So I've sunk quite a bit of time as of late into Horizon: Zero Dawn Complete Edition. Another game I got on sale that I thought I would get good value out of. It is definitely critically acclaimed, and while I'm enjoying it for the most part, I am not overly enthusiastic about it. I think I'm more than halfway there based on amount of skills I've been able to unlock.
Pros:
+ runs great, excellent graphics, no bugs
+ game's biggest plus is the complexity of the enemies with knocking off pieces of armor, and at times, weapons
+ beautiful mix of landscapes
+ some really fun innovative weapons
+ character upgrades feel pretty meaningful
+ cool boss battles I've found so far, and even some common enemies feel boss-ish
+ level design is pretty cool for some of the more complex side missions, as well as the main missions
Cons:
- similar to Assassin's Creed, tough to give a crap about any of the characters. Too many characters come and go. The side quests, while having variety in terms of techniques and events to complete, largely involve characters you don't care about. And side quests are numerous, so the main quest looses continuity. I feel when it comes to big open world games, Witcher 3 is miles ahead in regards to avoiding this common pitfall
- Biggest gripe --> combat deaths often feel cheap. Kind of like "I can't tell what the hell is going on" kind of deaths more so than anything. Could be because controls are clunky with keyboard/mouse instead of gamepad, but I feel compelled to play KB/M for accuracy of arrows using the mouse
- excessive crafting, so much time spent foraging and crafting. Would prefer it if items and medicine collected was twice the quantity per item picked up
- even with upgraded weapons, feel underpowered and not the least bit a bad ass I want to be at times. The sling bombs would be cool if their power was dialed up a lot. Same with setting traps.
- I am in general not a fan of fighting robots, I like fighting things that bleed. The human enemies in the game are bland, and also stupid over power with like 2 hit kills despite looking super frail
- related to the point above, melee combat is not tight at all and best avoided as much as possible
- collectibles items are very numerously excessive, with long winded stories to read. It's just not interesting enough to get into
I know this game got rave reviews in the 9/10 range, but to me it's more a 7 out of 10. Maybe even a 6.5. I think there's potential my rating goes up by the time all is said and done, especially if I find a way to upgrade the spear.