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Horizon: Zero Dawn | Review Thread

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ajanke

Member
I'm still in shock that GG wrote a game this well. Maybe I'm a naive plebe, but there werent really any moments outside the Brom scene that I would have changed the writing of any line in the game. It just worked. And there weren't any lingering or badly written plot holes that I noticed. Everything that needs to be explained feels like it is, and there are so many secrets buried in the collectible lore that I'm gonna need a GAF team (probably SoulsGAF) to help me decipher.

I think they got some writers from CD Project Red didn't they?
 

Chobel

Member
Well in that case, it seems to be more a measure of hype than of quality. What I mean by that is if it's based on consensus, culteral consensus, which changes over time as gamer tastes change, then really what is being measured here isn't quality, but hype.

It is a hype meter.

Take a game like Metroid Prime: Federation Force as an example. That game could have been generation and genre defining and yet I would argue the review aggregate would have still been skewed lower based on factors that have nothing to do with the quality of the game.

We get sports games every year that largely get 80+ aggregates and yet very little changes. All those reviews are saying is "yep, the game is the same as you remember it."

What I mean, is the exact same thing you said, which is that it is meaningless as a measure of quality. It measures something. I am just not sure that something is anything useful to me as a consumer.

1566.gif
 

enigmatic_alex44

Whenever a game uses "middleware," I expect mediocrity. Just see how poor TLOU looks.
LMAO some of you need a reality check, the reason this thread is so huge is BECAUSE of Breath of the Wild.

If Zelda wasn't coming out soon this thread would possibly be half the size. (I can't imagine the mess if Zelda reviews worse than Horizon, though that seems unlikely.)
 

martino

Member
I think it's simply just a good quick reference point that the general consensus is it's a bad/decent/good/great game, of course it's not a 100% guarantee you'll like and that's why you should always have a few reviewers who you trust. But I've never really got the hate for review scores, without them I'd just have less of an idea if a game is worth a shot or not, because there's no way I'd have time to read a lot of different reviews or that I'd even want to honestly.

some would want video game review to be like movies. (i am of thoses)
i feel like transformer reviewed like a video game would get 80+. (but this has nothing to do with current thread)
 
113 pages for Horizon review and it is a new IP.

I don't want to be around when the Zelda review hits, good or bad lol

This game was pretty highly anticipated, so I'm not too surprised by the large thread. I think the scores and the high praise contained in the reviews took quite a few people by surprise, too.
 

ironcreed

Banned
LMAO some of you need a reality check, the reason this thread is so huge is BECAUSE of Breath of the Wild.

If Zelda wasn't coming out soon this thread would possibly be half the size. (I can't imagine the mess if Zelda reviews worse than Horizon, though that seems unlikely.)

Sure. It has nothing to do with this game being fantastic at all. Jesus, I hope the OT is purged of this tripe.
 

Voorhees

Member
If Zelda wasn't coming out soon this thread would possibly be half the size. (I can't imagine the mess if Zelda reviews worse than Horizon, though that seems unlikely.)

I would be almost willing to be that it does review worse than Horizon. I would further bet that the vastly different gameplay mechanics being introduced in BOTW are what the clickbait shitty reviews focus on. Depending how it actually plays it might also be divisive enough to ruin the nostalgia factor when it comes to some reviews as well.
 

Floody

Member
some would want video game review to be like movies. (i am of thoses)
i feel like transformer reviewed like a video game would get 80+. (but this has nothing to do with current thread)

I can understand this, but I do think reviewers are getting better at using their entire scale, but I still can't help but consider 70-75 (average score) bad, 75-80 decent, 80-85 good 85+ amazing. Whereas a movie with a 75 would be were good starts for me.
 

Bunta

Fujiwara Tofu Shop
LMAO some of you need a reality check, the reason this thread is so huge is BECAUSE of Breath of the Wild.

If Zelda wasn't coming out soon this thread would possibly be half the size. (I can't imagine the mess if Zelda reviews worse than Horizon, though that seems unlikely.)

