Horizon Zero Dawn thrust players into a gorgeous post-apocalyptic world full of murderous machines and warring tribes. Despite being released back in 2017, it’s still a popular RPG with a growing fanbase, which is why it’s not surprising that there are some unpopular opinions about it.
The title has sparked debates and discussions on Reddit about various aspects of the game. From its focus on cinematics to its convenient mounts, there’s no shortage of unpopular opinions from players. As fans wait to hear more about its sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, it’s the perfect time to look back at some of the more controversial points of view about the original game.
Horizon Zero Dawn Is Beautiful And Boring
Whether it’s small details like Aloy’s hair or stunning aspects like the machines’ designs, there are many things that make Horizon Zero Dawn a beautiful game. Adenidc agrees that “Horizon Zero Dawn is beautiful,” but points out that it’s “boring.” They explain how “all the towns feel the same” and “all the enemy encounters feel the same.”
Most players would agree that the various locations and enemies in the game don’t feel the same at all. The main biomes — alpine, tundra, and desert — all have a different feel and present different challenges for fans who explore them. The skills needed to defeat a Strider differ from the talent a player would need to bring down a Deathbringer.
Ted Faro Should Stay Dead
Ted Faro is the annoying antagonist from the game who’s presumably long-dead. He’s responsible for unleashing the Faro Plague that destroyed the earth and likely perished in his bunker after murdering the last few scientists on the planet. The Redditor elisabetfaden thinks that he really “is dead” and “should stay dead.”
Only Horizon Forbidden West can answer whether or not the villain really died of old age in his bunker. There are some ways the game can bring him back, though. Sylens mentions cryogenics at one point or they can even create a clone of him as they did with Aloy. If he does come back, most players would say it would be satisfying to make him pay for his disastrous mistakes.
Mounts Should Be Unwieldy
Being able to Override a variety of creatures in Zero Dawn is one of the best parts of the game, as it’s a lot of fun to watch Aloy run through fields and mountains with her Charger or Strider. According to The_okayest_okay, “mounts should be unwieldy” and be difficult to use since “they’re not built for riding.”
It wouldn’t make sense to make the main mode of transportation in the game difficult to use. Since Overriding machines essentially means hacking them, Aloy should have full and efficient control over the creatures. Since there aren’t a ton of traversal options in the title, it’s impressive that they’ve perfected this specific feature.
Horizon Zero Dawn's Characters Are Forgettable
Part of what makes Zero Dawn’s post-apocalyptic narrative so compelling are the memorable characters players encounter throughout the game. Austerellis isn’t too impressed by them, though, as they think most of the characters players “meet throughout the story” are
“completely forgettable.”
From Erend to Sun King Avad, there are several unforgettable characters who help Aloy along her journey. They each have their individual struggles within their tribes and if fans play their cards right, they come together in the end to help defeat HADES (another noteworthy character).
Horizon Zero Dawn Focused On Cinematics Too Much
A remarkable part of Zero Dawn’s main story and its many side quests are the visually stunning cinematics that comes with them. The user azius20 states that they might have focused on the cutscenes a bit too much, saying that there’s “little gameplay and so much cinematic” moments in the game.
Most players would say that the cinematics greatly add to the appeal of the title. They make the stories more immersive and entertaining to watch and do nothing to take away from the hours of exciting gameplay that the critically-acclaimed title is known for.
Aloy Doesn’t Show Enough Emotion
Aloy has been through some unbelievably tough situations in her life, from being exiled as a child to the way she learns about Elisabet’s fate. The Redditor do_moura19 believes she doesn’t show enough emotions, comparing her to the protagonist from The Witcher games by saying “she does a better job at not having emotions than Geralt.”
While Aloy doesn’t laugh or cry as much as some fans may expect her to during stressful situations, most players may recall her difficult childhood and how Rost trained her to be stalwart. She keeps her emotions in check because she has to in order to survive, but she does still have some moments of vulnerability, like when she cries as she listens to Elisabet’s last recording.
Horizon Zero Dawn's Beginning Was Too Slow
The user TMusic007 says that they “think the game suffers from a poor several hours after the beginning,” as there isn’t a “big story reveal” that happens like the ones shown towards the end of the game.
Many players would agree that experiencing Zero Dawn’s gorgeous environment as a young Aloy is an enjoyable experience. Falling into an abandoned bunker and learning bits and pieces about the world, finding her Focus, and getting a stern warning from Rost is certainly an exciting start to the thrilling game.
The Final Battle Is Disappointing
The battle that leads up to Zero Dawn’s ending, one of the happiest video game endings in recent memory, is an epic one, as the characters that players assisted throughout the game come together to defeat HADES. The Redditor TezzaMcJ felt “a little disappointed” by it though.
Most fans would say that it’s the highlight of the entire game, as defending the fort from hordes of machines controlled by HADES is an exhilarating experience. It’s moving to see how all of the side characters Aloy encountered and helped have shown up to risk their lives in the multi-part fight.
Clearing Camps Is Fun
A deleted Redditor has a truly unpopular opinion about the several encampments scattered around Zero Dawn’s world. They think that they’re among the few who “actually enjoys clearing bandit/eclipse camps,” and they’re probably right.
While the first few Eclipse encampments are interesting enough, they eventually become repetitive and start to feel like an unnecessary chore. It’s similar to the way the Far Cry games have been criticized for their boring and unimaginative camps. There are only so many ways to infiltrate encampments, which all start to feel the same after a while.
There Are Too Many Machines
Horizon Zero Dawn has hundreds of well-designed machines in its post-apocalyptic world. PatheticMr says that there are “too many” of them, making the environments feel “claustrophobic.” They go on to say how it’s not realistic that people would survive in such a place where aggressive machines can be found every few meters.
Fans may remember how Aloy’s world wasn’t always saturated by killer machines. It was only after the Derangement that they started to become hostile towards people. Considering how old Aloy is, this has only been a little over a decade and the characters have been vocal about how hard it is to adapt to their new hostility. It makes sense to have so many of them around because of this narrative, but it also adds to the gameplay, as there wouldn’t be much to do while roaming around the world if the machines weren’t around.