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[Horizon Forbidden West] Burning Shores - Out Now!
The land is dying. Vicious storms and an unstoppable blight ravage the scattered remnants of humanity, while fearsome new machines prowl their borders. Life on Earth is hurtling towards another extinction, and no one knows why.
It's up to Aloy to uncover the secrets behind these threats and restore order and balance to the world. Along the way, she must reunite with old friends, forge alliances with warring new factions and unravel the legacy of the ancient past – all the while trying to stay one step ahead of a seemingly undefeatable new enemy.
As a mega-fan of Horizon Zero Dawn, I have been eagerly anticipating Aloy's second chapter - and now that it's here, I figured we needed a new thread for it. Let me use this opportunity to share a few resources:
"Horizon Zero Dawn - The Story So Far" (YouTube: Suggestive Gaming) - I spent an hour watching this recap of the first game, the Frozen Wilds DLC, and the more recent Horizon comics before jumping into HFW; it's a beat-by-beat recap of plot points and lore, much of which I had actually forgotten. Worth a watch if you want to catch up (there are also shorter, 15-20 min recaps from sites like GameSpot and IGN on YouTube).
Lego Tallneck - Coming May 1, 2022 for $79.99. Give it to me.
I'm off to Vermont for a few days (the Frozen Wilds!), so I may be delayed in updating the OP if anyone wants to add any resources or has any feedback... but hey, stop reading the OP anyway and go play HFW.
I played a few hours today but plan to dive way in starting Monday. Feels great so far - and looks absolutely amazing.
It takes a while to really get going but it definitely spends that early slow build-up capital really well once it does. Lots of wonderful little quiet moments and locations that work because the game takes time to build everything up slowly, fantastic characters as well, every damn npc looks so good and is acted so well, it’s great. So happy to be back in this world.
I'm not very far in, just did the first side quest and some exploration in the beginning area.
First off, that side quest was very fun. Was a nice little mini-setpiece dungeon type thing with some story.
The motion capture is goddamn incredible. I don't know how they achieved this. Some of these characters look like real people.
I turned on "always show climbing nodes" or whatever in the menu and I'm not turning it off. I like it better this way, Aloy always has the focus on anyways.
I turned on "always show climbing nodes" or whatever in the menu and I'm not turning it off. I like it better this way, Aloy always has the focus on anyways.
On that, there's no 'always show pickup icons' option, is there? I've developed the nervous twitch of tapping R3 like I'm sending out constant sonar pulses.
While I appreciate that the game marks my map when I come across something I don't have an item for, I feel like it's happening so often that the game is telling me "No fuck you. Stop exploring and go do the main quest"
Last night I was getting frustrated with the same shit I was getting frustrated with from the first game. . .then I did the main quest and opened some stuff up and was like, "Okay, I can start digging it." I then fiddled with the HDR settings in-game and finally the color exploded, and I was like "Alright, finally seeing the graphical punch." "Completed" the first town and now I'm firmly in the "Jesus, is this the largest jump in quality from an first to second game in the history of gaming?!*"
. . .because that is what it is feeling like. The weapon wheel for example. I thought "Alright this is fantastic," then saw that the split elemental weapons and was like, "What the fuck!" and finally (after unlocking some weapon mods and upgrading) landed on "How many times have you ONLY needed Tearshot Arrows and wasted a single slot for them! You don't have six weapon slots - you have six options to now mix and match crowd control for a variety of enemy encounters." The traversal is still dog shit, they've double-downed on that stupid fade to black when saving (used to only be for Quicksave, now it's for Manual saves too) and Aloy stopping dead in her tracks to drink feels dumb (instead of just slow jogging), but everything else is coming together. I can see some people not liking how they've gone full RPG-mode but this is just such a leap over the first game that I think these criticisms are going to fade into the background after - well not after 10 hours because somehow I've already logged that amount of time and have 4% completion, but maybe the 20th or 30th hour.
(*No. That distinction belongs to The Witcha 2. But this is a close second. . .second.)
In less fun bug news, I may have hit one for side mission progression? Apparently I should have gotten an early one from a conversation with Petra, but she hasn't said a thing about it and the area I'm supposed to go to to do it is locked off.