This is sarcasm, right?
 

mxgt

Banned
If Zelda wasn't coming out soon this thread would possibly be half the size. (I can't imagine the mess if Zelda reviews worse than Horizon, though that seems unlikely.)

Whatever the result it's going to be a shitpost fest on here because people get way too invested in video games (exclusives mainly) for their preferred platforms.
 

LuuKyK

Member
LMAO some of you need a reality check, the reason this thread is so huge is BECAUSE of Breath of the Wild.

If Zelda wasn't coming out soon this thread would possibly be half the size. (I can't imagine the mess if Zelda reviews worse than Horizon, though that seems unlikely.)

... I really hope you are being sarcastic.
 

hydruxo

Member
LMAO some of you need a reality check, the reason this thread is so huge is BECAUSE of Breath of the Wild.

If Zelda wasn't coming out soon this thread would possibly be half the size. (I can't imagine the mess if Zelda reviews worse than Horizon, though that seems unlikely.)

You can't be serious...
 
some would want video game review to be like movies. (i am of thoses)
i feel like transformer reviewed like a video game would get 80+. (but this has nothing to do with current thread)

I think the differences between games and movies has to do with centers of the brain.

There are obvious differences between an action film and a drama, but the differences between genres and games are much more varied. Games which attempt the Drama genre are derided as "walking simulators". Gamers are gated much more into their own niches and rarely stray from them. A friend of mine has 10 Xbox One games. All of them are FPS. He owns no other games.

Who only watches comedies, dramas or action movies? Maybe a few, but the willingness to cross-genre in film is much higher than with games. That also makes reviews harder to judge because we have had instances where someone is tasked with reviewing a game in a genre they don't understand. Gamespot review scores for Tropical Freeze and Yoshi's Woolly World are infamous because they were written by someone who doesn't understand the material.
 
LMAO some of you need a reality check, the reason this thread is so huge is BECAUSE of Breath of the Wild.

If Zelda wasn't coming out soon this thread would possibly be half the size. (I can't imagine the mess if Zelda reviews worse than Horizon, though that seems unlikely.)

Someone needs a reality check, and it isn;t us. Horizon is going to be big, and zelda is not some juggernaut... Horizon was hype regardless.
 

martino

Member
I can understand this, but I do think reviewers are getting better at using their entire scale, but I still can't help but consider 70-75 (average score) bad, 75-80 decent, 80-85 good 85+ amazing. Whereas a movie with a 75 would be were good starts for me.

yeah i have hard time with video scale....for me 80 should be rare
90 exceptionnal.
if you are not into full emotion and i expect a professional not to be 100 can't happen.
most good games be should be between 50 and 70.
 
It's a great soundtrack -- primitive and orchestral. Suitably epic when it needs to be.

I wanted to mention it in my review, but I was already running long. But I find myself humming and thinking about it during my day.

High praise from the GAFers playing the game.

The soundtrack will not disappoint. From tasteful, ambient orchestral melodies and background music while exploring the wilderness alone to satisfying chimes and sounds during combat, to appropriate arrangements of the Horizon theme and other songs strewn during cutscenes, it's great. I love it. It feels distinct and recognizable, like the Uncharted 2 soundtrack.

thanks. Thats great to hear
can't wait for the soundtrack of this game - the music in the trailer was awesome
 

neurosyphilis

Definitely not an STD, as I'm a pure.
My son and I on the other hand are Nintendo-only. He only seems interested in Nintendo, so he can play Playstation all he wants, he just chooses not to.

Since my wife is a big fan of Tomb Raider (the sole reason I bought an Xbox One for her the Christmas Rise of the Tomb Raider was released), Horizon seemed like a good fit for her. That means I have to research the game, evaluate whether she will enjoy it. She isn't a core gamer like me.
Not trying to be rude, but she sounds more of a core gamer than you are currently. As it seems she's open to playing anything, while you just limit yourself to Nintendo.
 

