Just finished this game yesterday with just a couple of question mark areas remaining. I then went back on for completion only to find some more question marks, strange stuff appearing on the map and a New Game Plus! I know an update got installed but I didn't how significant it was until I now come to this thread to catch up! Wow, what a great surprise because...
...I love this game! Great swansong for the PS4. Extraordinarily beautiful world and I so needed this after the quite depressing post-pandemic environments of Last of Us 2 and Days Gone (though both brilliant games). I am just so glad PS4 ends its exclusives in a highly vibrant and colourful way just as it started with the excellent Infamous Second Son and Horizon Zero Dawn. I love colour...especially now in this grey pandemic world we live in!
Kenji was my highlight, what a fun character. Really nice story, and got me reading up on all thing Mongol. And as an admirer of Kurosawa/Mifune movies, this was quite a beautiful homage to those films. There is even a black and white mode but no way can I play in that mode...I want all that glorious colour to continue attacking my senses.
The gameplay and swordplay were wonderfully implemented and so much fun to go in battle with different styles and flair.
I think Horizon Zero Dawn still remains my greatest open-world game for its epic scifi story, charisma and gameplay but Sony Entertainment just keeps on delivering through their talented and creative game studios.
The side quests were enjoyable and sometimes very sad, in fact, I never played a game that has so many tragic side missions
But overall it was a very satisfying experience. Although most side quests involve repetitive combat, (as is the nature of open-world games) they make a great effort to encapsulate the gameplay with unique engaging stories and many mission encourages different approaches to combat/stealth the enemy.
Look forward to playing the new game plus and as I am at 90% trophies, I'll try to go for the platinum. And as I played the game in English, I have the opportunity to play through it again but this time in authentic Japanese language. But the english voice cast was fantastic. Very nuanced and I like they spoke with Japanese/Mongolian accents.
I am also curious about the online legends games, might give that a go even though I am not into multiplay.
Oh, and I like the idea of befriending canines, an element that I only recall Horizon Zero Dawn ever implementing (which I loved). And will make up for the stab in the heart canine involvement in Last of Us 2!!
Nice one Sucker Punch, I personally give this a
9/10.