Edit: Nevermind, it was waiting for story progression
Whyyyyyyyyyyy couldn't they have made it so you can tag caches in forbidden West?
And I was so excited to not have to spend so much time slowly looking around in focus mode having seen a preview where the focus was used like a pinging thing instead of "slow to a halt because you can easily miss any number of things if you don't stop and move at 1/10 speed and look everywhere" mode. Turns out the pinging is completely useless, particularly if you turn handhold highlights on in the menu.
I think I might need to set Forbidden West aside and give the gameplay a break after just 100%ing Zero Dawn this past week (ended up getting the ng+/ultra hard achievements by just blasting through the main quest line and ignoring everything else). It could just be I'm burned out on the gameplay, which, while having some aesthetic and nominal changes, are largely the same (I'm sure it opens up later when you have access to more skills). Which isn't an inherently bad thing, but it's just a lot!
Sure is purdy though! And while I can definitely notice the difference in resolution and detail in resolution mode, once you move that 30fps motion blur camera even slightly, all that detail is meaningless. Good for looking at the pretty things, but imo useless in gameplay. Performance mode, 100%, is the way to go.
I think I'm just past the prologue and the facial animations and gestures are next level. They don't always stick the transitions between moods, and the lighting is still a little buggy (in one transition the white balance changed between camera cuts in the same scene, which was disorienting), but it looks really good on my PS4.
I've clearly forgotten how to play this game on a console unfortunately. I am incredibly awkward moving, switching weapons, and my aiming would make even baby Aloy shake her head. The verticality is interesting but I'm not sold on it yet--we'll see, it's still early.
The machines seem much more deadly this time around--or maybe it's because they're assuming you have half a clue going into the game. I'm sure if I was just off the back side of Zero Dawn with a controller I wouldn't feel this awkward.
Overall, I'm quite satisfied so far, so here's hoping I don't end up fucked like Aegeri did because that sounds like a bug.
I played HZD on the PS4 when it came out, with a controller. Than played it again this year on PC with KBAM. It's been...a transition to going back to controller for PS5. I miss the precision the PC offered.
Well I had a strange thing happen last night while playing. Playing PS5 in performance and noticed it was hitching a little fps wise. By the time through this story encounter which puts you up against a couple of machines my FPS was like 3-4.
I ended up having to reset after I literally played the fight all the way through. Hasn’t happened since or ever before.
I have to say, I feel like my equipment has been surpassed by machine armour and weapons very early compared to Zero Dawn in this game. A very brutal four way fight against apex machines was more difficult in this game than anything on the hardest difficulty in Zero Dawn.
I'm definitely finding myself having to pay a lot more attention to inflicting status ailments much earlier in the game than I did in HZD, when I really only cared about it in Ultra Hard or in the DLC.
Non-story spoilers
The game also gates you a LOT more than HZD did, so you can't just like, run to all the hunting grounds, get a bunch of the best equipment, then be set for the rest of the game
Also is literally everybody thirsty for Aloy? Jesus.
Have you met Aloy? She's brilliant, she's beautiful, she's humble, and she's saved the lives of literally everybody she's met an average of more than once.
I'd almost say the game needs a series of Mass Effect romance options.
Story progression question:
In story-gear terms, I just got the glider (and am now spelunking in the first Cauldron I can find to get some override options). How many main quests do I want to do to get the underwater breathing thing? I saw it in trailers, and oxygen meters give me enough anxiety that I'm just avoiding water until I can find it.
Posts
I played a few hours today but plan to dive way in starting Monday. Feels great so far - and looks absolutely amazing.
And once again…holy shit the mocap on the faces
Also yes give me that Lego tallneck
John Carpenter continues living his best life as a retiree who games like a loon. And remains a man of exquisite taste.
First off, that side quest was very fun. Was a nice little mini-setpiece dungeon type thing with some story.
The motion capture is goddamn incredible. I don't know how they achieved this. Some of these characters look like real people.
