Horizon Zero Dawn: the Frozen Wilds: Review

In many ways, I see Horizon Zero Dawn as a return to form for Guerrilla Games. Their previous title, Killzone: Shadowfall, had an interesting narrative concept and looked visually stunning, but in the end the game was shallow and boring, with a generic plot and even worse characters. Not a good way to send off the Killzone universe.

Thankfully, Horizon Zero Dawn blew this previous disappointment out of the water. Despite its ridiculous name, the game is probably one of my favourite open world RPG’s since Fallout: New Vegas; it has a marvellous story, interesting and varied characters, and hunting the machines was challenging but always rewarding. Aloy is a refreshing protagonist, exchanging the stereotypical grizzled burly men for a young, confident woman who is idolized and cosplayed around the world – a Lara Croft for a new generation, if you will.

I didn’t even mind the randomised loot boxes, because they gave the player random resources for crafting, sometimes currency or modifications, and best of all could only be bought with the in-game currency. The only way this game was predatory was by encouraging the player to become the greatest machine hunter in the world.

Guerrilla Games, 2017

And now we are served up yet more shiny prey in the singular expansion for the game, entitled the Frozen Wilds. In this, Aloy and the player are given access to a new play area called “The Cut”, a cold region populated by the Banuk, one of the more mysterious tribes from the base game. This area is based loosely on Yellowstone National Park, complete with geysers, hot springs, and the prismatic pools that make the park famous. And it is lovingly recreated in The Frozen Wilds. The colours of the Grand Prismatic starkly contrast the dull rock and crisp white snow, and new geysers have opened up inside the ruins of the welcome centre, adding a sense of the surreal to the area. The constant snow and the heights of the mountains, combined with the geological activity, make Aloy seem like such a small part of this world. The environment team at Guerrilla should be extremely proud of their work.

But it’s not just about the graphics. Aloy’s story isn’t continued, more broadened. The main story of The Frozen Wilds is separate from the central plot of the main game, instead fulfilling the role of an elongated side quest. Whilst initially disappointing for me, after a few hours of playing I changed my mind. Gaining a deeper insight into both the Banuk tribe and the greater world of the Old Ones was a joy, and it did what an expansion should do: expand the game, not make it feel whole.

Guerrilla Games, 2017

The expansion adds a new skill tree called the Traveller. This tree focuses not on becoming one with a magical space beach ball, but on resource gathering and management, which is super handy. Whilst The Frozen Wilds is allowing the player to collect more wire and blaze canisters, it is sneaking up on them with three brand new machines to get completely stomped on by. There is the Scorcher, which for all intents and purposes is a coyote made of fire and hatred. This machine is fast, aggressive, and only has fire based attacks, making it the most overpowered and terrifying machine in the game. Then there is the Frost and Fireclaws; these are giant bear based robots that are challenging and brutal to fight. Thankfully, they are worth taking down due to the massive amount of resources the player is rewarded with.

On top of these deadly new machines, there is a “Daemonic Possession” afflicting the other machines in “The Cut”. Mechanically this is more or less the “Corruption” from the base game, just recoloured, but it adds some freshness to fighting the original machines, and new challenges against the new beasties.

In summary, The Frozen Wilds is just more Horizon Zero Dawn in a broad sense: instead of continuing the story, it expands it and provides for more than just Aloy’s story, but the story of the game world. Its stunning visuals and enticing gameplay make Horizon Zero Dawn a strong contender for Game of the Year, and more of that is never a bad thing.

All images sourced from the Horizon Zero Dawn: the Frozen Wilds press kit.