New Horizon Zero Dawn Info On Story, Skills & RPG Elements

As part of their continuing coverage of Horizon Zero Dawn, Game Informer magazine spoke with developer Guerrilla Games on what players can expect when the game releases for PS4 on February 28th, 2017. They explored details on story and companionship, RPG elements, difficulty, and gameplay variety.

The details on story have been sparse to date as a deliberate move from Guerrilla to preserve a sense of discovery when players play the game for the first time. Players will be uncovering the mystery of what happened to the world along with protagonist Aloy, through playing the main quest as well as side quests that can be obtained from leaders of other tribes in the world. The game will not be a solitary affair, as Aloy will have several connections to memorable characters she meets.

While she learns what has transpired, Aloy will be improving herself through an RPG process that is light but present. As she defeats enemies and completes quests, she will earn experience that can then be exchanged to unlock new skills. The upgrade system will allow her to apply improvements to her weapons and armor, and crafting will allow her to create new items. However, the game will not go too deep with hardcore RPG stat arrays, in favor of a more streamlined experience that won’t be too confusing, keeping a due focus on action.

The game’s difficulty is being balanced for players of all skill levels, with elements like optional bosses available for players looking for a challenge. The game is being designed with a careful learning curve, and players can expect to be able to play the game along a style that suits them, be it stealth or aggression.

The RPG elements and playstyles available are all supported by the skill trees Aloy can put points into:

Prowler is a stealth focused path
Brave focuses on damage dealing and increasing your force with melee attacks
Forager improves your material gathering for crafting and override

Upgrading along these paths unlock new skills and stat boosts to improve Aloy’s effectiveness at engaging the mechanical creatures.

As the weeks go, the game’s core is starting to take shape. We had a chance to witness it in action during the Tokyo Game Show and the game is looking impressive. We’ll keep bringing more on Horizon Zero Dawn as the months come so keep checking back often.

Visit the Horizon Zero Dawn Wiki