Hunter Vs. Hunted

Horizon Zero Dawn.

- Ian Chee

Beauty, this side of the horizon

If you’re a hunter like me, you’d probably make the mistake of thinking Horizon Zero Dawn plays like Monster Hunter; you set out hunting creatures beyond human reckoning, using materials salvaged from the hunt to craft weapons for future hunts. While this is true in its loosest terms, diving into the world of Horizon Zero Dawn with this mindset is a mistake, as this is an entirely different beast altogether, to be hunted on its own terms. This simple fact is both a good and bad thing, but we’ll start with the former first.

The world of Horizon Zero Dawn is one of immense beauty, with rich, vibrant colors that you’d easily lose yourself in, especially if you’re a bit sick of the dull gray concrete jungle. What the game offers is an actual jungle bustling with life and greenery, with a sprinkle of snow white and desert brown, and a splash of golden sun rays when the time is right.

And the right time makes return visits in the form of day and night cycles and dynamic weather. The latter comes in multiple forms, depending on where you are at any given time. The jungles will be embraced by healing rain that also obscures sounds, the desert plains buffeted by sandstorms that only slightly limit vision, while the snowy altitude gets falling snow that’s just simply pleasant to the eye.