Horizon: Zero Dawn is an action game set in a post-apocalyptic open world where humans have reverted back to a primitive lifestyle and hostile machine-like animals have run amok. And thanks to Game Informer, we know that when it releases next year, there will be side quests and activities to complete in addition to the main storyline.
In the dangerous world of Horizon, there are specific areas called Corruption Zones. These are home to some of the game's bigger fights, and you'll want to clear these out to gain some experience and make hunting and exploration easier.
Hunting and crafting __play a big part in Horizon, requiring you to track down real animals to gain resources and craft new gear such as a satchel that grants more inventory space. The machines should also be a target of yours, as their parts can be turned into weapon and armor upgrades.
And if you feel you're adept enough, you can put your hunting skills to the test with the game's lodges. Hunting lodge representatives can be found throughout the world, waiting for you to accept their challenges. These include tasks such as killing a certain number of animals with a certain weapon within the time limit. Once you've completed all of their challenges, you gain entrance into the hunter's lodge where you can make your way to the top of the hunting hierarchy. Developer Guerrilla Games described it as a "hunter's guild."
In addition to the animals and machines you'll hunt down, Horizon's world is home to tribes that have their own ways of life in different climates and terrains. You can learn more about each tribe by taking on and completing their specific quests, which should give you insight on how all the tribes view the world, technology, and each other.
Lastly, there are spontaneous quests that appear randomly throughout the world. The particular quest Game Informer encountered had them helping an injured man find his daughter's sacred spear, which was given to her by her mother who died. Completing it scored them a spear upgrade that increased melee damage.
Guerrilla told Game Informer that there are also side quests that are more story-oriented, in addition to ones that are focused on combat. You can read about the side activities in more detail here.
The open-world game stars a woman protagonist named Aloy, a character whose personality and looks have been the subject of focus for Guerrilla.
"She's very curious and determined, and she wants to explore the world and figure out these mysteries," director Mathijs de Jonge said. "And hopefully we can give the player the same feeling; you want to know what's out there, you want to discover these new Machines, you want to meet the new tribes. That's how we've mostly designed her character."
Horizon: Zero Dawn launches February 28 on PS4. It's set to support both HDR and the PS4 Pro, an upgraded version of the PS4 that releases in November.