me.

[@thrawncaedusl717]

I mean, the point is that Aloy is better than that; there’s a reason the developers blocked off those options. She’s supposed to be an almost messianic figure.

[@maxreardon1149]

ThrawnCaedus L yes but at the same time I think she still thinks that same way. In the Dreamwillow and taking on the two sawtooths for the pack of friends she makes it pretty clear that she hates anyone that hates outcasts and would gladly change the whole tribe layout. So they do want us to believe she is better than that but still leaves enough that makes it sound she would consider them her real tribe if a lot of the rules and beliefs were drastically changed. Which is pretty much the Banuk and that’s why she fits so perfectly with them and they accept her pretty quickly. Even though she’s an outsider who went after their chieftain for years they’re like ya she’s cool and a badass. No hard feelings. The Banuk have every reason to stab Aloy in the back but they accept her and even accept that she’s the chief but the other guy is still in charge while we’re away saving the world. Lansra, Resh, and Jun can not accept Aloy until she’s essentially god to them. Even some Braves still call her outcast or motherless after the Proving. I totally understand she has to go back, if only to fix the registry, and save the tribe and the devs couldn’t put in a leave them to die option but honestly I think it could have made for a pretty interesting character development if done in such a way that she realizes she needed them more than she realized and has a breakdown or something. In no way does the final act show me why the tribe should be saved or that Aloy needs them.

[@thrawncaedusl717]

Max Reardon again, it’s not about her needing them, it’s about her being willing to take risks and make sacrifices even for those who hate her. I agree that she hates the tribal system and cares more for outsiders, but I would argue an interpretation of Aloy that includes her despising the Nora and/or viewing their connection to her as based on her needing (or not needing) something from them completely misunderstands the character. She is strong enough (physically and morally) to fight even for those who shunned her, because even though they were/are morally wrong, they are still people.

[@maxreardon1149]

ThrawnCaedus L I mean ya and that’s probably what Rost was saying after we took down the sawtooth and I get it. Again I get it and I’m fine with it. I just wish there had been that option, like in Nier Automata with all the joke endings where you just leave and don’t bother. I’m fine with her doing all of it it’s just also the dialogue never actually makes it clear that she wants to save them. Only that she has to out of duty or because she feels it’s her fault the Shadow Carja went back to take care of the tribe. As a hypothetical if the alpha registry wasn’t in All Mother mountain or anything like that at all would she go back to save the tribe? And also you chose the let them die option while talking to whatshisface in the arena. I honestly don’t think she would in that scenario. She might contemplate it and go over the options but in the end I do believe she would say “eh f*** them I got more important things to do and who knows how many machines and carja are there whereas this other ruin is likely empty and has answers”. She saves her tribe only because they happen to be in the way of where she needs to go. And maybe she actually likes Sona. Just because she is strong enough doesn’t mean she actually wants to do any of that. Strength and will are not mutually exclusive. Now granted I probably do have the wrong interpretation of what the devs had in mind for Aloy and I’m fine with that. I like my version more lol. And it still follows the same path as the real Aloy. With almost every Nora she talks to she has a hint of disdain in her voice unless they’re outcasts then she’s a whole lot more understanding. So to me that flows into my interpretation and even when at the end you tell the guy that we’re fine with letting them die it doesn’t sound weird or out of character. And it also flows into she’s only saving them because the registry is behind the giant door that happens to be where her tribe lives. Again I’m probably wrong and I do see the appropriate Aloy. I just don’t agree and think it’s a little too forgiving for all of the abuses the tribe had done to her.

[@Carabas72]

@@thrawncaedusl717 There's a collosal difference between not liking the Nora, and being totally okay with them being exterminated over something that you did. Because when you get down to it, Aloy is the reason why the Shadow Carja are exterminating the Nora.

[@MogamiKyoko13]

This game is absolutely, at the very least, my favorite title for the PS4. There's so much packed into a relatively small open world. I remember the first time I played Horizon and I stumbled upon, and recognized (!!), the Red Rocks Amphitheatre and just thinking how incredibly detailed the devs had to be to make a landmark instantly recognizable. On a more recent playthrough, I focused more on the logs you find and scan throughout the world and during quests, and had a moment of joyous appreciation for the devs who created such intense world building lore when I actually read the log of the artificial womb and discovered Aloy's birthday (April 4th, 3021). It's so cool to discover there's an actual timeline and it can all be found out in-game rather than from a companion book with extra lore, sold separately.

