Early Analysis – Horizon Zero Dawn

Note: this is an early-stage game analysis and reflection, as I am currently playing Horizon Zero Dawn for the first time.

Overview

Horizon Zero Dawn is an action role-playing game with an expansive open-world setting. Developed as a PlayStation-exclusive title by Guerilla Games, it was eventually released for PC in 2020 and forms the first game in the Horizon series of titles. As a result, I’m coming to the game a few years later than those who’ve already experienced it on PlayStation.

The game’s story takes place in a post-apocalyptic reimagining of Earth in the 31st century and follows the journey of the young protagonist and outcast Aloy as she tries to learn more about who she is.

In this game narrative, humanity has rebuilt itself from some kind of cataclysmic global change. By the time we meet Aloy and her people, it’s clear that a tribal, almost prehistoric lifestyle has taken root once more amongst the remaining people of Earth. Nature has also had a chance to spring forth from the ruins of 21st-century structures, with the world once again looking much more green and vibrant in the absence of roads, skyscrapers, cars and factories.

In stark contrast to this renewed growth of all things ecological, giant robotic beings that resemble animals also inhabit this new world and coexist in a delicate balance with humans. Known as “machines”, these beings are incredibly technologically advanced from a 21st-century perspective. However, all of our present-day technology is considered to be remnants of a bygone age by the tribal communities we meet in Horizon Zero Dawn. Humanity’s efforts to live alongside the machines are under threat, thanks to the increasing aggression and hostility some machines are beginning to display. The cause of this is as-yet unknown.

Personal Context

Although I have only played the game in its early stages so far, it’s given me plenty of food for thought already. The realisation that one day, life, as I know it now, will be thought of as a period of ancient history, is one of the more profound messages of this narrative experience. Then there are the questions of environmental and technological decay and the impact of our modern-day lives on the future that’s to come.

I wanted to reflect on some of the aspects of the game narrative after having played Horizon Zero Dawn for around sixteen hours and making it to the main Carja tribe city of Meridian. I plan to revisit this analysis to give a fuller discussion of the story and its outcomes after completing the main storyline at a later date. For now, I’ve broken down these initial reflections into the following areas of thought.

What I like about the game narrative so far

• The early presentation of Aloy’s character is excellent. Right from the outset, she’s positioned as a figure with a secret about herself that she yearns to discover. Cast out from her tribe as a baby, she has no idea what she did to deserve the shunning she’s received from her people her entire life. The way that her past is depicted as a puzzle that she has to solve is really interesting; no one will help her or give her the answers she deserves. I really like how emotionally-rooted for her that particular problem is and how pressing it feels for players to help her find a way to solve it.
• The cyclical nature of past and present is really thought-provoking stuff. Horizon Zero Dawn presents the future of the human race in an entirely different way from the stereotypical ideas of a far-flung, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi version of humanity. Suppose someone told me this was an action RPG set in the 31st century with a post-apocalyptic theme. In that case, I think I’d be forgiven for assuming it’d be tapping into genres such as cyberpunk, biopunk or space opera, for example. However, Horizon Zero Dawn’s take on the evolution of humanity is quite fascinating in taking us, as a people, way back to our more primitive, natural-world oriented roots. It makes sense; what if there’s only so far that technology can take us before it all ends and we’re forced to start over from scratch?
• I’m enjoying how the worldbuilding and story setting effectively serve the wider narrative. There’s a duality between the beautiful and the mechanical to be explored in this game. Additionally, Aloy’s explorations can reward players with the discovery of fragments from the past. For us, these “ancient artefacts” are instantly recognisable as mugs, bracelets, keys, watches and other items. It’s compelling to realise that in this game’s world, our everyday objects are considered to be antiques.
• The linear thread of the main story is enjoyable and works as a grounding constant in a world where there’s so much to explore and discover. Additional side quest content is also an option, which helps with learning more about the world setting and putting together the pieces of what happened to Earth in the game’s past.
• Dialogue interactions give an indication of how the player’s choice of answers will shape Aloy’s personality. This is a great way to give some player agency over Aloy’s characterisation. I’d like to see this make a difference or have an effect on things at some point later in the game.