I turned on "always show climbing nodes" or whatever in the menu and I'm not turning it off. I like it better this way, Aloy always has the focus on anyways.
this game has Warhammer
. . .because that is what it is feeling like. The weapon wheel for example. I thought "Alright this is fantastic," then saw that the split elemental weapons and was like, "What the fuck!" and finally (after unlocking some weapon mods and upgrading) landed on "How many times have you ONLY needed Tearshot Arrows and wasted a single slot for them! You don't have six weapon slots - you have six options to now mix and match crowd control for a variety of enemy encounters." The traversal is still dog shit, they've double-downed on that stupid fade to black when saving (used to only be for Quicksave, now it's for Manual saves too) and Aloy stopping dead in her tracks to drink feels dumb (instead of just slow jogging), but everything else is coming together. I can see some people not liking how they've gone full RPG-mode but this is just such a leap over the first game that I think these criticisms are going to fade into the background after - well not after 10 hours because somehow I've already logged that amount of time and have 4% completion, but maybe the 20th or 30th hour.
(*No. That distinction belongs to The Witcha 2. But this is a close second. . .second.)
Varl shaved. What The Fuck.
Like the first page is the last page, upside down. Maybe I got the ultra rare collectors misprint?
xbl - HowYouGetAnts
steam - WeAreAllGeth
Edit: installing now. 2 disc install projected to take over an hour aaaaaaaaa
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
MORE CHALLENGERS! BRING THEM TO ME!
This was my exact thought when I played Machine Strike. They added basic Warhammer to Horizon.
Horizon 2077?
Steam | XBL
Fuckin' got em
In less fun bug news, I may have hit one for side mission progression? Apparently I should have gotten an early one from a conversation with Petra, but she hasn't said a thing about it and the area I'm supposed to go to to do it is locked off.
Edit: Nevermind, it was waiting for story progression
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
I have a bow with Tear ammo, but to unlock it I need a hard to get component from a machine that requires Tear ammo to knock it off.
Everyone knows that the Yeet is a traditional hunting method.
Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/id/TheZombiePenguin
Stream: https://www.twitch.tv/thezombiepenguin/
Switch: 0293 6817 9891
Got the new tool and immediately forgot how to use it
Lol
Also LOL at "yeah I lost all the cool shit I had between games" but only because you always, always, always have to rebuild your equipment loadout.
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
The OG Hunter Bow arrows do some great tearing, actually, especially if you slot a Tear Coil on it.
Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
Can't wait until I get to kill one of the (big machines that show up in the opening area)
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
And I was so excited to not have to spend so much time slowly looking around in focus mode having seen a preview where the focus was used like a pinging thing instead of "slow to a halt because you can easily miss any number of things if you don't stop and move at 1/10 speed and look everywhere" mode. Turns out the pinging is completely useless, particularly if you turn handhold highlights on in the menu.
I think I might need to set Forbidden West aside and give the gameplay a break after just 100%ing Zero Dawn this past week (ended up getting the ng+/ultra hard achievements by just blasting through the main quest line and ignoring everything else). It could just be I'm burned out on the gameplay, which, while having some aesthetic and nominal changes, are largely the same (I'm sure it opens up later when you have access to more skills). Which isn't an inherently bad thing, but it's just a lot!
Sure is purdy though! And while I can definitely notice the difference in resolution and detail in resolution mode, once you move that 30fps motion blur camera even slightly, all that detail is meaningless. Good for looking at the pretty things, but imo useless in gameplay. Performance mode, 100%, is the way to go.
Origin: Galedrid - Nintendo: Galedrid/3222-6858-1045
Blizzard: Galedrid#1367 - FFXIV: Galedrid Kingshand
I heard it in a couple places but I couldn't figure out what it was trying to tell me.
I was standing right under a climbing spot at least once though.
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
He can team up with Burch and revive her old "Hey Ash, whatcha playing?" show.
Carpenter can play the Ash part, and Burch can be the foil this time. He can even remaster the synth score.
I played HZD on the PS4 when it came out, with a controller. Than played it again this year on PC with KBAM. It's been...a transition to going back to controller for PS5. I miss the precision the PC offered.
I ended up having to reset after I literally played the fight all the way through. Hasn’t happened since or ever before.
I'm definitely finding myself having to pay a lot more attention to inflicting status ailments much earlier in the game than I did in HZD, when I really only cared about it in Ultra Hard or in the DLC.
Non-story spoilers
I'd almost say the game needs a series of Mass Effect romance options.
Story progression question: