{
"post": {
"title": "Starting my first Horizon Zero Dawn play through. Tips or tricks?",
"selftext": "I’m a bit late to the club but I’m loving Horizon Zero Dawn so far. I plan on starting Forbidden West afterward so please no spoilers. \n\nI’m curious, what’s some cool tips and tricks you’d have for a first time player? Whether that be gear, locations, secrets, strategy etc. I’m only about 7 missions in as of right now.",
"url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/horizon/comments/11lplo4/starting_my_first_horizon_zero_dawn_play_through/"
},
"comments": [
{
"body": "Read the Datapoints. They tell you so much about the final decades of the old ones, and it’s shockingly plausible.\n\nAlso, most of those random ruins that look like they were simply invented to fill the world space are actually real locations. [This video](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9mzBFqMKjx8) shows comparisons of the before and after. It really makes you appreciate the work they put into it.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Nice, I love little tidbits like that. Thank you",
"replies": [
{
"body": "To add to their comment about datapoints: besides reading and listening to the quest datapoints, read all world datapoints. They aren't directly tied to the story, but rather to the lore of the game; they're excellent for world building. There are 67, if I recall correctly, and they're not in any kind of map, so finding them all might prove difficult, so don't feel shame to use an online guide. It's worth it.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "I always use [MapGenie](https://mapgenie.io/horizon-zero-dawn/maps/world). It’s an invaluable free resource for finding everything.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Oh yes! I use it to get all the bluegleam, pigments and animal figurines without having to grind for those freaking goat and badger skins and bones in each new NG+ playthrough."
}
]
}
]
}
]
}
]
},
{
"body": "Pretend it's your first game of the type: don't assume that some mechanic that you saw in a similar game is the same.\n\nBuying stuff is the main way of doing more damage, as opposed to upgrading the \"starter\" gear. There are three types of bow so a sharpshot fits a different niche than the hunter bow. It's worth having at least the green in each category because they're pretty inexpensive, so that you have at least one way of applying the main elements and tying stuff down.\n\nStealth is more than hiding in grass. Terrain and even dead machines can be used as both cover and concealment. Things don't have eyes in the back of their head. Elements work with triggering a state.\n\nThe save system keeps the five most recent auto saves and quick saves, in addition to your five manual saves. In the middle of a quest, autosaves will occur with objectives. You don't need to (and sometimes don't want to) run to a campfire to save. Options-load game to see the list. Scanning datapoints makes quick saves, so before main quest bunkers might be good places to manual save so you can roll back.\n\nLots of combat is optional. If it doesn't say \"kill X\" in the quest log you don't have to.\n\nPotions for healing can save a lot of time foraging for medicine.\n\nThat should get you started. A lot of the fun is the discovery and exploration.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "This is good advice. It is very different from even the most similar of games so I definitely understand what you mean. Appreciate it 🤘",
"replies": [
{
"body": "I haven't played Zero Dawn in a bit. I plan to rerun it on the ps5, though. \nThe guy above covered most of the stuff. I'd also suggest trying to 100% it. You get a lot of stuff you'd otherwise miss. There's a lot of guides out there, too. That'll help you figure it out without spoiling it. \nSome tips: You can platform areas of the game if you need to escape or just want to explore. Your bows are the most important thing to upgrade. Kill... everything. You'll need them to upgrade your bows, gear, and bags. Learn to hit and tear off machine parts on the fly. There are some parts needed to upgrade later in the game that require pieces you've knocked off. \nIt's not a requirement, but I also took time to just pay attention to the environment, and reflect on how humanity destroyed the planet and this game shows a possible result of humanities \"influence\" on earth. \nThe game is based in America after a, shall we say, catastrophe. \n(That's something I try to do with any game is learn a lesson or some lessons from them)",
"replies": [
{
"body": "I’m playing it on PS5 and I can say it runs and looks beautiful on it, definitely encourage you to do that. Gonna work towards 100% and take my time. The lore is very interesting and original. Hard to find these days",
"replies": [
{
"body": "I played it on PS4 when it first came out. Kinda rushed through it, but still 100%ed it. I'm thinking I'll slow play it and take my time to enjoy it."