[@ungusbungus2486]

That means Aloy is about 1,000 years older than Elizabet

[@TeamBuildingwithBITE]

Due to lockdown I finally decided to pick up this game, and oh my gosh! Having the time to put into it and explore every corner of this incredible world, soak in the story and enjoy all of it many little details. I'm sad it's over, and cannot wait for the sequel. I wasn't fussed about a PS5, but now I've played this I will be picking one up the moment HZD2 arrives.

[@robertlupker650]

I literally bought this game when I knew nothing about it, and now I love it

[@Escapistier]

The apocalyptic music that starts at 45:06 .... oh the feels 😭 When you start to realize how dark the story actually is, how humans actually went to extinction. And how there isn't _anything_ to prevent these living human beings from dying in less than two years. Which is a horrifying thought.

[@awesomecodeman]

I think that I'm going to go play Horizon Zero Dawn again.

[@xavierighorodje4638]

Honestly, my favourite game of all time! This game makes me feel nostalgic. It was the first open world game I ever played. The music, the game mechanics.. The story, the game play.. I love every moment of it.

[@saadelmaaqili4051]

Shoutout to this Legend who didn't do any ads for the entire hour and a half log vid

[@miqueeli]

This masterpiece being a PS+ game once was the best thing in gaming. My favorite game in last 10 years - Cant wait for Forbidden West.

[@justiceforallthepeople2642]

HFW was mind blowing

[@winterblitzen09]

@@justiceforallthepeople2642 I'm holding off on the very last storyline quest because I don't want it to end yet 😭

[@justiceforallthepeople2642]

@@winterblitzen09 I know the exact feeling. After the game ended, I had a feeling of emptiness for 2-3 days. But now I have recovered

[@Ncternity]

I've played a lot of games since the SNES, but nothing got me as moved as this game did. Brilliant innovative storylines, great characters, gameplay, world... It is a Masterpiece. Thank you for the video!

[@Deeplycloseted435]

Nicely done. I enjoyed this, thanks. I played through this game once, and have been wanting to again, but want to wait until HZD2 is a bit closer. What was so great about this game for me, was that it exceeded all expectations in every single possible way. It honestly just looked like a pretty game with clunky combat, and some silly story with dino-bots. So wrong. Alloy/Sobek was a great character. The music was so impressive. The way they slowly unfolded the story, time and again, revealing one mystery while creating another, was so well done. I was enthralled. Completely immersed, I bought it completely. In most games I’ll pay a little attention to lore pieces at the beginning, but by the end I’m just trying to finish the game, and no longer care about any lore. Here, I wanted to find everything. I wanted to hear every recording, see every projection, and read every file. I loved that Sylens was sort of a “frenemy”. His character is nicely set up as a potential lead antagonist in the next game, or perhaps he’ll just continue his current role. The combat was good fun, and more challenging at times than I expected. I played normal mode and died plenty of times, usually repeatedly against a few difficult enemies. Scanning an area, counting enemies, seeing their patrol paths, setting traps, developing a plan, and then firing those arrows like a maniac.....it all just worked for me. Best of all, there was no love interest. It was just a mysterious world (is this Earth?), set in an unknown time (when is this?), and unravelling the mystery of where and when we are, along side of Alloy’s search for meaning blended nicely together. This is a AAA game where I actually think the Metacritic is a bit low. Can’t imagine how this wasn’t above 90. I’d put it right up there with, maybe just a tad behind God of War, Red Dead 2, and Witcher 3. People are whining about this game releasing on PC. For some reason people feel like Sony ripped them off. Its ridiculous as Sony is trying to sell PS5’s. Getting a new fan base of non PS4 gamers, creating more hype around HZD2, will only lead to more console sales. The fact that people take it personally, that Sony can do whatever the fuck they want with their IP, is such a 2020 type of attitude.

[@decusq]

Fun story about my time in Horizon. I was passing through the border into the carja lands to pass by some guards and then be set upon by one of those giant bird mechs. I fought this thing for what felt like a half an hour using all my tricks and all my ammo trying to take it down. After i finally did i turn around and see all three of the same damn guards that past me earlier kill a strider and then celebrate it like they saved the world... I felt so angry and I shouted to at the screen "DO YOU NOT SEE THE GIANT BIRD LIKE SUV I JUST TOOK DOWN?!"

[@oggi238]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Yggdrasil42]

Hell, in my case they stole my kill of my first Thunderjaw! I fought that thing as if my life depended on it, and who fired the killing shot? Random NPC guard went home with the XP.

[@bass-tones]

I went into this game soon after its release knowing very little about it, and was completely blown away. It’s not a perfect game, but what it does get right is so, so good. I’m more excited for its inevitable sequel than I am any other game right now.

[@zeregaa]

let's just appreciate how much work got put into making this video