Horizon Zero Dawn is a balm in today's gaming age of endless remakes, sequels, and shady business practices. It's original, it tells a unique story, and it offers some intriguing gameplay mechanics that other games don't offer. Also, you get to kill robot dinosaurs, and that's awesome.
Killing said dinosaurs can be pitifully easy or hair-pulling, depending on the specific enemy type. After all, it would get pretty tiring having to knock off a T-Rex every time you wanted to collect some flowers. Like all games, some enemies are far harder than others, so we'll look at a few of the different types of machines in Horizon Zero Dawn.
Updated on March 2, 2021 by Scoot Allan: Fans were definitely excited to hear the news that the highly-anticipated sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn called Horizon Forbidden West will release on the PS4 and PS5 in 2021. While Forbidden West promises to introduce a number of new deadly machines in the new post-apocalyptic environments, fans are still discussing some of the difficult machines already faced down in the original game. To help prepare for the new deadly machines set to face off with Aloy in the sequel, we're going to take a further look at a few more dangerous metal monsters that are the most difficult to beat before Forbidden West adds to the roster.
15 The Glinthawks Get Increasingly More Dangerous And Annoying
While it goes without saying that the enemy machines are more dangerous the higher the difficulty level, but in the case of the Glinthawks, they are surprisingly more difficult in Ultra Hard as the entire pack swoops down to attack frequently and annoyingly.
The robotic bird scavengers are thankfully very weak to fire and easily tied down by the ropecaster if needed. However, the glinthawks remain a deadly annoyance at all difficulty levels of the game as they are pretty much everywhere on the map.
14 Freeze And Fire Bellowbacks Have Range And Are Never Alone
The large, lumbering Bellowbacks that come in two dangerous variations of fire and freeze may be much easier to handle at Aloy's later levels, they can be incredibly difficult to take out early in the game without strong enough weaponry.
The transport machines are very rarely alone and are accompanied by a squad of Watchers and the opposite variation of Bellowback to increase the difficulty in taking out the dangerous machines. The Bellowback's are also capable of deadly ranged attacks that further increase their threat level.
13 Snapmaws Have Massive Range And Like To Work In Pairs
The alligator-like Snapmaws are as dangerous as their animal archetypes, though they have the added threat of a long-distance attack that can target you before you even know you've been spotted by a machine.
The frozen bursts from the Snapmaw's mouth aren't the only danger from the quick aquatic machines, as they frequently work in pairs to double on the danger. Snapmaw also seems to have a unique sense of nearby danger, as they often find a way to butt into other battles that don't concern them with powerful long-range lunges and tail strikes.
12 The Longleg Has A Powerful Sonic Scream And Jumping Attack
The Longleg is an aviation machine but it doesn't actually know how to fly, so it's relentlessly bullied by its aviation buddies who actually do know how to fly. It's primarily used for recon, but it also uses fire attacks, its beak and claws, and a sonic attack to disorient its enemies.
But, like the Stalker, you can handle these pitiful attacks in your sleep. All you have to do is strike its concussion sac with a projectile arrow. Not only will this cause incredible damage, but it will take away the machine's sonic attack, rendering it pretty much useless. Easy peasy.
11 Stalkers Have Stealth Capabilities And Are Even More Dangerous In Packs
The Stalker is essentially the Horizon equivalent of a fly if you encounter them individually - you can kill them without a problem, or you can just swat them away like the pointless little things that they are. The Stalker primarily focuses on stealth, and it can ambush you should you find yourself acting carelessly.
It also has a dart gun, which can kill all unsuspecting humans in one shot. But you don't really have to worry about that. Simply equip a shock weapon and go to town on this little robot reptile, and it'll go down in just a few short seconds. They're nothing you can't handle, as long as they are alone.
10 The Shell-Walker Has Ranged Defense And Travels In Herds
The Shell-Walker is pretty unique in that it is strong against ranged attacks. That's because this machine employs a shield generator that surrounds the body and protects it from all ranged attacks, and it simply laughs at you while you waste away your arrows.
It's a very defensive creature, and as such, dealing with it can be a pain if you don't know exactly what you should be doing. Luckily, the creature itself is relatively weak, and all you need to do is destroy the shield generator with the Tearblaster or Blast Bombs. After that, you'll be the one that's laughing.
9 The Corruptor Can Influence Other Machines To Fight Its Battles
The Corruptor certainly puts up more of a fight than some other machines, but it's still on the lower end of the hard spectrum. The difficulty stems mostly from its ability to corrupt surrounding machines to fight alongside it, plunging you into a literal life or death fight as you slowly get swarmed by a wave of deadly machines.
So, maybe it's not the Corruptor itself that's tough, but it's stupid cheap ability. Maybe not cheap, but it can be very frustrating at times. However, attack with a good fire weapon and it should go down easy enough. Just do it before it gets its buddies involved.
8 The Giant Behemoths Pack A Devastating Anti-Gravity Punch
As the name suggests, the Behemoth is a behemoth. And as you'd expect with something called The Behemoth, these things are pretty darned tough. The primary purpose of a Behemoth is to collect and transport resources, so of course, it needs enough square footage to accommodate the extra load.
It also uses its size to its advantage in fights, sending giant rocks hurling at your face with its anti-gravity mechanic and using its weight to generate damaging shockwaves. These things are like 400-pound boxers - one punch is enough to send your head twisting like The Exorcist.
7 The Stormbird Is Powerful Death From Above
Stormbirds can be really annoying. They're pretty darn OP, as they are enormous, they have a really wide field of vision and can likely spot an ant in an anthill, and they have a bunch of very powerful attacks that can leave you crying in the corner as you cuddle your bow and arrow.
Oh, and they can also carpet bomb you from the air with their electric attacks, so really, you're never safe when it comes to Stormbirds. Luckily, it has a few weak spots, including the lightning gun and jet engines, and it's extremely susceptible to freeze damage, allowing you to get in a few good hits. A little tough, but you're tougher.
6 Thunderjaw Is A Robotic T-Rex You Don't Want To Mess With
Alright, now we're playing with the big boys. The Thunderjaw is without a doubt one of the hardest machines in the game to take down, thanks primarily to its massive size. Now just imagine how our ancestors felt trying to take down a T-Rex with wooden spears! That was a joke, please no comments.
Not only are they formidable, but they have a radar scanner, allowing them to ping you while you're hiding in the grass like a little baby. Luckily, ranged weapons can cause some severe damage if you manage to hit either its heart or data nexus, so just aim for those and pray to the machine God that you make it out alive.