Earth, the far future. Our forgotten civilization lies buried beneath a new wilderness, dominated by fearsome mechanical creatures. Humanity lives on in scattered tribes, but their origins, and the fate of their ancestors, have passed into myth and legend.
In the homeland of the Nora tribe, a young outcast named Aloy is determined to find the answers she has been denied all her life: why she was cast out at birth, and what became of her mother?
NORA
The Nora are an insular, matriarchal tribe who worship All-Mother, their nature goddess. Travelling beyond the limits of the Sacred Land is strictly forbidden, thus giving the tribe a reputation for being somewhat backwards. Visitors, should they choose to enter the Nora domain, are always treated with suspicion.
For Aloy, the Nora tribe’s strict adherence to tradition and superstition is a serious problem. Aloy’s unknown parentage has made her an “outcast”, which prevents anyone in the tribe – aside from Rost, her guardian – from speaking to her.
CARJA
The sun-worshipping Carja consider themselves the most civilized of the tribes, ruling a great empire from their City of the Sun, Meridian.
Under the tyrannical rule of the previous Sun-King Jiran, they waged war against the other tribes for sacrificial slaves until a coup by the king’s son, Avad. This act also split the tribe, with Jiran’s surviving hardliners declaring themselves as the Shadow Carja and claiming a fortress citadel in the west, Sunfall.
OSERAM
This secular tribe of blacksmiths, adventurers and inventors formed an alliance with the Sun-King Avad to help overthrow his murderous father’s regime. Today, the two tribes live side-by-side in Meridian.
The Oseram tribe’s temperament is often described as arrogant, even uncivilized, compared to that of the Carja. However, their fighting prowess and ingenuity are both greatly respected.
BANUK
The Banuk are a tribe of survivalists and expert hunters who tend to keep to themselves.
Rarely journeying from their snowy, mountainous homeland, rumours have developed about the Banuk: word has it that they’ve learned how to communicate with machines…
The Focus
Discovered by Aloy early in her adventure, the Focus is an artefact from the old world – a wearable computer and augmented reality system.
Press the button to activate the Focus. Before engaging the enemy, activate the Focus then press the button to tag your foes and press the button to highlight their patrol paths. These indicators will remain on-screen even after you deactivate the Focus.
Use the Focus to view an enemy machine’s component parts and elemental weaknesses, or identify essential items and clues that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye such as hidden tracks and bloodstains.
Scan machines with the Focus to add them to your Machine Catalogue (see the Notebook Menu). Each entry lists the resources awarded for defeating that enemy.
BEWARE: Aloy’s movement and actions are limited while the Focus is active, so it’s best used when in cover or exploring and not anticipating any danger.
Crafting and Foraging
Most of the ammo and supplies Aloy needs can be crafted from loot from downed enemies or foraged resources.
Craft ammo on the fly – press and hold the button to access the Weapon Wheel then highlight the weapon you want to create ammo for and press and hold the button to craft.
Take the time to gather various root-type plants; these are essential to crafting elemental resistance potions.
Harvest medicinal plants frequently to maintain a full medicine pouch (the meter just below your health bar).
When you’re not fighting various machines or bandits, it’s important to hunt more conventional prey such as foxes, boars and rabbits. They all drop materials that are required to purchase certain items from merchants and craft bags that increase your carrying capacities. Check your Crafting Menu to see exactly what you need.
Metal Shards
As the primary crafting resource, metal shards can be used to buy and build items.
Equipment
Purchase new and more powerful weapons and outfits to improve your chances of success in combat. For difficult skirmishes, you’ll need to work out which items will give you the best elemental and defensive advantages.
Weapon Types
Each item’s rarity level corresponds to its damage output, available ammo types and number of modification slots. Rarer items are superior to more common ones. In order of increasing quality, these rarity levels are classified as:
These rarity levels apply to all types of equipment, including outfits and modifications.
