Horizon Zero Dawn is Guerrilla’s original open-world action RPG about hunting machines with Aloy’s bow, spear, traps, stealth, and Focus. This guide is scoped to the original/base game. It does not cover Frozen Wilds gear, Complete Edition DLC systems, Remastered-only features, Forbidden West mechanics, mods, or PC-only controls.
Content warning: Horizon Zero Dawn carries a Teen rating with blood, drug reference, language, mild sexual themes, and violence. This guide stays non-graphic and focuses on gameplay.
This is a beginner guide, but Horizon itself can be tougher than a simple checklist makes it sound. On higher difficulties, enemies hit harder, spot Aloy more easily, and punish wasteful resource use. Treat these tips as core habits first, then tighten them if you play on Hard, Very Hard, or Ultra Hard.
Essential Tips
1. Scan Before You Shoot
The Focus turns unknown machines into readable fights.
Use the Focus before committing to combat. It can reveal patrol routes, machine type, level, components, and elemental strengths or weaknesses. That information tells you whether to sneak past, set a trap, remove a weapon, aim for a canister, or override something nearby before the fight starts.
2. Fight Components, Not Health Bars
Big machines become manageable when you break the right parts.
Do not treat every encounter as a race to empty health. Many machines have removable or destructible components that change the fight. If a part powers a dangerous attack, remove it. If a component can trigger a status effect or resource drop, plan around it. Scanning first makes this habit much easier.
3. Keep the Medicine Pouch Full
Healing is a route resource, not an afterthought.
Aloy’s health does not normally refill on its own. Gather medicinal plants while traveling and top off before quests, Cauldrons, corrupted zones, and long machine routes. Potions help, but the medicine pouch is your everyday safety net.
4. Upgrade Carry Capacity Early
Better pouches reduce mid-fight crafting pressure.
Prioritize the resource satchel, then arrow capacity, then ammo capacity for the weapons you actually use. Horizon gives you a lot of loot, and a full satchel can force bad choices at merchants or in the field. Extra arrow space also means fewer interruptions when fights drag on.
5. Check Item Uses Before Selling
Machine parts are money and upgrade materials.
Metal Shards matter, but selling every Heart, Lens, or Braiding can delay weapons and outfits. Before clearing inventory, check whether an item is only for selling or also used for trading, crafting, or purchases. Keep a reserve of common ammo materials, especially if your favorite arrows consume the same resource.
6. Buy the Golden Fast Travel Pack Early
Unlimited fast travel pays for itself in saved time.
Fast travel normally uses consumable packs. Once vendors offer the Golden Fast Travel Pack, make it a priority. It lets you revisit merchants, Tallnecks, side quests, Cauldrons, and cleanup routes without constantly crafting or buying travel packs.
7. Talk to New Merchants
Vendors are route tools, not only shops.
New merchants can stock useful weapons, outfits, resources, maps, and free sample boxes. Even if you are saving shards, open the shop inventory and check the treasure boxes and resources. That quick habit can fill small material gaps before a fight.
8. Do Tallnecks for Map Control
A Tallneck reveal turns wandering into planning.
Tallnecks uncover surrounding map information and points of interest. They are worth doing as you enter new regions because they make it easier to plan campfires, merchants, side activities, and the next safe route.
9. Do Cauldrons for Override Options
More overrides mean more ways to split a fight.
Cauldrons are not just side dungeons. Completing them expands which machines Aloy can override. In the field, an overridden machine can distract enemies, create damage, or give you time to reposition. When you feel outnumbered, an override can matter more than another arrow upgrade.
10. Use Difficulty as a Strategy Signal
Higher settings change how forgiving your habits are.
On easier settings, sloppy inventory and open fighting can still work. On harder settings, stealth, scanning, cheap ammo choices, and pouch preparation become much more important. If you choose Ultra Hard, expect fewer crutches: enemies are more aggressive, prices are harsher, and you need cleaner execution.
11. Save Collectible Cleanup for Later
Not every map icon is equal early on.
Collectibles add lore and rewards, but they are rarely the fastest way to get stronger. Early route time is usually better spent on pouch upgrades, weapon familiarity, Tallnecks, Cauldrons, campfires, merchants, and combat practice.
