The difference for me is that biome 6 at least felt like you had space most of the time. There was more shit coming at me, but I generally had room to avoid it. A few of the fights in biome 5 I felt a lot more boxed in.
well the stars aligned last night. i'd been making slow, stubborn progress through the game but i carried some momentum through biome 5, clearing it for the first time, and then just... kept going. to the credits.
had to gamble on facing the end boss with no consumables, but i had leech rounds II and high protection. and let's be honest. when you're on a roll, there's no going back...
anyway it was all pretty well timed, since my first day back teaching was today and i'm not sure how well i was coping with the unresolved tension
this is a truly great game and a world i'll be revisiting often
i wound up missing a weapon - number 6? any spoilers?
I think you pick that up in one of the early biomes with the unlockable upgrade in the last.
Once you've beaten Ophion, the cargo bay in Helios is open, and if you go through you pop up back in biome 1.
I completed Act 3 on the weekend after being so close to giving up on the last collectible, the fact it's so randomly hidden combined with there being a point of no return in the level was doing my head in but got through.
This game is fantastic and frustrating and hard but fair.
I will not be attempting to get the platinum.
Chairman Meow on
Switch Friend Code: SW-3944-9431-0318
PSN / Xbox / NNID: Fodder185
If you've beaten Act 3, whatever's left in the trophy list will probably just come with time.
If it's the one for finding all logs, you can find guides online for a rough idea of where to look for what you're missing.
One that kept eluding me was in Biome 1, where it only seemed to spawn if you died and respawned in that biome using the bio-reconstructor; I'd always avoided using those in the first biome because it felt like a waste of ether.
Yeah, it just seems like it would be a lot of time hoping the RNG gods are kind. I'm happy to move on to other games for now, may well revisit it if some DLC comes out or something.
Chairman Meow on
Switch Friend Code: SW-3944-9431-0318
PSN / Xbox / NNID: Fodder185
firstly i totally love this world and all of its implications and ambiguities. that's not necessarily something i always adore, but the puzzle gets more lucid, more detailed, more interesting with every piece - it encourages a concrete reading, it doesn't resist it. it's such a perfect narrative design for this game
the second ending kind of made me question my timeline.
in my head, Atropos cleanly worked as a post-accident dissociative fantasy. it was selene's way of dealing with prolonged hospitalisation, rehabilitation and grief after the accident. the motifs: spines, bandages, beds, the Severed - all support this.
the cyclical chronology is clear and really apt here. her mother's accident - the one that stripped her ambition and turned her into a bitter monster - echoed selene's, and that terrible fate amplified selene's need to disconnect from a horrible reality
much of that remains true. but thinking of a few things - specifically the clocks, always stuck at the moment of the accident, and the late image of her hand emerging from the lake could support the idea that all of this occurs in a strange instant. perhaps the old-god like entity in the lake gave her this experience as the gift she needed to cope? a cathartic revenge on her past traumas, made manifest so she could move on to her new ones?
i think i need to watch the house sequences again...
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.
Posts
had to gamble on facing the end boss with no consumables, but i had leech rounds II and high protection. and let's be honest. when you're on a roll, there's no going back...
anyway it was all pretty well timed, since my first day back teaching was today and i'm not sure how well i was coping with the unresolved tension
this is a truly great game and a world i'll be revisiting often
i wound up missing a weapon - number 6? any spoilers?
I completed Act 3 on the weekend after being so close to giving up on the last collectible, the fact it's so randomly hidden combined with there being a point of no return in the level was doing my head in but got through.
This game is fantastic and frustrating and hard but fair.
I will not be attempting to get the platinum.
PSN / Xbox / NNID: Fodder185
If it's the one for finding all logs, you can find guides online for a rough idea of where to look for what you're missing.
One that kept eluding me was in Biome 1, where it only seemed to spawn if you died and respawned in that biome using the bio-reconstructor; I'd always avoided using those in the first biome because it felt like a waste of ether.
PSN / Xbox / NNID: Fodder185
actually cleared the entirety of B3 including the challenge room for the first time, which was *very* cathartic...
firstly i totally love this world and all of its implications and ambiguities. that's not necessarily something i always adore, but the puzzle gets more lucid, more detailed, more interesting with every piece - it encourages a concrete reading, it doesn't resist it. it's such a perfect narrative design for this game
in my head, Atropos cleanly worked as a post-accident dissociative fantasy. it was selene's way of dealing with prolonged hospitalisation, rehabilitation and grief after the accident. the motifs: spines, bandages, beds, the Severed - all support this.
the cyclical chronology is clear and really apt here. her mother's accident - the one that stripped her ambition and turned her into a bitter monster - echoed selene's, and that terrible fate amplified selene's need to disconnect from a horrible reality
much of that remains true. but thinking of a few things - specifically the clocks, always stuck at the moment of the accident, and the late image of her hand emerging from the lake could support the idea that all of this occurs in a strange instant. perhaps the old-god like entity in the lake gave her this experience as the gift she needed to cope? a cathartic revenge on her past traumas, made manifest so she could move on to her new ones?
i think i need to watch the house sequences again...
i'm really grateful for the way it treats the puzzle of the narrative - that is, downplayed in relation to the tone, metaphors, intertextuality etc
opened my eyes to a couple of things - cool details mostly, but it's a very meaningful reading
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.
"23 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting HFW" (Kotaku) - Really nice starting resource and some really useful tips.
"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.
"Machine Strike: All Pieces and How to Play" (PushSquare) - I haven't actually looked at this guide yet, but I will. Seems like a really thorough resource for HFW's in-game minigame.
Hope everyone has a blast returning to the wonderful world of Horizon and exploring the Forbidden West.
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.