}
]
}
]
}
]
}
]
},
{
"body": "Most promising strategies to defeat the machines are:\n\n- Keep your distance.\n- Learn to time your dodging properly.\n- Use your Focus and the Machine Catalog often for tips on strengths and weaknesses of machines.\n- Match you weapons' elements to machines' weaknesses.\n- Hit the weak spots, it makes a big difference.\n- Hit Element Canisters where you can with a matching arrow. Concentration skill helps with this.\n- Frost in general is a good start to elevate the power of follow-up Impact Damage. Especially when a machine is weak to Frost.\n- Don't sleep on the Ropecaster, especially for the big ones. Use full Handling, never equip Tear mods on it.\n- Switch your outfits regularly to have high defense against your encounter's main elemental attacks.\n- Use potions in the same way as you do with outfits.\n- Use Traps and Tripwires to weaken unaware opponents.\n- Silent Strike for small machines. (Lure them to your position in Tall Grass.) If that does not work, one heavy attack with the Spear followed by a Critical Strike should do the trick.\n- Sneak up on unaware machines to override them, they will thin out the field for you. Same goes with Corruption Arrows, see them as a long-range Override.\n\nTake your time. Best thing about Horizon's combat system is that it scales with player skill at a much greater rate than it does with character level. Equipment matters, though."
},
{
"body": "Jumping while aiming slows down time. You can use this as free concentration and make it easier to hit weak points on enemies. I think you might need to unlock a skill for it, but it should be cheap. During my first play through I didn’t really use concentration and just used this tactic throughout.\n\nIf you’re going to use this be warned they nerfed it in HFW, they decreased your hang time while aiming, so you might need to change up your play style in the sequel.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "This is unlocked with skill points"
}
]
},
{
"body": "Play the DLC the Frozen Wilds before you play Forbidden West.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Also don’t start it until just before the point of no return.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "I found myself wandering into the Frozen Wilds at a lower level. Immediately got distracted by all the new stuff. Did some sight seeing and talking to NPCs. Got wrecked real bad by the stronger enemies on multiple counts."
},
{
"body": "I did that, after already completing the game."
}
]
}
]
},
{
"body": "Without spoiling: Every once in a while as your story progresses, make sure to go back to where you started out.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Hmmm a little cryptic. Do you mean revisit the Mother’s Heart or whatever the village is called? Or like the house with Rost in the start?",
"replies": [
{
"body": "The house"
}
]
}
]
},
{
"body": "There's one side mission(Acquired Taste) that you really need to find the location to trigger the quest. It's a missable one.\n\nPotions: drop it from your inventory twice for duplication.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Gonna definitely try that potions thing when I play later"
}
]
},
{
"body": "Don't get too used to using your spear... It might seem really good in the beggining but it quickly becomes almost unusable. Try to get used to your bow as soon as possible.\nAnd just enjoy the game. It's an amazing open world full of story and I'm sure you'll love it."
},
{
"body": "One that I only realozed after playing through a couple time and seems obvious.....make use of more than just your bow. The Rope and tripcaster are incredibly useful especially when defeating more difficult machines but it can be easy to forget they exist and just use your bow",
"replies": [
{
"body": "This is good advice Fr. I’ve been really liking the trip caster so far. But this is a common issue I have with games. Have all these special abilities and I’m just using the same like 3 I’m comfortable with lmaoo",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Horizon Zero Dawn really rewards you for using every (or almost every) tool in your arsenal. It didn't click for me until I started expanding my go-to weapons beyond bows (particularly with the trip and ropecaster, as well as the traps).\n\nAlso, reading the creature entries and learning how to spot certain cannisters that are prone to elemental attacks will really help you! \n\nLastly, grab a bow that allows you to use hardened arrows ASAP. It really, really helps in the early game."
}
]
}
]
},
{
"body": "Fire is op. Get bows with as many slots as possible. Fill all slots with coils having preferably both effects at once fire percent and dmg percent. Spam fire arrows."
},
{
"body": "If it’s a smaller machine, a power strike (right trigger melee) will knock it down and you can do a critical strike if you’ve unlocked that skill. Saves you arrows"
},
{
"body": "ropecaster for flying machines"
},
{
"body": "Fire is your best friend. Insanely overpowered in zero dawn.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "I’m not a huge fan of the fire arrows. What else that uses fire is there? Or do I just upgrade it or something",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Are you sure you're using them properly?\n\nYou need to fill up the \"fire\" meter fully to inflict the \"burning\" state. It takes a few fire arrows."
},
{
"body": "I mean there are traps you can set that will cause fire damage but my go to was the hunter bow that had regular and fire arrows. I’d stack like 3 fire arrows and it’d be an instant elemental trigger."
