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Horizon Zero Dawn - The Story So Far (What You Need to Know to Play Horizon Forbidden West)

Suggestive Gaming・48 minutes read

Aloy embarks on a journey to uncover her identity, confront those responsible for attacks, and ultimately deactivate HADES, preventing a second extinction, while Talanah finds her true calling in hunting, defending Meridian, and accepting a dangerous contract.

Insights

  • The story of Horizon Forbidden West and Horizon Call of the Mountain is set in a post-apocalyptic United States in the year 3021, focusing on Aloy, who discovers a Focus device in the ruins of the Old Ones, enhancing her vision and providing crucial information about the world.
  • Aloy's journey involves uncovering her origins, seeking out those responsible for attacks on her and a woman resembling her, and confronting powerful adversaries like HADES, leading to the revelation of Project Zero Dawn and the role of Dr. Elisabet Sobeck in rebuilding humanity.
  • Aloy's quest to deactivate HADES, stop a potential second extinction, and discover the truth about her past culminates in a final battle, symbolizing the victory of humanity and the end of corruption, with Sylens capturing HADES for further investigation.

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Recent questions

  • What is the main storyline of Horizon Zero Dawn?

    Horizon Zero Dawn follows Aloy, a young hunter in a post-apocalyptic world, as she uncovers her origins and seeks to confront those responsible for attacks on her and her tribe. The game delves into themes of identity, survival, and the clash between nature and technology.

  • Who is the main protagonist in Horizon Zero Dawn?

    The main protagonist of Horizon Zero Dawn is Aloy, a skilled hunter who embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about her past and the events that have shaped her life. Aloy's determination, intelligence, and resourcefulness drive the narrative forward as she navigates a world filled with mysteries and dangers.

  • What is the significance of Aloy's Focus device in Horizon Zero Dawn?

    Aloy's Focus device plays a crucial role in the game, enhancing her vision and providing information about the world around her. This advanced technology, left behind by the Old Ones, allows Aloy to uncover hidden secrets, track enemies, and gain insights that aid her in her quest for truth and justice.

  • How does Aloy's relationship with Rost impact her journey in Horizon Zero Dawn?

    Rost, Aloy's mentor and guardian, plays a pivotal role in shaping her character and skills. His teachings instill in Aloy a sense of independence, resilience, and compassion that guide her throughout the game. Rost's sacrifice to save Aloy sets her on a path of self-discovery and determination to uncover the mysteries of her past.

  • What are some of the key themes explored in Horizon Zero Dawn?

    Horizon Zero Dawn delves into themes of identity, technology, nature, survival, and the consequences of humanity's actions on the world. The game challenges players to reflect on the impact of past civilizations, the power of knowledge, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

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Summary

00:00

Horizon: Aloy's Quest for Identity and Justice

  • Horizon Forbidden West and Horizon Call of the Mountain are upcoming titles, prompting a review of the lore of the first game.
  • The story begins in the post-apocalyptic United States in the year 3021, focusing on a man named Rost and a baby girl named Aloy.
  • Aloy discovers a Focus device in the ruins of the Old Ones, enhancing her vision and providing information about the world.
  • Rost teaches Aloy hunting skills and independence, preparing her for the Nora tribe's rite of passage, "The Proving."
  • Aloy wins The Proving but is attacked by unknown assailants, leading to Rost's sacrifice to save her.
  • Aloy awakens in All-Mother Mountain, discovering her origins and a connection to a woman resembling her.
  • Teersa reveals Aloy's birth in the Great Chamber of the mountain, leading to her being raised by Rost outside the tribe.
  • Aloy decides to seek out the killers who targeted her and the woman resembling her, starting with Olin in Meridian.
  • Teersa helps Aloy gain approval from the Matriarchs to leave the Nora tribe and pursue her quest.
  • Aloy sets out to uncover the truth behind her identity and the events that have shaped her life, aiming to confront those responsible for the attacks.

12:04

Aloy becomes Seeker, battles Corruptor, saves Nora.

