Video, pics, and thoughts... (Gaming)

by Korny , Dalton, Ga. US. Earth, Sol System, Monday, March 06, 2017, 23:54 (2827 days ago) @ CyberKN
edited by Korny, Tuesday, March 07, 2017, 00:02

In the event that you don't own one already, is it worth going out and picking up whatever flavour of PS4 you've been eyeing just for this one game? Yes.

I'd say that it is the reason to get a Pro, if only for the 4k images. The scenery is always gorgeous, and I've been making Wallpapers for myself left and right.

Here's a short video I made of the Photo Mode:

And here are some 4k screens:

The game lets you toggle between a GPS-step-by-step style of waypoints, or a "here's where you need to go; figure it out" style; I only used the former when getting a bit lost in a particularly maze-like dungeon.

I completely removed the HUD and compass. I found that the sense of discovery is greater when I look at the destination on the map, gauge the general direction, and head off on foot. If it's really far, I'll use a mount, with the occasional tap of the touchpad to check on the compass if I get turned around. Lots of fun just to adventure.

CruelLEGACEY:

I can't remember the last time I played an open-world game where I was so reluctant to use the fast travel system. The scenery and locations, the fantastic random encounters that pop up as I travel across the countryside... I don't want to miss any of it. Yet sometimes I feel compelled to fast travel because I'm so absorbed into a specific quest line that I want to do the next mission right now, rather than spend 20 minutes making my way across the map.

Same. I actually really love how they implemented fast travel. The system is there in the form of a limited supply of packs, though you can buy an infinite fast-travel pack from vendors for relatively few resources. I like that they have that option, and like that it's not a thing that you can do by default. If you don't have infinite fast travel on hand, you have less incentive to skip exploration, though the packs that you can pick up give you the freedom to do it once or twice if you really want to. I've avoided it altogether, and it's really helped me feel the weight of my travels. Otherwise I'd be "screw trying to sneak through that pack of Ravagers"; instead, I'm like "I need to get through that pack of Ravagers somehow, and it's gonna suck if I get spotted".
I've gotten murdered so hard trying to sneak through areas, and I've loved every minute of it... Which brings me to your next point...

Combat

Some of my favorite moments in Horizon Zero Dawn are my deaths. How many games can pull that off; making "failure" a highlight? The combat in this game seems deceptively simple at first. But as the game progresses, I began to appreciate all the different layers that are working together, and how much unpredictability that can bring to any given battle. Unlike many action games, the combat in Horizon is just grounded enough that you need to approach the tougher enemies with the due amount of respect (they even say as much through some of the early dialogue).

Most of my deaths have been as a result of failing to respect my enemy, and underestimating just how quickly a simple encounter can escalate. Never drop your guard, even against a lone Watcher (he may not be alone at all).

If I walk right up to a Thunderjaw and start shooting arrows at its face, I'm going to get crushed in under 10 seconds. As such, the game encourages you to be thoughtful and plan out your attacks. And when you do plan out an attack strategy against a dangerous foe, and it works, it feel deeply satisfying.

My fight against my first Thunderjaw was like this. I didn't go in blindly. I littered the arena with traps, got all of my potions, buffs, and weapons organized and loaded... And proceeded to get wrecked. And the funny thing is that despite how much I was getting stomped throughout the fight, it didn't feel unfair. I wasn't being stunlocked, I wasn't being dealt more damage than I would expect from the attacks, and I wasn't firing suction-cup arrows. I simply didn't understand his attacks. He channeled them well enough, but I was unfamiliar with the moves, their range, or the damage they did, and I wasn't ready for how fast it moves (VERY).
In the end, I was able to bring him down, and it felt like such a huge relief. It felt like I had truly earned that victory, because there were many moments where a single hit would have killed me, but thinking on my feet saved me. It was easily the tensest and most satisfying fight since... the last Cauldron boss that I fought...

But then, there are the times when things don't go according to plan, and those moments are even better.

Sammy's Trampler video is a great example of it. What started out as an experiment to find out what a Trampler could do quickly became a struggle to survive an all-out battle against enemies that could harness all four elements, and which kicked up so much dust that it was hard to tell what was dying and when, and all with Sammy caught right in the middle. It was crazy, and much better than the "Oh, they do charge in a straight line, EZPZ!" that we expected (again, we failed to respect our enemy).

I suddenly heard a low, rumbling growl coming from my right, and another behind me. I spun around to find 2 more cloaked stalkers moving in on my. I saw them just as they both pounced at me. I was toast. It was a perfect "clever girl" moment, and it wasn't the least bit scripted.

Same thing happened to me elsewhere. Those Stalkers are scary; they see you a mile away, but if you're not watching them, they can come right up to you and maul you faster than you can say "what was that snapping-branch noise behind me?".
what's even scarier is that they seem to be aware of traps sometimes. I saw one, and decided to lure it to some blast wire. I set up the trap, and exposed myself so it could see me. Instead of taking the bait, it ran in the opposite direction. I ran after it, only to get sniped by another one far off on the right. They had lured me out, and I fell for it. I found out it only takes two quick snipes to kill you. Good to know!

The gameplay in this game is just so good. Why would you want to fast travel and miss moments like these?