}
]
}
]
},
{
"body": "It's basically always worth it to gather health resources\n\nI can't remember exactly what the requirements are, but merchants sell a fast travel kit that doesn't run out.\n\nAlso, merchants all have a free gift box with some assorted useful junk. Make sure you take the time in your inventory opening up said gift boxes, I had like so many things before I realized how to open them"
},
{
"body": "Scan the environment often. You never know what data points or collectibles will randomly turn up in the middle of nowhere or an out of the way nook. Scan before engaging machines, as well, I've played HZD many times through and HFW a few and still forget to scan the environment only to notice environmental traps that would have come in handy AFTER I've killed the machine. \n\nDuring main quests, don't just follow the quest marker. Explore the other rooms, go down the halls and stairways and through the vents. You'll find most of the datapoints and numerous chests this way. And always keep your eye out for mysterious power cells during main quests, too."
},
{
"body": "Buy a “Golden fast travel pack” as soon as you can. Fast travel is not necessary for most of the game, the map is well laid out but it saves you any worry. It costs x1 fox skin and x10 fatty meats. You will know it is available for purchase when your reach “Daytower”."
},
{
"body": "Make a manual save before entering a Cauldron. The tinker skill is essential when trying to adjust weapon damage and stats.\n\nThe best weapons in the game (far as bows) are in The Frozen Wilds, along with a set of unique unique weapon and armor coils. However you only really go to these at or above level 50. You can collected the coils multiple times if you decide to do a NG+ playthrough (or several NG+ playthroughs)"
},
{
"body": "just pick up everything and save a lot, and be careful it's addicting T-T"
},
{
"body": "You don't have to wait tovfenture into the Frozen Wilds area. Even at lvl 20iisy you can go up there and sneam or run past some enemies, then collect some Bluegleam to get the best bow in the game. You can also pick up a few unique Weaves/coils this way. A lot of the blue gleam isn't very close to the enemies, so you can grab some without having to fight anything.\n\nHandling mods are great. Thry can make a huge difference in how quickly you can fire or use certain weapons, especially early on before you get good mods with multiple bonuses.\n\nBy following the main quest, it will take you to the main city where a lot of the best (purple) gear becomes available. Working towards that you can skip a lot of the green and blue items in the game, saving you shards and materials.\n\nCompleting all Hunting Lodge challenges with Gold will get you a Ropecaster, Blast Sling and War bow. These are the best ones you can get (aside from the War bow which you can get in the DLC) as they have slightly better handling than their purple versions. Getting them will save you shards ($) and materials."
},
{
"body": "You can buy multiple versions of the weapons. This lets you max out coil stacking without needing to swap coils. And you can't swap coils without a particular skill unlocked."
},
{
"body": "Hunt all sorts of animals you see. You’re gonna need their skins to upgrade your inventory. A good way to hunt is to first use your focus to scout and mark them all so you can hunt them one by one without losing track of the other ones you are not currently hunting."
},
{
"body": "First two skills: silent strike and lure whistle. Lure baddies into tall grass and stab em! Best two skill points ever spent"
},
{
"body": "Don't sleep on the Rattler"
},
{
"body": "This is all great advice. Didn’t expect so many replies and tips! Definitely didn’t expect this community to be so engaging either. Thank you, kind folk!"
},
{
"body": "Experiment with different weapons and techniques. Figure out your style and build out skill tree accordingly. I like to focus on stealth and scavenger/forager skills first but there is one for breaking down/removing coils that is very helpful. Learn to use traps/tripwires/ropes, you won’t regret it. If you’re a completionist, be sure to clear all side quests and errands as sone as you can. Also, you can explore a lot of areas not related to quests and find hidden caches. Many are out of the way with no real reason to explore so easily missable.",
"replies": [
{
"body": "Save often and keep multiple save files."
}
]
},
{
"body": "As you play you'll want to unlock the double and triple notch skills.\n\nThese are essential for dealing more damage, and are a big part of taking on tougher enemies.\n\n​\n\nThere is a little trick where you can notch up another arrow while dodge rolling.\n\nTakes a like practice, but definitely worth it."
},
{
"body": "I didn’t really use it in my first play through, but the blast sling is now one of my favorite weapons. I maxed it out and put good coils on it and it was useful all the way to the dlc finale."
},
{
"body": "Ropecasters are one of your best friends, like, \\*ever.\\* Nevar enuff Ropecaster."
},
{
"body": "Take the time to read everything and don’t rush the game."
},
{
"body": "Take your time, wander, experience the world. ENjoy it, because eventually you'll be 100% done and you can't erase your mind and have another first playthru"
},
{
"body": "I just recently started playing. The graphics are amazing on pc... gameplay is top notch. I hope the gameplay gets crazy fast.. lol"
}
]
}