What I might do differently

• I think it’d be helpful to have an explanatory cinematic at the beginning of the game to give some context on the world setting and its history. However, if this is something that players can piece together through the discovery of items and artefacts over the course of the story, then it makes sense to omit this.
• It’d be useful to be able to save the game from the main menu settings at any point, rather than having to find a campfire. On the other hand, this level of realism shows a commitment to the story; out in the wilderness, you wouldn’t be able to just stop and take a break until you’d found shelter somewhere. Perhaps this campfire-based save mechanic is a conscious choice to enhance narrative immersion.
• Dialogue interactions feel a bit long at times. This is likely a personal preference, but sometimes NPC conversations take a while to get to the point, without enough snappy back-and-forth chat.

Exploring the game’s building blocks

I find it helpful to examine the fundamental components of the game as a whole to see how they work together in communicating the overall narrative experience.

• Mechanics – Aloy’s combat skills and interactive mechanics feel well-designed and cleverly rooted in her world setting. Exploration, climbing, abseiling, harvesting resources and wielding weapons feel intuitive and in keeping with the tone of the story’s environmental setting. Additionally, Aloy’s special Focus scanner provides players with a vitally useful survival and tactical mechanic. This toggleable headpiece allows Aloy to learn more about items from the “Old Ones” as well as identify different types of machines, along with their strengths and weaknesses. It enables a tracking ability that helps Aloy discover and follow trails, as well as highlight the patrol patterns of dangerous machines.
• Story – The story so far works incredibly well with the other elements of gameplay, in that it evokes a genuine curiosity about the world setting and its inhabitants. The dramatic events that have occurred up to this point have also succeeded in creating a sense of immersion, plus a strong interest in and anticipation of what could happen next on Aloy’s journey. I’m interested to see how her character develops over the course of the adventure, particularly as she starts to (hopefully) get some long-awaited answers as to why she was cast out and who her parents were.
• Aesthetics – Worldbuilding and environmental design are spectacular and underpin the ‘decayed future’ narrative premise really well. The clash of vibrant natural textures and futuristic mechanical creatures is a bit jarring at first, especially with the addition of humanity’s tribal culture and its villages. However, the overall aesthetics paint an engaging picture of a unique world that’s hard to resist exploring; exactly what the story requires players to do.
• Technology – The game feels highly responsive and intuitive whilst playing, with a minimal UI which allows for a much more immersive experience. Implementation of the map as a screen from within the menu feels like an interesting choice and works well for immersion; no minimap on the main screen means exploration feels more authentic.

Aspects of this game I’d want to implement in my own work

• An immersive and expansive open-world environment.
• Innovative enemy concepts.
• A refreshing take on a far-flung future, with questions on the cyclical relationship between humanity and the natural world, or man’s relationship with artificial intelligence.
• Using items dotted around the world that shed light on a setting’s historical past or events in the game’s timeline. Context is a useful tool to experiment with, and discovery is a fun mechanic in its own right.

Summary

So far, the playable experience I’m having in Horizon Zero Dawn has been highly enjoyable and intriguing. It has taken a little while to get my bearings with the game’s general premise and narrative direction. However, now I’ve got more of a connection with the world that Aloy is living in, I feel as though the game’s story is really starting to make more of an impact.

I’m most looking forward to seeing how Aloy’s character develops further and how the machines tie into the narrative with additional context. I feel like there must be more to why they continue to exist in a world where the rest of technology from the 21st century and beyond is now obsolete.

In general, though, Horizon Zero Dawn is shaping up to be an exciting and thought-provoking experience, with plenty to consider and learn from in terms of how the narrative works alongside and complements the gameplay. Central to this will be my understanding of Aloy, her motivations and how far she’ll go to uncover the secrets of her past. While the story of the game world is what’s most compelling to me right now, I also hope that it’s her story that’ll pack the bigger emotional punch the more I play Horizon Zero Dawn.