12. Experiment With Cheap Solutions
The best answer is often the one that saves rare materials.
If a regular arrow, stealth strike, trap, or component break solves a fight, do not spend expensive ammo by habit. Learn when cheaper arrows are enough, especially against human enemies and smaller machines. Saving wire and other bottleneck materials keeps your stronger tools ready for bigger threats.
Combat Priorities
| Situation | Best Habit | Why It Helps |
|---|---|---|
| New machine nearby | Scan and tag it first | Components and patrol routes shape the plan |
| Multiple machines | Override or isolate one | Splitting pressure makes fights less chaotic |
| Large machine | Remove dangerous parts | Component breaks can disable attacks or expose resources |
| Low healing | Leave and refill plants | The medicine pouch is core survival |
| Long fight | Craft from cover | Standing in the open while restocking wastes health |
| Human camp | Use stealth and cheap arrows | Saves stronger ammo for machines |
| Harder difficulty | Slow down and prepare | Aggression, perception, and prices punish rushing |
Resource Management
- Medicinal plants: Gather them whenever you travel through safe ground. Starting a major fight with an empty pouch is avoidable.
- Metal Shards: Spend on useful weapons, outfits, travel freedom, and upgrades before cosmetic or low-impact cleanup purchases.
- Ammo materials: Keep enough ridge-wood, wire, and common machine drops to craft during combat.
- Machine Hearts and Lenses: Check item use text before selling; some are needed for trades.
- Animal parts: Hunt along the way so pouch upgrades do not become a separate grind.
- Modifications: Save useful damage, handling, stealth, and resistance mods. Do not let a full mod inventory force random dumping.
Hidden Mechanics
| Mechanic | What It Does | How to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Focus scan | Shows machine information and patrol behavior | Scan before combat and adjust the plan |
| Medicine pouch | Stores field healing from plants | Refill before quests and machine sites |
| Component removal | Changes enemy attacks and resource drops | Target weapons, canisters, and exposed parts |
| Override | Temporarily turns machines friendly or mountable | Use it to distract groups or travel faster |
| Tallneck reveal | Uncovers map information | Prioritize each new region’s Tallneck |
| Cauldron unlocks | Expands override compatibility | Complete Cauldrons when fights feel limited |
| Golden Fast Travel Pack | Removes consumable travel-pack pressure | Buy it early once available |
| Difficulty scaling | Changes damage, aggression, prices, and awareness | Match your prep level to the setting |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not skip Focus scans - You lose component, weakness, and patrol information before the fight even starts.
- Do not shoot only center mass - Dangerous machine parts often matter more than raw health damage.
- Do not travel with an empty medicine pouch - Healing plants are part of route preparation.
- Do not sell every machine part blindly - Some parts are needed for weapons, outfits, or other trades.
- Do not ignore pouch upgrades - Small inventories create avoidable crafting and looting problems.
- Do not postpone Tallnecks in new regions - Map information makes every later route cleaner.
- Do not treat Cauldrons as optional flavor only - Override unlocks can change how you handle groups.
- Do not waste rare ammo on weak targets - Cheap kills preserve materials for large machines.
- Do not import DLC habits into the base game - Bluegleam, Banuk overdraw bows, Traveler skills, Daemonic machines, and Control Towers belong to The Frozen Wilds scope.
Summary
| Category | Top Tip |
|---|---|
| Scope | Treat this as the original/base game, not DLC or Remastered advice |
| Combat | Scan first, then attack components and weaknesses |
| Healing | Keep the medicine pouch full before long routes |
| Inventory | Upgrade resource and arrow capacity early |
| Economy | Check item uses before selling valuable machine parts |
| Travel | Buy the Golden Fast Travel Pack once vendors offer it |
| Exploration | Prioritize Tallnecks and Cauldrons over early collectible cleanup |
| Difficulty | Higher settings demand more stealth, prep, and material discipline |
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8 checked for this guideEvery factual claim in this guide was checked against at least two independent sources before publication. These are the references used for Horizon Zero Dawn.
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