Though I bought the Horizon Zero Dawn DLC Frozen Wilds as soon as it came out, I didn’t play it, because the drive in the PS4 Pro failed (there’s a subject for another post sometime!). I absolutely loved Horizon Zero Dawn, so much so that it was the first game I ever earned a Platinum Trophy for. On a PS4 Pro with a 4K HDR TV, it looks spectacular and is super fun to play.
The Frozen Wilds DLC is a great addition. While the area is much smaller than the full game’s map, it is still huge with tons to do. The story is pretty compelling, too, though I was in no hurry to complete it. I did all the side quests I could and completely levelled up before entering the path to the final story missions.
One of the amazing things with the Frozen Wilds is that they made it a challenge, even for those of us that finished the main game. At the end of Horizon Zero Dawn, you can solve a few puzzles to get a really nifty armor set that has a shield that regenerates over time. With this armor, I could take down a Thunderjaw without losing any health. Yet the devs found a way to nullify the huge advantage of the armor in the DLC (at least sometimes). Also, the new machine enemies are pretty great and can be quite a challenge. That damn final boss fight was so challenging that I nearly smashed my controller – the thing just didn’t let up attacking me during the fight. I felt a serious sense of accomplishment after that!
Having been to the real-world places in the main game and in the DLC, I really enjoyed seeing sights I knew and loved, even if they are rusting or destroyed in the game world. The game’s setting and environment is top notch and worth the price of admission alone. The gameplay is also great fun – I loved pretty much every aspect of it. The story, while maybe somewhat stolen from mediocre science fiction, offered surprises and was quite compelling. All the little goodies left around the world told a very human story of the people around before…
Horizon Zero Dawn is pretty unique in how it makes me feel. By the end of the story, my Aloy was quite the badass, yet I still felt anxious wherever I went, because the machines were always watching and I didn’t want them to attack me. It felt right that I wasn’t able to walk anywhere with impunity in this harsh, but beautiful world.
If you haven’t played Horizon Zero Dawn, I highly recommend it. It is a reason to buy a PS4 if you don’t have one. And if you have a 4K HDR TV, get a PS4 Pro to play this beautiful game.