Outfits
Outfits come in light, medium and heavy variants, each offering different types of elemental protection and modification options.
Modifications
Weapon coils and outfit weaves – purchased from merchants or looted from fallen foes – offer additional bonuses to weapons and armour, making them absolutely essential to maximizing combat effectiveness.
Trading
Merchants can be found on trails and in settlements. You’ll want to visit them regularly to trade spare parts and collectibles for metal shards. Some of the merchants’ goods will require you to hand over supplemental resources as well, so press the button to access the map – it will highlight where such additional resources can be found.
Hunting
In terms of size and strength, Aloy starts every encounter at a disadvantage. However, she has several tricks up her sleeve, and you’ll need to exploit them all to successfully turn the tide of battle.
Always take a moment to assess the situation with your Focus:
The answers to the questions above will dictate what you do next:
Stay Agile
Aloy’s mobility is one of her greatest assets – so take advantage of it.
You need to stay moving if you want to stay alive. Sprint, dodge and weave in and out of cover as much as you like. If things get a little too hectic, duck out of sight from your adversaries – find cover to plan your next attack.
Tallnecks
Tallnecks are giant, peaceful machines who patrol endlessly across the environment. If you spot one, climb it: each Tallneck contains valuable data that reveals the surrounding areas of the map.
Hunting Grounds
Hunting Grounds let you test your skills in timed, arena-style challenges. Gain access to the Hunters’ Lodge in Meridian by earning at least three Sun marks.
Bandit Camps
Bandits have set up several outposts throughout the wilderness. Successfully take over a bandit camp to install peaceful settlers, a new merchant and a “fast travel” point.
Fast Travel Points
Jump quickly between “fast travel” points throughout Aloy’s world. Once you have discovered a campfire or a settlement they will become fast travel points and will be marked green on the map.
Highlight a fast travel point on the map and press the button to fast travel to that location. You’ll need to stock up on fast travel packs beforehand – buy them from merchants or earn them by completing quests.
Vantage Points
Vantage points offer valuable insights about life in 2064 (the distant past). Each vantage point contains an image of a nearby location before its destruction, as well as a journal entry from a man recounting his life at the end of the world. You can read his reflections from the Collectibles tab in the Notebook menu.
Collectibles
Collectable items consist of Ancient Vessels, Banuk Figures and Metal Flowers, all of which have their own story or explanation text viewable from the Collectibles tab in the Notebook menu.
Completed sets fetch high prices in Meridian – visit Kudiv, Cantarah or the Studious Palas for special rewards.
Cauldrons
Cauldrons are imposing, self-sustaining factories located deep underground. If you can reach a cauldron’s core, you can learn how to override additional types of machines…
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DEFAULT CONTROLS
| Move: | left stick |
| Change view: | right stick |
| Sprint: | button |
| Toggle focus: | button |
| Interact: | button |
| Slide/Toggle crouch: | button |
| Dodge roll/Slow mount: | button |
| Jump/Accelerate mount: | button |
| Weapon wheel: | button (hold) |
| Aim weapon: | button (hold) |
| Fire (when aiming): | button |
| Reload (when aiming): | button |
| Light melee: | button |
| Heavy melee: | button |
| Use medicine pouch: | directional button |
| Select tool or trap: | / directional button |
| Use tool or trap: | directional button |
| Show hidden HUD: | touch pad |
| Open menu: | touch pad button |
Face new machines in a compelling new story.
Beyond the northern mountains, the borderlands of the Banuk tribe challenge all who dare enter to survive the extremes. But now this frozen wilderness harbours a new threat, and for Aloy, a new mystery – one she’s determined to solve.
Buy The Frozen Wilds from PlayStation™Store for additional content for Horizon Zero Dawn™, including new storylines, characters and experiences in a beautiful but unforgiving new area.
By using this software, you agree to the licence terms. Our full licence terms can be read here: www.playstation.com/legal/software-usage-terms/. Here are some of the highlights:
