{"id":7130,"date":"2017-11-15T12:52:08","date_gmt":"2017-11-15T17:52:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/?p=7130"},"modified":"2017-12-07T10:29:24","modified_gmt":"2017-12-07T15:29:24","slug":"my-goty-horizon-zero-dawn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/2017\/11\/15\/my-goty-horizon-zero-dawn\/","title":{"rendered":"My GOTY: Horizon Zero Dawn"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Sometimes I finish a video game and, unsatisfied by the 84 percent completion bar, I <span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">start up a New Game Plus (NG+)<\/span><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">. Sometimes I<\/span><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">\u00a0tuck the game away and revisit it months or years later. Sometimes I listen to the soundtrack and<\/span><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\"> reminisce my first time playing the game<\/span><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">. Whatever the case may be, I know a game has succeeded when I find myself going back to it. For me, that game is <\/span><em style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">Horizon Zero Dawn<\/em><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>I hardly remember playing a lot of video games with female protagonists when I was growing up. Lara Croft from the <em>Tomb Raider<\/em> series is a popular example, but I couldn\u2019t work up the nerve to play the first game because the music and environment terrified my seven-year-old self. Lightning from <em>Final Fantasy XIII<\/em> is another, but her reserved emotions and adult mindset made it difficult to form a connection. Still, I admired these characters for their strength and heroism. Time passed, and I had yet to find a video game female protagonist with similar traits and experiences.<\/p>\n<p>Then E3 2015 happened. It was my first year tuning in to the press conferences, and I only had eyes and ears for Sony&#8217;s. Not too long into the montage of game announcements, Sony revealed <em>Horizon Zero Dawn<\/em> with a breathtaking trailer:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Horizon Zero Dawn - E3 2015 Trailer | PS4\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Fkg5UVTsKCE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The trailer introduced Aloy, the protagonist of the game. Although I was a little upset that the developers didn&#8217;t choose a WOC, I decided to buy the game upon release for its unique concept, engaging combat, and beautiful graphics. HZD held a lot of promise, and over a year later, it delivered.<\/p>\n<p>Remember when Marvel Comics executive David Gabriel said <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.circa.com\/story\/2017\/04\/03\/nation\/a-top-marvel-comics-executive-blamed-diversity-and-female-characters-for-declining-sales\">diversity and female characters are hurting sales<\/a><\/strong>? HZD is a video game, not a comic, but <em>both<\/em> industries suffer from catering solely to a white heterosexual male demographic. When HZD launched on Feb. 28, 2017, its <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/2017\/3\/16\/14945792\/horizon-zero-dawn-launch-sales-ps4\">sales topped 2.6 million units in less than two weeks<\/a><\/strong>. A few months after launch, <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/2017\/06\/06\/horizon-zero-dawn-has-now-sold-34-million-copies\">it reached 3.4 million copies<\/a><\/strong>. HZD is <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamespot.com\/articles\/horizon-zero-dawns-aloy-is-a-playstation-icon-of-t\/1100-6447839\/\">the second bestselling video game on the PS4<\/a><\/strong>, according to Sony. The overwhelming success is a major feat for <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guerrilla-games.com\/\">Guerrilla Games<\/a><\/strong>, HZD\u2019s studio. Sony even predicted <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gamespot.com\/articles\/horizon-zero-dawns-aloy-is-a-playstation-icon-of-t\/1100-6447839\/\">HZD will be the next big franchise, calling Aloy a \u201cPlaystation Icon of the Future.\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Horizon Zero Dawn <\/em>is\u00a0an open-world RPG, which means players have the freedom to complete side quests, hunts, or anything other than the main objective.\u00a0<span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">The primitive setting takes place after modern civilization\u2019s demise, almost like the earth has reverted to its original essence. Robotic dinosaurs roam the different regions, so instead of man versus nature, it\u2019s man versus machine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Aloy is a Motherless outcast raised by another outcast, Rost. Aloy\u2019s tribe functions as a matriarchy and worships the fertility goddess called All-Mother.\u00a0<span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">I love that Guerrilla Games decided to create a matriarchal society and underline the importance of mothers and motherhood. Part of the reason why Aloy departs on a journey to find clues about her mother\u2019s identity is to find her own.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/hzd-rost-aloy.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7210 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/hzd-rost-aloy-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"443\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/hzd-rost-aloy-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/hzd-rost-aloy-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/hzd-rost-aloy.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 443px) 100vw, 443px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">I learned a lot from Aloy \u2014 don\u2019t return the hate you receive. Instead, help others as they need it. Who you are is not defined by labels or people\u2019s opinions. You find your identity through growth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">One of the most beautiful and iconic scenes in the game is when Aloy literally leaps into her adolescence. Now she\u2019s a young woman who\u2019s finally ready for the Proving\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">\u2014 a test of strength, courage, and endurance that grants the title &#8220;Brave&#8221; (warrior) to worthy participants<\/span><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">. Despite the tribe\u2019s ceaseless discrimination, Aloy helps those in need regardless of who they are.