Horizon Zero Dawn is absolutely massive. From the moment the game begins you are instantly drawn into this breath taking, post apocalyptic world. One of the many things I love about this game so far is that is so “post apocalyptic” that it gives a more Far Cry vibe than, say Fall Out 4. Everyone wears fur clothes and lives in small settlements made from wood and stone, and yet at the same time theres things that make you constantly aware that these are descendants from a very technological past. Yes they wear fur skin clothes but those clothes are also adorned with scraps of metal to help protect them from the dangerous dinosaur-like machines roaming the wilderness around them. Even weapons are a clever mix between primitive and tech; spears are made with strong chunks of wood but the actual blade is made from metal, held together by wires and thread.

This game does a beautiful job of mixing the two, its beyond impressive. Playing through Horizon and discovering a vast variety of new enemy machines can only be compared to the first time I watched Jurassic Park and saw the dinosaurs for the first time. It can literally give you chills. Its almost instantly immersive. You just want to play and learn more and never leave your TV. Its not something you can just put your finger on, it’s the combination of all the parts to make the whole. The graphics are some of, if not THE BEST I have ever seen for a console game, the characters are interesting, the story makes you want to learn more, the machine like enemies are incredible and the gameplay is some of the tightest, fluid mechanics I’ve ever seen. All of these, and more, culminate into something wonderful.

For a more in depth look you’ll have to wait for my review (coming soon), but for now, I figured it would be helpful to give some tips and advice on what to do first in the deadly world of Horizon.

A Few Things To Do First

When you first start the game, the world can seem intimidating. Focusing on a few things at the start will set you up for an easier experience in the long run.

After the tutorial missions, Aloy has 3 skill points at her disposal. I highly recommend putting these into Silent Strike, Concentration, and Low Profile. Some may say to get Lure Call first but you have rocks man, and they’re literally everywhere, pick that shit up. Silent Strike allows you to, well, silently kill an enemy from cover without alerting others. Concentration lets you temporarily slow time to give you a few extra seconds to line up your shots. Low Profile makes you harder to detect, this I have found to be most helpful while hunting machines, and paired with Silent Strike makes you feel like a friggin ninja, well kind of.

It’s also important to note that upgrading your bags can be most helpful while exploring the first area. The Expanse is the starting area but also the easiest one to hunt and scavenge for supplies. The enemies in this area aren’t a huge threat so exploring and grinding is a breeze. If you’re having trouble finding upgrade materials, simply select the material in your menu and a kind of “quest” will pop up allowing you to see where the best spots are to get that item.

Tutorials are an awesome, super easy way to gain XP fast. When receiving a new weapon simply scroll to the tutorials section of your quest log and complete the task assigned. It’s never anything to demanding, you basically just use the weapon “X” amount of times and watch the XP roll in. It’s a simple way to level up early on.

It’s important to keep an eye out for Power Cells as well. The first one can be found in the cave you fall in as a child. Revisiting it after the tutorial section will grant access to the first of 5 power cells. Simply back track until you find stalactites blocking your way into a room. Smash them with a swing of your spear and the Power Cell is yours, as well as a few boxes of great loot. Collecting all 5 of these allows you to get the best armor in the game! Who wouldn’t want that?!

Lastly, make sure to purchase the Carja SharpShot bow as early as you can. You can buy it from the trader past the Embrace gate. The Sharpshot bow comes with TearBlast arrows which will be extremely helpful against the larger enemies like Ravagers, ThunderJaws and Glinthawks.. seriously, those guys are assholes.