Sony has been on an absolute rampage this console generation, releasing a litany of brilliant exclusives that have gone on to augment the quality of the PlayStation 4 and cement it as one of the greatest consoles of all time. From Bloodborne to Ghost Of Tsushima — there’s no shortage of the sheer number of amazing games that have graced us in this generation.
One such title that was recently released on the PC after around three years of exclusivity is none other than Horizon Zero Dawn, a new IP that introduced players to a new world full to the brim with robotic dinosaurs, which is exactly as awe-inspiring as it sounds. Controlling Aloy from humble beginnings as players slowly understand the intricacies of the world around them is a brilliant example of stellar world-building, and Guerrilla Games should definitely be praised to the moon and back for crafting such an amazing world.
10 The World Map Was Originally Almost 50 Times Bigger Than Its Current Size
A rather interesting piece of information about the game is the fact that the world map was initially going to be incredibly massive — to be more exact, it was supposed to be 50 times the size of the current world map.
However, Guerrilla Games also wanted to add interesting stuff throughout the entire map without any empty spaces, which would’ve been too much of a challenge with such a massive map. So, the size of the map was reduced and it fell to the art direction team to make the world feel as massive as possible.
9 The Bandit Camps Were Mostly An Afterthought
The only hostile creatures in the game were supposed to be the robotic dinosaurs, but Guerrilla Games soon realized that the combat would become too saturated with just one type of enemy.
This is why human enemies and bandit camps were hastily integrated into the game — an aspect that most people consider to be one of the more lackluster experiences in an otherwise shining gem of a title.
8 The Game Is The Biggest Piece Of Media Ever Produced In The Netherlands
Guerrilla Games is a Dutch developer, and the 47 million euros that were invested into the making of Horizon Zero Dawn have made it the biggest and most expensive form of media ever produced in the Netherlands. To say that the investment paid off would be quite the understatement, given the game’s wildly positive reception.
7 Aloy’s Character Model Is Based On A Dutch Actress
Aloy’s character model is quite memorable indeed, and most fans would be forgiven for thinking that her character design is completely original.
However, the truth is that a Dutch actress by the name of Hannah Hoekstra actually signed off her likeness to Guerrilla Games, so that it could be used in the title. Given that Aloy has blossomed into something of a gaming icon, it’s safe to say that this was a good move on her part.
6 The Game’s Ideation Took Quite Some Time
During the time when the initial ideas of Horizon Zero Dawn were bearing fruit, another title by the name of Enslaved: Odyssey To The West was released with similar themes and motifs. Not wanting to seem unoriginal, Guerrilla Games decided to focus on a more steampunk aesthetic. But that niche had also been covered by The Order: 1886.
Thankfully, Sony realized how worthwhile their initial pitch was, and gave Guerrilla Games all the support they needed to make this idea a full-blown reality. Thus, the world of Horizon Zero Dawn came to be.
5 There’s A Reference To Jazz Jackrabbit In The Game
One of the co-founders of Guerrilla Games, Arjan Brusse, worked on a little-known game called Jazz Jackrabbit way back in the 90s. So, it only goes without saying that there would be an obscure reference in Horizon Zero Dawn to this classic title.
There’s a mining camp that the player attacks after meeting War Chief Sona. Near this camp is a Metal Flower, and just next to this collectible are two rabbits that are just frolicking around. Scanning them reveals their names to be Jack and Jazz, which is as on-the-nose of a reference as can be.
4 The Connection Between Horizon Zero Dawn And Death Stranding
Another title that Horizon Zero Dawn is quite closely related to is Death Stranding, with the latter even going so far as to using the same Decima engine as a base for their title.
In fact, Horizon Zero Dawn even has three collectibles that reference Kojima’s divisive title — the Stranded Necklace, the Stranded Shackles, and the Stranded Figure. It’s a neat little addition that shows how Sony-backed titles are interconnected.
3 Most Of The Early Machine Designs Looked Like The Deathbringer
The Deathbringer is one of the more “normal” enemies in the game, which is a testament to how brilliant and unique the enemies in Horizon Zero Dawn really are.
According to the developers, pretty much every early enemy design mirrored the Deathbringer in some way or the other, which made the act of fighting them more like a battle as opposed to a hunt. Since Guerrilla Games wanted the player to feel more like a hunter in a post-apocalyptic world, these early designs were scrapped in favor of more animalistic machines.
2 Aloy Was Supposed To Ride A Real Horse In The Game
During the game’s development, the idea of Aloy riding a flesh-and-blood horse was toyed around with.
However, this was discarded fairly early on, since this would imply that more people would roam around on horseback, and the idea of roaming around on a mechanized mount would’ve been shelved as a result.
1 The Game Was Going To Be Co-op At One Point
Perhaps the most unexpected thing that most people don’t know about Horizon Zero Dawn is the fact that the game was originally going to be a co-op title.
Thankfully, Guerrilla Games realized that the content in the title would’ve been severely impacted if that was the case, and the idea was thankfully nixed in favor of the story-driven single-player experience that we’ve all come to love.
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