Important Notes
Important Notes: Horizon Zero Dawn
This guide covers crucial warnings, pitfalls, irreversible choices, missable content, difficulty spikes, grinding traps, save management advice, and things players commonly regret not knowing earlier. Horizon Zero Dawn is a single-player game with no online features, so anti-cheat and online etiquette are not applicable.
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Irreversible Choices
- No major branching endings – The main story has a single fixed ending. Your choices in dialogue or side quests do not alter the final outcome.
- Side quest consequences – Some side quests have minor outcomes that affect NPC fates (e.g., who survives in "The Queen's Gambit" or "The Sun and the Shadow"). These do not impact the main story or ending.
- The Frozen Wilds DLC – A few choices in the DLC change dialogue or quest availability (e.g., "The Forbidden West" quest outcome). None are game-breaking.
- Tip: You can always reload a save before making a choice if you want to see alternate results. There is no way to undo a choice after progressing.
- Missable side quests – These quests become unavailable after reaching certain main story milestones. Complete them before progressing:
- Point of no return – After starting "The Looming Shadow", the game warns you that you cannot return to the open world until after the credits. You can still free roam post-game, but some side quests may be permanently locked if not done beforehand. Always complete all side content you care about before that mission.
- Collectibles – Vantage points, Banuk figures, Metal Flowers, and Power Cells are all accessible after the story. However, one Power Cell (inside the Grave-Hoard) can only be obtained during that main quest; if you miss it, you can still re-enter the area after completing the story using a specific path (but it's easy to overlook – check a guide).
- DLC missables – The Frozen Wilds quests and collectibles remain available after the main story. No DLC content is missable once you start it.
- Early game Sawtooth fight – This is the first major machine you must kill. It can be tough at low level. Tip: Use stealth, lay traps (shock wires), and aim for the blaze canister on its back with fire arrows to cause a large explosion.
- First Corruptor fight (in "Maker's End") – The machine is fast, shoots projectiles, and can corrupt nearby machines. Tip: Use the tearblaster (if obtained) to remove its weapons, or freeze it with ice arrows before hitting it hard.
- Frozen Wilds Frostclaws and Fireclaws – These are significantly harder than base game machines. They have high damage, area attacks, and can heal. Tip: Use fire or ice ammo (weakness opposite of their element), dodge sideways, and target the cooling/heat vents.
- Final boss (the last Corruptor in the final quest) – It has multiple phases and high damage. Tip: Use hardpoint arrows on weak points, keep moving, and bring plenty of healing items and potions.
- General difficulty scaling – The game does not have level-based difficulty scaling. Machines have fixed levels. If you're undergeared, you will struggle. Always upgrade your spear, weapons, and armor when possible.
- Don't grind for resources – Loot everything from machines and containers. Ammo and health items are plentiful if you scavenge regularly. Avoid spending hours gathering specific items; you'll get enough through normal play.
- Weapon and armor upgrades – The game encourages buying new gear rather than grinding to upgrade existing ones. Focus on earning shards and hearts from machines, then purchase better equipment from merchants.
- Side quests for XP – Side quests and errands give generous XP. If you feel underleveled, do a few side quests instead of killing random machines repeatedly.
- The hunting grounds challenges – These are not required for progression. Trying to get gold on all of them early can be frustrating. Come back later with better gear and skills.
- Skill point waste – Prioritize skills that improve stealth (Silent Strike, Lure Call) and combat (Tinker, Heavy Weapons). Avoid spreading points too thin early on.
- Manual saves are your friend – The game autosaves frequently (quest progress, entering areas), but manual saves let you revert missed content or bad choices. Save before starting a main quest, entering a new region, or making a difficult choice.
- Use multiple save slots – Many players fill all slots with manual saves at key milestones. That way, if you accidentally overwrite, you still have backups.
- Quick save – On PC (F5) and consoles (inventory menu) you can quick save. Use it before tough fights.
- No cloud save for PC? – Steam and Epic Games Store have cloud saving enabled by default. Ensure it's turned on to avoid losing progress.
- PS4/PS5 – Use the system's cloud save backup (requires PlayStation Plus) as an extra layer.
- The game autosaves frequently, but manual saves are essential for avoiding progress loss. Save before entering a new area or starting a quest chain.
- Do not rush the main story. Exploring, doing side quests, and gathering collectibles enriches the experience and provides much-needed upgrades.
- No difficulty achievements are locked behind anything – play on the difficulty that feels best. You can change difficulty at any time (except for the Very Hard or Ultra Hard? Actually you can change anytime, but Ultra Hard is only available in New Game+).
- New Game+ carries over all gear and skills but locks the difficulty to the mode you started. Plan accordingly.
- If you encounter a bug or crash, verify your game files (PC) or rebuild database (PS4). The game has been patched but rare issues persist.
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Missable Content
- "The Mountain that Fell" – Must be completed before the main quest "The Grave-Hoard".
- "Hunter's Blind" – Must be completed before "The Heart of the Nora".
- "The Queen's Gambit" – Must be completed before "The Looming Shadow" (the final pre-endgame quest).
- "Acquired Taste" – Must be completed before starting "The Heart of the Nora" (or it fails).
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Difficulty Spikes
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Grinding Traps
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Save Management Advice
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Things Players Commonly Regret Not Knowing Earlier
1. Always use the Focus – Scan constantly to highlight machines, enemy paths, lootable items, and climbable surfaces. It's infinite and free.
2. Whistle + Silent Strike – You can whistle from behind cover to lure a machine close, then use Silent Strike (requires skill) to instantly kill small machines or damage larger ones. This is the most efficient stealth tactic early on.
3. Fast travel is not free initially – You need to craft or buy Fast Travel Packs from merchants. After completing the "Hunter's Blind" side quest, you get an unlimited Fast Travel Pack (best item in the game). Get it early!
4. Overriding machines – Unlock the "Override" skill tree to learn how to override machines. You can then ride some (like Strider, Broadhead, Charger) for faster travel. Also, overriding a machine then setting it to aggressive mode creates a powerful ally.
5. Teardown arrows – These are invaluable for removing components (weapon mounts, armor plates) without dealing much damage. Use them on heavy machines to expose weak spots.
6. Ropecaster is not just for immobilizing – It can also be used to tie down flying machines (Glinthawks, Stormbirds) so you can shoot them safely.
7. Elemental status effects – Freezing increases damage on most machines, fire causes damage over time, shock stuns. Combine effects: freeze then hit with hardpoint arrows is a devastating combo.
8. No fall damage – You can jump from any height without taking damage. But watch out for cliffs that lead to water – drowning is possible.
9. Weapon upgrades from merchants – Don't ignore weapon coils and outfit weaves. They provide significant stat boosts. Strip them from old weapons before selling.
10. The skill tree has respect options? No, you cannot reset skill points. Choose wisely, but you will eventually get all skills by the end of the game + DLC.
11. The DLC (Frozen Wilds) is designed for characters around level 25-30. It is much harder if you go there immediately after the early game. Save it for after the main story or at least after reaching "The Grave-Hoard" quest.
12. Merchant prices vary by region – Carja merchants in Meridian often have better selection but higher prices. Nora merchants have basic gear. Banuk merchants in the Cut sell unique upgraded versions of base weapons (but they cost a lot).
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Final Warnings
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With these notes in mind, you'll avoid common frustrations and enjoy the breathtaking world of Horizon Zero Dawn.