Beauty and Dangers in the World of Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the most beautiful games I have ever played. The other day, while playing, I wondered what the next step in gaming graphics would look like. Do we even have any room for improvement at all? Games already look like beautiful pictures in every frame. There are so many details, amazing, realistic models, animations, lighting, and textures; everything feels like it has reached a point where we cannot go much further. Maybe the upcoming GTA will push that standard even higher.

Anyway, I have a lot of shots to share with you today. Let me start with one where Aloy is admiring some flowers we came across in the game.

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I love the way nature is slowly reclaiming the sites of lost human civilisation.

That is even more evident in the next shot, where a piece of metal scrap is rusting slowly but surely. I am proud of this one. Let me know if you liked it too.

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The landscapes in this game are gorgeous. There are many different biomes. You have already seen the green grasslands, but there are also thick forest areas.

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Not just lush forests and green valleys, you will also find a large desert that spans most of the centre of the map. I even have an entire post dedicated to showing the small details in this desert biome. Its edges blend with the other biomes quite well.

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Because the draw distance is quite large, sometimes you see sights like the one above, where a desert lies in front with snow-clad mountains in the background. It looked a bit funny to me at first because it is not the most realistic landscape, but giving variety without making players explore too huge a map is fine. As a developer, you have to find that balance.

My favourite biome would be the snowy peaks. I love the big mountains. Those huge mountain ranges form natural borders for the map, and I prefer this option over invisible walls. And just look at those beautiful peaks in the background.

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The day-night cycle is well executed, too. I love the fact that you can change the time in photo mode, which makes shots like these possible.

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Sunrises and sunsets are the best times to take pictures in the game, in my opinion. I love the above shot of the sunrise during a foggy morning. The tree shows how humanity, in these tough times, has become more superstitious and gone back to its roots.

Here’s another sunrise shot during a storm. I didn’t use any filter in these; this is just how the natural light in the game looks.

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Of course, there are many dangers in this beautiful world. Aloy needs to keep an eye out for them all. Not only the machines, but also rival clans and bandits who want you dead.

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Aloy is more than capable of taking down these human enemies. They don’t pose much of a threat anyway. The major conflicts are with the dangerous machines that are hostile towards humans. Taking them down is the best part of the game.

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Sometimes these machines can even help you in combat. All you need to do is learn how to override them from specific buildings and then use your tools to make them fight alongside you.

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There are also large tribes attempting to rebuild this fallen world, and some have already constructed massive structures.

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Let me know if you liked these shots and which one is your favourite.