Horizon: Zero Dawn is coming to PC this Friday, August 7th, a victory lap release after enjoying three years of praise as one of the top open-world RPGs on the PlayStation 4. PC gamers will find themselves exposed to a bounty of weapons and craftable ammo right from the start. Get the jump on building out Aloy's arsenal with this beginner's weapons guide.
Choosing your Bow in Horizon: Zero Dawn
After a few training missions, Aloy will be outfitted with her first weapons - a spear and a bow. The spear does not have any purchasable upgrades with merchants, but that doesn't mean it won't get stronger. However, the bow is the lynchpin for combat throughout the rest of the game and there are many ways to upgrade it. Note that arrows can be harvested by collecting Ridge-Wood throughout the world. The bow branches off in a few directions of skill type - hunter, war, and sharpshooter. Players should look to upgrade hunter and sharpshooter types first, as understanding elemental weaknesses to maximize the war bow takes a little time. Hunter is a basic quick action bow, and Sharpshooter is great for enemies at a distance.
The Tripcaster in Horizon: Zero Dawn
After upgrading the bow, the Tripcaster is a great second purchase. It's a good tool for learning elemental weaknesses, and also grasping basic strategy when it comes to immobilizing the machines. Players can pin a trip line between two points, which will then deal different types of damage such as shock or blast. These trip lines are again craftable ammunition, found by combining Wires and Shards with Blaze or Sparker. There's a lot of in-world terms that go into crafting in Horizon: Zero Dawn, but the information is doled out in small doses and the resources are certainly aplenty as players explore.
Blast Sling and Heavy Weapons in Horizon: Zero Dawn
Heavy weapons do work more late-game when trying to paralyze large beasts for specific parts. The Blast Sling sends clouds of explosive damage, which is good for dealing with large groups. The Ropecaster is meant for the toughest, meanest machines out there. This is a good mid-game pick-up, and essential for some of the bonus lodge quests down the road. The Rattler is a big damage at close-range gun, the kind best matched with some upgraded armor towards the end of the game.
Aloy's Arsenal in Horizon: Zero Dawn
All weapons, bows, slings, casters, etc. are purchasable by rarity - green/uncommon - blue/rare - purple/very rare. Some weapons come from main quests while others are unlocked by doing side quests, particularly the lodge quests across the map are worth keeping up with as players unlock new areas of the map. Keep an eye on resources and always be looking to upgrade the bow to your playstyle to get the most out of Horizon: Zero Dawn.
Horizon: Zero Dawn is available on PlayStation 4 today, and available on PC August 7th, 2020.