300°

PlayStation Is Winning Me Back, Only In Reverse Order

As a proven original property that’s now sold over 20 million copies, and a bona fide PlayStation classic that’s spawned an (allegedly) brilliant sequel, Horizon Zero Dawn certainly doesn’t have much left to prove.

SullysCigar703d ago

It's a stunning game and has come a long way since the first game. Traversal alone has been hugely overhauled, with beautiful underwater vistas, gliding and flying mounts being particular highlights for me.

I love it and I'm hopeful Horizon Call of the Mountain on PS VR2 will be a high quality VR game too.

--Onilink--702d ago

While definitely a big improvement in traversal over the first one, climbing still felt pretty bad compared to recent games that allow free climbing. This felt more like old AC games.
The mounts were nice, though I would have liked the flying mounts to appear sooner and be involved in more quests.

As for the story, still not sure I liked some of the twists and the pacing. Way too many antagonists with all of them having remarkably little time to shine too.

I’d say it was a solid 8 for me. Enjoyed it and while it enhanced the gameplay mechanics, I think I prefer the first one, its a much more focused game than this one, which felt it suffered a bit of Ubisoft syndrome (of expanding everything and loosing focus and pace). Thankfully most of the side missions were entertaining.

Charlieboy333702d ago

Well you can't expect Aloy to be able to climb EVERYWHERE.....this isn't a Spider-man game.

jBlakeeper702d ago

All of the villains appeared in like two scenes early in the game and then reappeared right near the end. It felt rather strange to me.

--Onilink--701d ago

@CharlieBoy

I dont expect Alloy to climb everywhere, just look at the recent AC games.
Mountains and stuff like that allow free climbing, while man made structures didnt.
Here the climbing is just like old AC games, push the stick in one direction and what the character do everything (and somehow still flail about jumping to parts that weren’t intended or getting stuck just at the top even though nothing should stop her from finishing the climb)
As for climbing in man mande structures, that part was fine I suppose, more puzzle like. If anything, what I felt was a problem there (and it applies to other stuff) is that they made a game so dense and busy, that it basically forced them to go the route of obviously colored climbable parts, while simultaneously still needing to constantly ping with the radar and the most annoying (and easily solvable part) a character who wont shut up with the solutions to what you need to do.
Its a game that wants to give the appearance of giving you freedom and at the same time is absolutely terrified of actually allowing you to go your own way and get lost or creative

Charlieboy333701d ago

@Oni If they were so afraid of you going everywhere then why did they provide a flying mount with the ability to glide down to anywhere?

--Onilink--701d ago

@charlieboy

The flying mount that is unlocked in like the penultimate mission in the game?

Stanjara701d ago

Charlieboy333 - Genshin impact - mobile game - climb EVERYWHERE.
Aloy - the same rock two feet away, but can't... I can't - hair goes crazy.

Knushwood Butt701d ago

Pushing up on the stick, then Aloy jumping sideways, is just weird.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 701d ago
Christopher701d ago

I really think some people here should read the article. While it does praise Horizon Dawn, it's primarily focused on how they've found themselves more attached to games w/o stories, just straight gameplay. It is not an article about how they got back into PlayStation because of current games.

itBourne701d ago (Edited 701d ago )

Although much much improved, traversal was probably still the worst part of the game (Which goes to show how freaking great the game was) ... Ironically I didnt think about it as much in the first game because I knew the mechanics. Where as in the second one, all I seen was yellow like Uncharted, but mechanics were hit and miss on how I wanted to navigate (I get Uncharted is tons more linear).. and the flying mount is freaking amazing, also removes climbing almost entirely, really this game only suffers from its own astounding self lmao... (story is a broken mess and should of been 2 games but characters and interactions are utterly amazing, whole different book)

--Onilink--701d ago (Edited 701d ago )

Yeah, story is just weird how it was all over the place, introducing a lot of villains and not giving any of them proper time.
Sylens, Regalla, Sons of Prometheus leader that got relegated to a side mission, hephaestus, Quen guy, Z’s, then a more specific Z and then the twist at the end.
Not a single one of those villains had a decent arc and time in the story.
It honestly feels like the Oseram guy from the first city had more time to shine than most of the ones above haha

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 701d ago
702d ago Replies(2)
Silly gameAr702d ago

I'm just glad people are coming back to this game.

ibrake4naps701d ago

Probably the most beautiful game so far

ClayRules2012701d ago

Yes, you might be right. It’s so beautiful, I just can’t get over how beautiful it truly is. A sight to behold and masterpiece of visual art.

saint_seya701d ago

Probably it is (Rachet looks amazing too), but cant believe how GoW looks, even tho is a PS4 game (its my first time playing it, since didnt get a PS4 and i got my PS5 yesterday. Cant wait to see how Ragnarok will look on PS5.

