As for machines I hated, Rockbreakers, no question. Also Scorchers, oddly enough.I had no issue with Thunderjaws, Behemoths, Frostclaws or Fireclaws, but Scorchers were the bane of my existence. x_x

It was pretty much that reason why I kept clear for a while. I wanted to like it for its own merits and not just as a response to the usual grifters attacking it for no reason. Same thing that happened with Cyberpunk, which I also finally played and loved this year.

Still, this was a joy to play. I am glad I gave it a chance and will probably do Forbidden West soon-ish. I will have to let Open World games rest for a bit, though.

I give Horizon Zero Dawn a 9/10

The music is great whenever it makes an appearance, but this game also values silence and environment sounds immensely, making it a very immersive experience.

I played a few hours of the PS4 version and then finished the game on PS5. The facial animation on both are excellent. I very much preffer these subtly cartoony expressions over the more recent trend of making expressionless realistic characters.

I do feel it was VERY heavy handed with the outcast story beat. Making Aloy get repeatedly rejected on every area before being immediately accepted after 1 or 2 missions. Also, the map limits are rather poorly implemented.

However, none of these issues sour the experience. Gameplay is really well balanced and it encourages you to explore and experiment. Whenever you take down a Thunderjaw or a Behemoth, you'll feel genuinely clever and your instinct will develop along with Aloy's

The game is glitchy. Full buildings fail to load frequently, platforming is janky at times, the camera is a complete mess when fighting large machines, and there's a VERY annoying glitch where the map refuses to move with the stick OR the touch pad. Some machines are a real pain to hunt.

Aloy is a great protagonist. Her own curiosity drives the narrative perfectly, and her initial naivete quickly evolves into genuine strength and wit. She is genuinely likable and a believable leader by the end of the story.

Thematically, this faces the exact same conflict as NieR. However, where NieR dives deep into nihilism and tragedy, Horizon is a lot more optimistic and bright.

Laaaast Christmas I gave you my heart....no please give it back. I'm bleeding ooout...