"
[Writing] Fallout: New Vegas was no walk in the park, but the themes and tone of the universe had already been well-established in previous installments, and the world could be explained in a single sentence: the Bomb dropped, this is what’s left,” said John Gonzalez, lead writer for Geurrilla Games' Horizon Zero Dawn.
However, taking the reigns on Zero Dawn, a game with no pre-established lore, was a trickier matter. Gonzalez continued, "
The very elements that made its high-level concept enthralling (low-tech humans vs. high-tech robot dinosaurs!) contradicted each other in a way that demanded explanation: why would humans forget technology if technology was all around them? All told, that meant we needed to a) imagine an entire history for this strange new world, b) create a character who’d be compelling to play, c) give her a deeply personal reason to go questing across the world, d) make sure her personal quest put her on a collision course with the biggest mysteries of the world, and e) pace out the (quite intricate) answers to those mysteries so each revelation left players wanting more, driving them on to the end of the game."
Gonzales went on to add that hundreds of hours were spent developing the story, tossing everything out and starting over from scratch - all before one single line of dialogue was written. As many gamers can attest, the lore of Horizon Zero Dawn and how civilization was lost is what immediately enthralls most PS4 owners.
In terms of what's to come in future DLC installments, Bonzalez provided the following hint. "
Can Aloy rebuild the technology required to reboot GAIA and restore control to the terraforming system before the biosphere spins out of control?” Gonzalez posed. “Who–or what–sent the mysterious signal that transformed HADES into a rogue AI? We know HADES escaped GAIA’s destruction by fleeing to the core processor of a derelict Titan…but what happened to the rest of GAIA’s subordinate protocols, and what have they been up to for the past 19 years? Probably nothing good."
ABOUT HORIZON: ZERO DAWN
Launching February 28, 2017, Horizon Zero Dawn is an exhilarating new open-world action role playing game exclusively for the PlayStation 4 System, developed by the award winning Guerrilla Games, creators of PlayStation’s venerated Killzone franchise.
Take on the role of skilled hunter Aloy as you explore a vibrant and lush world inhabited by mysterious mechanized creatures.
Embark on a compelling, emotional journey and unravel mysteries of tribal societies, ancient artifacts and advanced technologies that will determine the fate of this planet, and of life itself.
Discover more about the mysteries of this beautiful world: www.HorizonZeroDawn.com