Knushwood Butt701d ago

Haven't played GoW for a while, but I remember several points where my eyes almost popped out.

derek701d ago

There are way too many games available on playstation that appeal to a wide variety of taste from 1st and 3rd party to be complaining about a lack of variety. I generally find arguments that opine for a return to the past to be misguided and unconvincing.

Retroman700d ago

Say. What do Opine mean??
Did you mean "Open"???

Show all comments (35)
280°

DF Weekly: Do we actually need The Last of Us Part 2 and Horizon Zero Dawn remasters?

With the details we now have in terms of features and pricing, I don't think there are any significant concerns remaining - just that perhaps that the term 'remastered' in the title is a little misplaced. Essentially, what we're dealing with here is broadly equivalent to a release along the lines of Death Stranding: Director's Cut. It's the original game with a dash of extra content and additional visual modes that tap into the power of PlayStation 5.

Read Full Story >>
eurogamer.net
-Foxtrot145d ago

Bloodborne, Infamous, Killzone, Resistance, Puppeteer, Jak and Daxter etc are all better choices

Even a full on remake of Drakes Fortune I’d take

PrinceOfAnger145d ago

killzone 2/3 definitely a better choice, i have recently finished the games on pc and thought about that, a full remake like demon souls is even better

darthv72144d ago

2&3 are still fine... I'd take the first one as a full remake before the others. They could flesh out more of the backstory that the sequels touch on. Even go deeper into the lore of Helgan.

specialguest144d ago

KZ 2/3 would be amazing. KZ 2 was a graphical masterpiece back then. With today's modern tech, all of those tricks Guerilla Games did to create the effects like the lighting, storm effects, etc, they could now be done in real-time and more realistic

Cacabunga143d ago

Killzone 2-3
Golden Abyss remake
Infamous 2

RaidenBlack144d ago

Uncharted 1 still got a decent remaster for 8th gen ... a remake is not that much of a requirement ...
instead remake candidates should be from 5th or 6th gen
and as for proper remasters (not just lazy res upscale): Killzone 2 & 3 obviously and also Resistance/inFamous (as well as MGS4 :P)

-Foxtrot144d ago

My point with the list is that I’d rather see those titles than what we are getting…titles which are only 3-5 years old and still hold up today

CrashMania144d ago

Sony own the Demons Souls and Bloodborne IP, I wish they'd do something with Bloodborne at the very least.

vfl523144d ago

The way you worded that makes me think you don't realize they already remade demon souls

144d ago
GamingSinceForever144d ago

Not one of those will sell more copies than TLOU2 Remaster. The sooner we realize that these gaming sites and their followers are less than 1% of the buying public the better off we’ll be.

Sure we prefer newer titles but this is business and a business is what Sony is running.

JackBNimble144d ago

Don't you think they could be doing something better with their time and money, like maybe making something new? Or have they become lazy and just reliving the past with the same old games over and over.

Gez ... do something fresh and new already .

notachance144d ago

I'd rather for them to go Square Enix route and remake/remaster their PS1 libraries instead of these unnecessary remaster

come on, legend of dragoon..

Gamingsince1981144d ago

What's with the "need" anyway ? This is video games, no one needs them at all, we need water , we need air, we don't need games.

Barlos144d ago

I would love a remake/remaster of KZ1. For its time it really pushed the PS2 hard and because of that it had a few issues. This is begging to be given the Bluepoint touch and brought up to date. I'd love to see an updated Killzone trilogy collection for sure.

Yi-Long144d ago

Sony killed the game and the studio behind it, but a Remaster of the excellent Driveclub would absolutely be my favorite release if it happened. Just a delicious racing game.

FinalFantasyFanatic143d ago (Edited 143d ago )

So many better choices, I can't fathom why reasonably recent games are getting picked over Classics that are more deserving.

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 143d ago
Battlestar23144d ago

Well I want a Horizon Zero Dawn remaster especially if it's an upgrade to Forbidden West Graphics and Animation.

144d ago Replies(2)
Duke19144d ago

Nope. But HD remasters are an easy cash grab that the masses shovel cash for because while they complain about remakes, they still buy them

PRIMORDUS144d ago

Not if they release on a platform that never received the original in the first place like PC.

46player144d ago

No complaint here, I want the updated graphics.

Ra3030144d ago

My thoughts on this is do we need Richard Leadbetter's or Digital Foundry's opinion on anything........ever? I know I don't they do nothing for me and never have.

specialguest144d ago

You may not, but tons of people do since the video has 4,700 Likes to 112 Dislikes

Chocoburger144d ago

That guy is a buffoon, DF Direct is the best gaming podcast around. I look forward to it every week.

BehindTheRows143d ago

By that same token, some may not NEED remasters, while others may/do.