  • Jezza anoints Aloy as a "Seeker" of the Nora Tribe, despite Lansra's disapproval.
  • Aloy leaves the Sacred Lands to find Olin and uncover the mysterious attack.
  • Resh, hostile towards Aloy, stops her from leaving the village.
  • A machine called a "Corruptor" attacks the village, infecting Striders.
  • Aloy fights the attacking machines and discovers a device on the Corruptor.
  • Aloy interfaces with the device using her Focus and repurposes it to control machines.
  • Aloy meets Varl, who sends her to find the missing War-Chief and his mother.
  • Aloy, Sona, and Varl attack the attackers' camp at "The Ring of Metal".
  • Aloy helps the Nora soldiers defeat the attackers and their corrupted machines.
  • Aloy heads to Meridian, where she learns about Ersa's ambush and the Shadow Carja.

24:20

"Revenge, betrayal, and the truth revealed"

  • Dervahl is pushed into a crater by an attack, allowing the Freebooters to recruit Oseram, including Petra who invented a cannon to breach Meridian walls.
  • Ersa and Erend confront Korl, who chooses to stay and focus on taking down the Sun-King.
  • Aloy finds an ingot, leading Erend to believe Korl is heading to a nearby trading post.
  • Freebooters attack Meridian at dawn, freeing slaves and forcing Prince Itamen to safety.
  • Erend and Aloy confront Korl, who uses a machine lure and a bomb to kill himself.
  • Ersa kills the Sun-King, allowing Avad to take credit as the new leader, while Dervahl is tortured.
  • Korl releases Dervahl and plans revenge on Ersa, leading to Erend's frustration over his sister's death.
  • Aloy heads to Maker's End, encounters Eclipse cultists reanimating a Deathbringer, and meets HADES through a focus.
  • Aloy learns about Project: Zero Dawn, created by Dr. Elisabet Sobeck to rebuild humanity after machines destroyed civilization.
  • Aloy fights Eclipse cultists, disables a module, and confronts HADES, leading to a battle with a Deathbringer and her escape into a river.

37:04

"Aloy defeats HADES, saves humanity's future"

  • Aloy encounters hostility from Lansra despite her past actions for the Nora tribe, but she proceeds to restore the Alpha Registry, gaining access to a facility named “ELEUTIA-9”.
  • Within the facility, Aloy discovers that human embryos were gestated and born artificially after the Faro Plague, and the inhabitants eventually left due to food shortages, reverting to a tribal mentality without the knowledge from APOLLO.
  • A recording from the GAIA subroutine reveals that HADES was awakened by a transmission, leading to GAIA's decision to overload the reactor to destroy HADES, necessitating Aloy's creation to potentially reboot GAIA in the future.
  • HADES, aware of Aloy's purpose, transmits a virus to escape before the reactor overloads, prompting GAIA's final instruction for Aloy to obtain the “Master Override” from the ruins of “GAIA Prime” to destroy HADES.
  • Aloy learns of trouble with new machines and a “Daemon” in the Banuk tribe's lands, leading her to investigate and eventually challenge Aratak for leadership to reach Thunder’s Drum.
  • Aloy, Aratak, and Ourea confront HEPHAESTUS at the Firebreak facility, resulting in Ourea's sacrifice to destroy the rogue AI, with CYAN transferring itself to a new location.
  • Aloy retrieves the Master Override from the remains of Project Zero Dawn's Alphas, learning of Ted Faro's actions that led to their demise, and confronts Sylens who confesses his involvement with HADES.
  • Aloy fits the Master Override to her Lance to destroy HADES, warns Meridian of an impending Eclipse attack, and engages in a final battle to stop the AI's plan to purge life.
  • Aloy successfully deactivates HADES, ending the threat of a second extinction, and later discovers Elisabet Sobeck's childhood home, finding her remains and a locket.
  • Aloy meets Elisabet's projection through her Focus, symbolizing the end of the corruption and the victory of humanity, while Sylens captures HADES to investigate the events that transpired.

50:09

Talanah's journey to reclaim her purpose.

  • Talanah returns to the Hunter's Lodge as the Sunhawk, training her new initiate, Milu.
  • Talanah refuses to give a Hunting Contract to Kyran due to his men's lack of experience.
  • Sun-King Avad offers Talanah a position on his council, which she accepts but finds boring.
  • Talanah and Erend defend Meridian from attacking machines, realizing her true calling is hunting.
  • Talanah accepts the contract for Rising Light and leaves Meridian to fulfill it.
  • Talanah is injured by a Clawstrider, rescued by Amadis, and learns about the new breed of dangerous machines.
  • Talanah and Amadis work together to defeat the Clawstrider and the Shellsnapper, with Kyran meeting a tragic end.
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