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">To my relief, HZD didn\u2019t force any romance on its protagonist. Director Herman Hulste<\/span><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">\u00a0<\/span><strong style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/us.blastingnews.com\/gaming\/2017\/06\/horizon-zero-dawn-director-explains-why-the-game-lacks-romance-001813313.html\">explained why it\u2019s not about romance, but about the journey<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">Aloy not only fights machines, but also human enemies such as bandits. Other tribes reside in different lands; some have more advanced architecture, which allow\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">refreshing\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">exploration. Each tribe is diverse, so you won\u2019t see a homogenous tribe. I also remember there being more competent and\/or tough female characters than male ones. This reminds me of<\/span><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">\u00a0<\/span><em style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">Uncharted: The Lost Legacy<\/em><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">DLC, where two WOC are the protagonists and kick a<\/span><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">\u00a0<\/span>lot<em style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">\u00a0<\/em><span style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;\">of male ass.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Even though Aloy isn\u2019t a WOC, she has a realistic character design. Her default outfit logically covers up her skin due to the tribe\u2019s snowy environment. Most of her other outfits consist of armor because even video game characters aren\u2019t immune to robo-dino attacks. It wouldn\u2019t make sense if she ran around with a slip of cloth over her skin, or worse, no clothes at all. Thankfully, HZD isn\u2019t <em>that<\/em> primitive.<\/p>\n<p>The game mechanics barely gave me any complications. It was rather fun crafting ammo while in the middle of a battle with a Watcher. I could form whatever strategies I wanted, whether that\u2019s setting traps before alarming the machines or running straight into the herd and shooting fire arrows. By the time I upgraded my equipment, taking down a Thunderjaw \u2014 the equivalent of a T-Rex \u2014 was <em>very<\/em> satisfying.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/dino.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7212 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/dino-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"455\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/dino-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/dino-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/dino.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 455px) 100vw, 455px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Overall, the story left a deep impression, especially the last cutscene. When the credits rolled, I couldn\u2019t believe I had finished the game. My time with Aloy ended (until I get my hands on <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=J5xsS1WZA54\">The Frozen Wilds DLC<\/a><\/strong>). Then came the post-credit cutscene, which promised another installment in the franchise.<\/p>\n<p>HZD received a 9.3 rating on IGN and a 9\/10 rating on Gamespot. My rating is, of course, a 10. One of the main reasons why the game elicits such a perfect score from me is the graphics \u2014 it\u2019s <em>phenomenal<\/em>. With HZD&#8217;s photo mode, players can take screenshots of the natural environments. Slap on a border or change the filter \u2014 it\u2019s like Instagram but the content is absolutely stunning.<\/p>\n<p>Now for the moment of truth: <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/thegameawards.com\/\">The Game Awards<\/a><\/strong>. On Dec. 7, the ceremony will announce the winners of each category while celebrating both game creators and game players. Fans hold some sway over the votes, but global media outlets make up the jury. The most important category is, of course, Game of the Year. HZD is up against <em>The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild<\/em>, <em>Super Mario Odyssey<\/em>, <em>PlayerUnknown\u2019s Battlegrounds<\/em>, and <em>Persona 5<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s be honest: 2017 has been a strong and amazing year for video games. While GOTY is the most competitive category, I\u2019m happy with just seeing HZD listed as a nominee. If HZD happens to lose at The Game Awards, hope still remains for\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gamechoiceawards.com\/\">The Game Developers Choice Awards<\/a><\/strong>, which usually occurs in the spring. In light of all the year-end award ceremonies,<strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/tiga.org\/awards\">The TIGA Awards<\/a><\/strong> recently <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TIGAMovement\/status\/926212904801751040\">announced HZD as the winner of the \u201cBest Role Playing Game<\/a><\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Horizon Zero Dawn <\/em>will surely win another category if not GOTY. A game as breathtaking, unique, and <em>successful<\/em> as HZD deserves at least a few prominent awards. I\u2019ve already casted my vote, so all I can do is put my faith in the game that changed my gaming experiences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Horizon Zero Dawn deserves to be the game of the year for 2017.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":7199,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[185],"tags":[1687,375,2055,1857,2056,2007,1886],"class_list":["post-7130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gaming","tag-game-development","tag-game-reviews","tag-guerrilla-games","tag-horizon-zero-dawn","tag-playstation-4","tag-the-heroines-journey-issue","tag-video-games","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/hzd.png","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3zNPp-1R0","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7130"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7470,"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7130\/revisions\/7470"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlsincapes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}