Bronetta

Ask me about the moon landing or the temperature at which jet fuel burns. You may be surprised at what you learn.
I mean, just remembering a post of yours I read yesterday, you went into a thread where someone was asking whether they should buy NieR or Horizon just to post this.

LOL Unbelievable! He's not a Zelda gusher though, you guys!
 
LMAO some of you need a reality check, the reason this thread is so huge is BECAUSE of Breath of the Wild.

If Zelda wasn't coming out soon this thread would possibly be half the size. (I can't imagine the mess if Zelda reviews worse than Horizon, though that seems unlikely.)

Why is that though? Is it insecurity? You'd think reviewers are reviewing both right now? Kotaku and other review sites mentioned not getting their Switch demo kits until some time this coming week. They are gonna be playing Zelda after coming off the proverbial high this is giving them. Zelda could definitely suffer from that because it is going to be directly compared and contrasted to this a game that is being praised on pretty much all fronts from a technical standpoint and a gameplay one. It is also being praised for having one of the best female protagonist in years!

Is it wise to be so salty before the comparison by reviews start coming out?
 

jayu26

Member
randomengine...
1175.gif


What are you even arguing about anymore? We shouldn't take aggregate as gospels? Yeah, we have known that for a long time. We have ability to do critical thinking as well.

Also, those of us who didn't know, now know thanks to your work.

You keep throwing non-sequiturs about owning different consoles and hype culture, and all it's doing is giving us a window into your life. And conclusion we are gathering is that something about reviews of this game is bothering you from inside.

My very first sentence was to shield this game. This was just a very active review thread with passion on both sides. My initial assessment of Horizon before the reviews were I think the general consensus - looks good, but Guerrilla hasn't made the greatest games. I bought Killzone Shadow Fall at PS4 launch and it sucks.

What I did with the reviews here is take a great, middle and low review, actually read the text of those reviews and try to discern any sort of trend. My impression is that:

  • combat is good
  • open world mechanics are good
  • presentation or story is lackluster or mixed

Which seemed to be my impressions beforehand. Reading the thread at the beginning it looked like it would be a universal acclaim game, but comparing it to the Nioh score and even Doom which is only 3 pts apart. My feeling is that maybe this is a good Guerrilla game, but maybe not one I would enjoy. I would have to rent it to be sure.
BTW, isn't this post kind of aggregating some sort of consensus? You couldn't even help putting in your confirmation bais in this because majority of publications really liked and story and presentation and were in fact surprised by it.
 

Gudji

Member
It's a great soundtrack -- primitive and orchestral. Suitably epic when it needs to be.

I wanted to mention it in my review, but I was already running long. But I find myself humming and thinking about it during my day.

Honestly I haven't stopped listening to the music present in the trailers, it's just too good. I really can't believe someone said in one review, that they didn't remembered a single tune. Crazy.
 

bennibop

Member
Well in that case, it seems to be more a measure of hype than of quality. What I mean by that is if it's based on consensus, culteral consensus, which changes over time as gamer tastes change, then really what is being measured here isn't quality, but hype.

It is a hype meter.

Take a game like Metroid Prime: Federation Force as an example. That game could have been generation and genre defining and yet I would argue the review aggregate would have still been skewed lower based on factors that have nothing to do with the quality of the game.

We get sports games every year that largely get 80+ aggregates and yet very little changes. All those reviews are saying is "yep, the game is the same as you remember it."

What I mean, is the exact same thing you said, which is that it is meaningless as a measure of quality. It measures something. I am just not sure that something is anything useful to me as a consumer.


To be honest if this is your concern why are you in here posting, set up a dedicate thread to your argument. You don't seem to see that you argument in this thread makes you look like your are threatened by Horizons high scores.
 
Not trying to be rude, but she sounds more of a core gamer than you are currently. As it seems she's open to playing anything, while you just limit yourself to Nintendo.

