This is perhaps the synthesis of big budget AAA gaming, and it is a marvelous example of everything done right. I played this game for over 90 hours and by its end I looked back on it fondly. The world is a joy and Aloy is a charming character to play as. What this game nails is exploration and the feeling of adventure that is infused into every far flung outpost, every new, tantalizing vista. There isn't much to the NPCs in this game, and the world is fairly empty besides its scattered collectibles, but it is crafted so well, and with so much thought put into things, that it remains a joy to explore.
The expansion, The Frozen Wilds, is an amazing step up for this game. I was merely enamored with it prior to the expansion, but I was in love post this DLC. The stories in this smaller map are so good, well realised and executed, that it puts the main game to shame. The biggest criticism I have of Horizon Zero Dawn is its subdued story and uninspired, rote, side quests. The expansion corrects this wonderfully. Every side quest is a big story, and I enjoyed them a lot. The one that stuck out to me, and what I believe is a perfect representation of the good found in this game, is a side quest set in an abandoned dam. Here, as Aloy explores the dam and gets it operational, we find out about the previous workers. They are a group of ladies who find out they will be soon be retrenched. Their youthful energy contrasted with the world weary hardship of leaving and drifting apart is felt acutely and conveyed sincerely. They start a band and we hear their final performance before they all go their separate ways. It is very touching.
This youthfulness and simple melancholy embodies Horizon Zero Dawn and pushes it forward. This was a fantastic, pristine experience.
