- Visually stunning and immersive open world
- Compelling story and character development
- Significant improvements over predecessor
- Recommended for fans of the series
- Story worse than Zero Dawn
- Frequent crashes and graphical glitches
Verdict
Mostly positive
Summary
Positive 82% · Negative 18%. Score: 18 / 100
Positives:
- The game features stunning graphics, a detailed open world, and impressive art direction. Reviewers frequently praised the landscapes, character models, animations, and weather effects, noting significant improvements over the previous game. The immersive visuals often led players to use the photo mode extensively and even forget about reality.
- The game delivers a compelling and well-written story with engaging characters. Aloy's character development, her relationships with companions, and the intriguing side quests contribute significantly to the narrative's depth. The story builds upon the lore of the first game, offering twists, emotional moments, and thought-provoking themes.
- The game improves upon its predecessor in many aspects, including graphics, gameplay, and content. Reviewers noted enhanced animations, smoother mechanics, and more engaging side missions compared to the first game. The sequel builds upon the strengths of the original while addressing previous shortcomings.
- Reviewers generally enjoyed the game, finding it fun, rewarding, and addictive. The progression system is satisfying, and the game offers a good solo experience. While some aspects may take time to master, the overall gameplay loop is engaging and prevents boredom.
- The game offers a wide array of weapons with diverse functionalities and upgrade options. Players appreciate the ability to customize their playstyles and experiment with different combat approaches. The expanded weapon selection and meaningful weapon modifications contribute to a more engaging and dynamic combat experience.
Negatives:
- Many reviewers found the story, worldbuilding, and character writing to be inferior compared to Horizon Zero Dawn. They cited issues such as a less intriguing main plot, uninspired side quests, and forgettable characters. Some felt the game deviated too much from the original's strengths, resulting in a less immersive and enjoyable experience. Some reviewers felt that the story was not as good as the first game, and that it was too long and drawn out.
- Many reviewers found the controls to be clunky, unintuitive, and unresponsive, especially on PC. They cited issues with climbing, jumping, and combat maneuvers. Some felt the controls were a step back from Horizon Zero Dawn, making the game more frustrating to play. Some reviewers felt that the controls were terrible, and that the game was not well-optimized for PC.
- The combat system is criticized for being clunky, complicated, and less enjoyable than in Horizon Zero Dawn. Reviewers mention issues with melee combat, complex controls, and ineffective dodging. Many felt the changes made to the combat system were unnecessary and detracted from the overall gameplay experience. Some reviewers felt that the combat was worse than the first game, and that it was too difficult and frustrating.
- Some reviewers found the game to be too difficult, while others found it to be too easy. They cited issues with enemy scaling, one-shot kills, and a lack of strategic depth. Some reviewers felt that the game's difficulty was inconsistent and unbalanced.
- Some reviewers found Aloy's character to be unlikeable, annoying, or inconsistent compared to Horizon Zero Dawn. They cited issues such as her constant commentary, rude behavior, and Mary Sue traits. Some reviewers felt that Aloy's personality change was jarring and didn't make sense.
Gameplay:
- The core gameplay loop and combat mechanics are largely similar to Horizon Zero Dawn, with some refinements and additions. This includes elemental weaknesses, machine component targeting, and a variety of weapons. While familiar, the game offers enough new content and challenges to keep the experience engaging.
- Aloy's combat is versatile, featuring diverse weapons, skills, and playstyles. The skill tree is extensive, offering special abilities and valor surges. Players can tailor Aloy's abilities to their preferred combat approach, with options for stealth, ranged attacks, melee, and machine overriding.
- The game features a large open world with numerous side quests, collectibles, and activities. While some side quests may be repetitive, they offer opportunities for exploration, equipment upgrades, and story enrichment. The world is vast and diverse, encouraging exploration even after the main story is complete.
- The game introduces new traversal mechanics like a glider, grappling hook, and underwater swimming. However, some of these mechanics, particularly underwater combat, feel limited or underutilized. Some underwater areas lack initial guidance, potentially leading to player frustration.
- The game features new weapon types like Shredders and Boltcasters, alongside returning weapons. However, some players found the new weapons awkward to use, often preferring the familiar hunter and sharpshot bows. The auto-targeting system can also be frustrating, making it difficult to target specific enemy weak points.
Performance:
- The PC port suffers from a range of technical issues, including frequent crashes, graphical glitches (flickering textures, shadow issues), and performance degradation over time. Some users have reported that these issues are severe enough to deter them from playing, even with troubleshooting efforts. Driver incompatibility and shader compilation problems are also mentioned.
- The game generally delivers impressive graphics, diverse landscapes, and detailed character models, contributing to a visually stunning experience. However, achieving optimal performance requires a powerful PC, with some users reporting the need to adjust settings or upgrade hardware. The Decima engine is praised for its capabilities, though some visual elements like bloom effects are criticized.
- The game experiences frequent shader compilation, which interrupts gameplay and cutscenes. This results in pauses, frame rate drops, and overall performance issues, even on systems that should be capable of running the game smoothly. This problem appears to be a significant source of frustration for many players.
- Some users have reported issues with character models and textures not loading correctly, particularly in the DLC. This includes low-resolution textures and face texture glitches. These issues may require further optimization to resolve.
- The game features quick loading times, including fast travel and respawning after death. Autosaves are also executed quickly, making them unnoticeable during gameplay. This contributes to a smooth and seamless player experience.
Recommendations:
- Many reviewers recommend the game, especially to fans of the first game, citing its engaging story, refined gameplay, and impressive graphics. Some suggest it's a must-play for those who enjoyed the original, while others advise newcomers to start with the first game to better understand the story and mechanics. Some reviewers express that the game is not as good as the first game.
- Many reviewers recommend purchasing the game on sale due to its flaws, bugs, or optimization issues. Some reviewers feel that the game is overpriced for its quality and content, and would be disappointed if they had bought the game at full price. Some reviewers suggest waiting for a deep discount before purchasing.
- Some reviewers suggest focusing on the main story to acquire essential equipment and minimize backtracking. Some reviewers feel that the game could have been significantly better with less storytelling and more focus on combat.
- Some reviewers recommend completing all quests in the Burning Shores DLC on the first playthrough to make NG+ easier. Some reviewers feel that the Burning Shores DLC is a must-play due to its emotional impact and character growth for Aloy.
- Some reviewers recommend the game even if you haven't played Zero Dawn, although the lore will be confusing if you haven't. Some reviewers recommend the game for the story.
Miscellaneous:
- The game is set in a unique post-apocalyptic world that blends advanced technologies with primitive tribes. However, some reviewers find the world design and climate unrealistic, and the world feels empty.
- The game has a long playtime, with an average level of grind. Less than 40% of players who bought the game on Steam completed it, based on the Steam achievement data.
- Reviewers consistently praise the game's stunning graphics, phenomenal art direction, and top-notch sound design. The detailed world, featuring real locations, invites exploration and enhances immersion.
- The game continues the story of Aloy in a post-apocalyptic world, with Aloy investigating a terraforming system malfunction. Some reviewers felt a connection with Aloy, viewing her as a partner or friend, enhancing the gaming experience.
- The DLC "Burning Shores" unlocks after completing the base game, featuring a new map, adventures, and a challenging final boss. Upon completing the DLC, players can continue exploring and finishing pending missions.