She doesn't play Nintendo. She is Playstation only except for that one time that Rise of the Tomb Raider was exclusive.
 
thanks. Thats great to hear
can't wait for the soundtrack of this game - the music in the trailer was awesome

I've been enamored by the game's main theme since I first heard it, so it's legitimately one of the aspects I'm most excited by. Great soundtracks can elevate a game to the stratosphere for me. I think a good example of an amazing soundtrack largely carrying a game for me is the original NieR. Not that the plot wasn't interesting, but without the GOAT-level soundtrack, it would have been difficult for me to play through the entirety of it.
 

neurosyphilis

Definitely not an STD, as I'm a pure.
LMAO some of you need a reality check, the reason this thread is so huge is BECAUSE of Breath of the Wild.

If Zelda wasn't coming out soon this thread would possibly be half the size. (I can't imagine the mess if Zelda reviews worse than Horizon, though that seems unlikely.)
I wish you people would shut the hell up about Zelda.
 
Whatever the result it's going to be a shitpost fest on here because people get way too invested in video games (exclusives mainly) for their preferred platforms.

Yup, don't know why people get so invested. I'm just happy to see a new ip by GG doing great. And on the other side, I'm glad Nintendo is breaking tradition with BotW. Both games seem excellent and this is the most important.
 

atr0cious

Member
review statistics
This type of post is why random engine just randomly dropped in with all tha, and it has happened at least a couple times in this thread, where a question out quite is answered with just numbers. Accolades from critics means absolute shit to what a product is at the end of the day to the consumer.

You folks should actually read that thread instead of shit posting. He's not even the first, others have already said other games not about thread, yet he's trolling.
 

enigmatic_alex44

Whenever a game uses "middleware," I expect mediocrity. Just see how poor TLOU looks.
Sure. It has nothing to do with this game being fantastic at all. Jesus, I hope the OT is purged of this tripe.

This is sarcasm, right?

... I really hope you are being sarcastic.

You can't be serious...

Someone needs a reality check, and it isn;t us. Horizon is going to be big, and zelda is not some juggernaut... Horizon was hype regardless.

You are so fucking delusional

?

Horizon, Sony's "Zelda", is releasing within 2 weeks of Nintendo's most anticipated game in 5 years which happens to be Zelda. Horizon reviewed well but the comparisons are only getting Horizon more attention.

People are invested in seeing if someone actually manages to make a decent Zelda style game other than Nintendo (Darksiders was the last one that came close) and Horizon turning out pretty good is nice, but the close release of Breath of the Wild definitely has helped Horizon and given it more attention.

Whatever the result it's going to be a shitpost fest on here because people get way too invested in video games (exclusives mainly) for their preferred platforms.

Yup, people get way too worked up over video games.

Just relax.
 

martino

Member
I think the differences between games and movies has to do with centers of the brain.

There are obvious differences between an action film and a drama, but the differences between genres and games are much more varied. Games which attempt the Drama genre are derided as "walking simulators". Gamers are gated much more into their own niches and rarely stray from them. A friend of mine has 10 Xbox One games. All of them are FPS. He owns no other games.

Who only watches comedies, dramas or action movies? Maybe a few, but the willingness to cross-genre in film is much higher than with games. That also makes reviews harder to judge because we have had instances where someone is tasked with reviewing a game in a genre they don't understand. Gamespot review scores for Tropical Freeze and Yoshi's Woolly World are infamous because they were written by someone who doesn't understand the material.

yes ...and it seems to me not a lot of reviewer here really give a shit to rpg...(and it's probably why things labelled rpg today are what they are)
 

SomTervo

Member
LMAO some of you need a reality check, the reason this thread is so huge is BECAUSE of Breath of the Wild.

If Zelda wasn't coming out soon this thread would possibly be half the size. (I can't imagine the mess if Zelda reviews worse than Horizon, though that seems unlikely.)

Zelda BotW honestly hasn't come up that much.

People are actually excited for Horizon for its own merits.
 
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