Amplitude144d ago (Edited 144d ago )

DF videos are typically absolutely amazing game reviews first and foremost. They have great intros, explain the mechanics well, tell you if they enjoyed it or not (I usually vibe well with John's games personally), and then they have the best tech breakdowns of a game's performance which is very very important to me. I want to know what settings to run at on PC, and on PS5 I wanna know if the 60fps mode runs well or not because if it doesn't... well I'll just get it on PC (If it isn't completely broken there too). DF Retro is also always unbelievably interesting and super well edited and inspired my YouTube channel which just crossed 1200 subs (wooo!). They helped me a lot with understanding game development and got me interested in goofing around with game engines and PC building in general back in the day.

I don't mean any offence by this but you sound like somebody who skims their analysis videos, selectively scrolls to the stats, says "who cares?", and then closes it. Or possibly somebody who watches (stolen) cut clips on TikTok? Even if you are somehow unaffected by blurry images and fluctuating frame rates (some people are and I envy you) I recommend watching a full DF episode one day. They're extremely interesting and I watch literally all of them even if I have no interest in the game.

VonAlbrecht144d ago

"I personally don't enjoy this extremely well-presented and highly informative content so it shouldn't exist."

-Ra3030, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee

Show all comments (66)
80°

Joris de Man on composing music for the Horizon series

In the video game industry, where visual design and game mechanics typically grab the limelight, the significance of music in enhancing the overall gaming experience is often underestimated. Music can be a key component in the player’s emotional connection with a game. It amplifies emotional impact, heightens tension, and can be a powerful driver of narrative. We’ve had the chance to speak to Joris de Man, a renowned Dutch composer best known for his work on the Killzone series, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and its sequel Horizon: Forbidden West. During the Game Access conference in Brno, we talked about the process of composing music for video games and how he created the harmonies that have shaped some of our most beloved gaming experiences.

Sonic1881310d ago (Edited 310d ago )

To keep using him as the music composer in their games.

ChronoJoe309d ago

Joris seems like a great guy. I spoke to him briefly once about how much I loved his music and he was really friendly/humble.

230°

20 Years of Guerrilla: The Story of a PlayStation Studio

The Amsterdam-based studio reflects on its humble beginnings, beloved franchises, and growth through the years.

Read Full Story >>
blog.playstation.com
SullysCigar350d ago

Up there with the top tier in the industry. Love Guerrilla Games - Horizon Burning Shores is simply STUNNING.

1Victor350d ago

Can’t wait for their next franchise

SullysCigar350d ago

Same. They nailed it with Horizon. The trouble is I also want a new Killzone! Can't I just have it all?!

jznrpg349d ago

I’m with you I want Horizon 3 , Killzone and new IPs

badz149349d ago

I have yet to play Burning Shores as I just started Forbidden West (bought at launch, just unwrapped last weekend LOL) and playing on PS5.

man...I still can't believe the graphics especially now I'm playing it on my LG OLED. that graphics and with stable performance backing it up, GG really is the master of their craft!

Vengeance1138350d ago

32.7M sales in the Horizon franchise! With 8.4M coming from Forbidden West alone! Truly a hugely successful game and franchise as a whole. Looking forward to Horizon III

Shane Kim350d ago

That's kind of a huge drop though. It's only been two games.

VersusDMC349d ago

One year after realease HZD sold 7.6 million.

https://www.noobfeed.com/ne...

So not a drop off.

Unless you're saying a HFW should have sold as much now as HZD sold in 5 years?

Vengeance1138349d ago

It's been 3 games, this includes Call of the Mountain. Also no, its a great improvement over HZD.

solideagle349d ago

lol you are comparing:

HZD: 28 February 2017 - May 2023 (6 years+)

HFW: 18 February 2022 - May 2023 (1 year+)

We will see if it surpass original number.

Phoenix76349d ago

@shane, 2 full main games, 2 DLC add ons, 1 VR spin off game, oh and a an official LEGO set.
Not too bad for an ip that's only been on market for 6 years

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 349d ago
REDGUM349d ago

Wow, very impressive. I didn't know the numbers were so high for Forbidden West. Still playing through it myself

thesoftware730350d ago (Edited 350d ago )

Yooo, when I first saw that Killzone 1 footage at E3, my friends my brothers and I were like, Holy shit! When it came out, it didn't look exactly like it, but we sunk so many hours into 1 & 2.

I even liked Killzone: SF, it was a spectacle to look at, and even today it looks good. I hope they make a new one. Can you imagine how that will look, and they can get some modern FPS pointers from Bungie.

blacktiger349d ago

thank you fps lover, I'm with you

talocaca349d ago

Such a wonderful studio. They deserve all their success.

The Decima Engine is absolute 🔥 I'm just mad they have abandoned Killzone.

OzzY-waZZy349d ago (Edited 349d ago )

Kinda wish they move on from Horizon tbh.

potatoseal349d ago

They are probably working on mutiple projects. One of them is Horizon 3, but another is a multiplaer game and probably somehting else.

Imalwaysright349d ago

There were rumours that they were working on a Socom reboot.

Show all comments (47)