Beat that Boss

Initially, Horizon: Zero Dawn comes across as the same sort of formulaic, post-apocalyptic romp that has become familiar territory in the world of video games. Often, we, as gamers, are presented with a bleak vision of civilization crumbling, of towering skyscrapers smashed into dust by any number of extinction level events. We've explored the radioactive ruins of Washington D.C. and, more recently, Boston in the Fallout series. We've trudged across an entire country filled with mutilated humans deranged by a fungal infection in The Last of Us.  We've experienced a nearly overwhelming amount of disaster scenarios that have wiped out civilization as we know it, from zombie outbreaks to alien invasions. And in each one, our protagonists are faced with an unending tide of misery and man's inhumanity to man juxtaposed with shimmering moments of humanity. Regardless of whether or not the story of each game even acknowledges the massive departure from reality that these si...

Riding a mechanical bull across the pastoral highlands of Horizon: Zero Dawn, I spot a herd of grazing machines alongside a riverbed. Dismounting, I crouch in a patch of tall grass analyzing the composition of the herd. Laying a series of trip wires, I work my way around them to the opposite river shore and prepare to attack one, hoping to drive them into my traps. Just before I'm about to let fly my arrow, something catches my eye in the river, a submerged and rapidly approaching series of lights. Suddenly, a massive mechanical crocodile lunges from the river, smashing into me with deadly force and sending me flying. Moments like this really make Horizon: Zero Dawn shine and marks only a single moment out of many in one of the best games I've ever played. Characterization Done Right Horizon: Zero Dawn focuses a lot on Aloy (pronounced Ay-Loy), the main character who Sony desperately wants to become another brand icon like Nathan Drake or the Helghast. Fortunately, Alo...