Beginner Tips: Prologue

New to Horizon Zero Dawn? Get essential beginner tips for the prologue! Learn to collect, upgrade, hunt animals, use stealth, your Focus, skills, and target enemy parts effectively.

Hey there! Horizon Zero Dawn can feel a bit overwhelming at first, especially with those robot dinosaurs roaming around. But don't worry, I've got some solid tips to help you get started and feel more confident as you begin your journey.

Collect Everything! Seriously, grab every little thing you come across, whether it's plants or crafting materials. You never know when you'll need it later for crafting new gear or trading with merchants. It's always better to have it and not need it, right?

Upgrade Your Gear and Inventory! You'll quickly find that your starting inventory space isn't going to cut it. Make upgrading your resource slots one of your top priorities. Also, think about increasing the ammo capacity for your weapons and how many Potions and Traps you can carry. More space means more loot and more options in combat!

Hunt the Wildlife! Those cute, harmless animals you see running around? They're super important! Killing them is key to upgrading your carrying capacity. Their drops are random, but you'll need their skins and bones to expand your inventory and other gear. So, make it a point to hunt them whenever you spot them.

Embrace Stealth! Charging headfirst into every fight isn't the best strategy, especially when you start facing bigger Machines. Use the tall grass for cover and try using Lure Call to draw enemies away from the group. Combining this with a Silent Strike can make encounters much easier and even net you some bonus experience for stealthy kills!

Utilize Your Focus! Don't forget about your Focus (activated with R3). It's incredibly useful, even though it slows you down a bit. It helps you spot Machines, scan them to find their weak points and resistances, and even locate animals and quest items. It's your best friend for tactical awareness.

Prioritize Early Skills! When you start earning skill points, some skills are more beneficial than others. Lure Call and Silent Strike are fantastic for stealthy approaches. Other great early skills to consider include Healer, Herbalist, Concentration, Gatherer, and Scavenger. They'll make your early game much smoother.

Target Enemy Weak Points! Most Machines have specific parts you can shoot off. Doing this can yield valuable materials or even disable certain attacks. For larger Machines, you can even detach their weapons and potentially use them against them! Aim smart, and you'll make fights much more manageable.

Master the Roll! Aloy's roll maneuver is a lifesaver in combat. Use it constantly to dodge attacks when you're up close with Machines. It's also surprisingly useful for traversing the environment; it often feels faster and is definitely stealthier than sprinting.