Horizon Zero Dawn was developed by Guerilla Games and released for PlayStation 4 in 2017, followed by a PC version being released in 2020. It quickly became one of the best-selling PS4 games, and with good reason — Aloy’s amazing archery skills and no-nonsense attitude cement her as a memorable protagonist. Her venture through Horizon’s post-apocalyptic landscape has her crossing paths with a selection of wild machines.
The machines are less than friendly and pose a serious threat to Aloy at every turn. Some machines, however, are much more dangerous than others. Today we’re ranking the most lethal of them.
Updated April 1st, 2021 by Jerrad Wyche: Horizon Forbidden West was released in 2022 and the sequel has managed to meet and exceed fan expectations following the release of Horizon Zero Dawn in 2017. Alloy’s journey continues and takes her West to discover more of what the world around her once was. Though the new game is the current focus of fans, the release of a sequel tempts people to try out the first game in the series for the first time. That means there are plenty of people checking out Horizon Zero Dawn thanks to all of the hype surrounding the release of its sequel.
15 Scorcher
If you never got around to playing the Frozen Wilds DLC for Horizon Zero Dawn, you likely aren’t familiar with the Scorcher. It’s one of the first new machines you are introduced to in the Frozen Wilds DLC, and we’ll settle for saying it makes quite a first impression. Imagine a robotic wolf imbued with fire that can cover large areas with a jet-assisted boost. Most players consider these machines to be some of the most dangerous in the entirety of the game, and it doesn’t help that these wolves are resistant to both fire and blast damage.
14 Snapmaw
Humans tend to have a natural aversion to alligators, as their massive size and surprising speed are rather frightening. The Snapmaw in Horizon Zero Dawn brings that fear into the world of video games by way of a large robotic alligator with actual razors for teeth. They travel in pairs, meaning you’ll rarely ever be able to engage one in combat by itself. Both its tail strikes and longer-range lunge-like attacks will keep you on your toes. Snapmaws also happen to be the machines that will always appear when you least expect them, in moments where you’re taking a break or possibly engaged in combat with a different machine altogether.
13 Shell-Walker
Despite how mellow and passive they may look, the Shell-Walkers are much more dangerous than you’d assume What makes them a real threat is the fact that they can defend themselves from range, meaning Alloy and her bow aren’t at a huge advantage. It also tends to travel in herds, meaning it can be difficult to separate it and fight it one on one without several of them joining in on the action. Did we mention it has a shield generator that surrounds its entire body? Shell-Walkers are rather weak when the comfort of their shield is removed, which is very similar to the tortoises they’re likely based on.
12 Corrupted Machines
Throughout the game, the player meets machines in various locations and some of these are infected with corruption. Without spoiling the game, corruption makes the machines a lot more aggressive and dangerous than they are without it. This means that the machines target Aloy persistently.
The corruption that has infected the machines can infect Aloy and reduce her health bar significantly should they get too close. There are potions that can be crafted to counter this. However, the corruption makes the machines weak to fire-type arrows and fire damages them much more than it would a normal machine.
11 Freeze and Fire Bellowbacks
Fire and Freeze Bellowbacks are the same machines, but with opposite elemental abilities. A Fire Bellowback stores liquid in the large cargo sac on its back. When it wants to attack, it sprays the liquid out to create a flamethrower effect. The fire heavily damages Aloy. If the player uses fire-type arrows to destroy the sac, it will create a large fiery explosion that will heavily damage the machine. Players need to be careful though, as the machines can charge and trample Aloy.
It is the same for Freeze Bellowbacks. The liquid they hold in their sac will freeze anything in its path. This too causes damage. If the player has access to freeze-type arrows and uses them to destroy the cargo-sac, it will cause an explosion that freezes the machine. When frozen, the machine is easier to damage. When the cargo sacs are destroyed on both machines, they can still use their tail to inflict damage at close range.
10 Ravager
Ravagers are machines that are good at both ranged combat and close-up combat. From a distance, the Ravagers have a cannon for ranged attacks. In close-up combat, the Ravager is very fast, which means it can be difficult for players to land spear attacks or arrow attacks on it without first taking damage themselves.
It may seem safer to battle the machine from a distance, however, Ravagers have a powerful jump ability that means they can cover a vast amount of ground in one leap. Whilst in the air near Aloy, the machine uses its paw-like claws to swipe out, and if caught, the hero sustains a big chunk of damage.
9 Stalker
Stalkers have technology built into them that allows them to manipulate light. This means that they can appear to be invisible, but if players watch the environment closely, the outline of the Stalkers can be seen moving around. This ability to disappear can make it a difficult enemy, especially in the dense forest areas of the maps.
The Stalker will know Aloy is there before she knows the machine is there. This is because they lay down traps that the player will set off if they get too close, they act a little bit like flares. As well as the stealth attacks, Stalkers can drop mines behind them as traps. They have a dart gun for ranged attacks and a painful melee attack.
8 Longleg
Longlegs have a sonic blast attack that can disorientate Aloy, which makes it harder to land hits on the machine. Also, a Longleg can use the alarm signal antenna on top of their heads to call for help. This means the player can begin fighting a Longleg and end up fighting a Longleg and a Ravager! It can easily be used to overwhelm the player.
Longlegs also have a jump attack where mid-air they aim for Aloy and use their ostrich-like claws to swipe at her. If the player does not move fast enough, the attack will hit and knock down Aloy, leaving her vulnerable to more attacks. At this point, Longlegs can also charge at and trample the player.
7 Trampler
Tramplers mainly congregate in groups of three or more and they coordinate their attacks against the player. These machines have size on their side, so they will inflict a lot of damage if they trample Aloy. They run in a circle around the player in what seems to be an attempt to confuse them and possibly distract them from an oncoming attack from another Trampler.
These machines have the ability to create huge explosions that cause a lot of damage and throw the player back onto the ground. However, if the player uses any arrow type on the processing unit on the underside of the machine, it will explode and set fire to anything in the area. This includes other Tramplers.
6 Stormbird
Stormbirds are huge machines that patrol the skies and have powerful air-to-ground attacks. This machine’s main offensive move is the shock attack it uses mid-air, shooting electrical balls toward the player that inflict a lot of damage. Some outfits that Aloy wears are better than others at protecting against elemental damage such as shock damage. Also, the machine has a sonic attack that can disorientate Aloy and a dive attack that effectively crushes the player.
The main weakness of this machine is that the part it needs to create the shock attack is readily exposed mid-air. This means it is easy for the player to destroy that part with precision arrow attacks from the ground, and the Stormbird is particularly weak to Tear-type ammunition.
5 Behemoth
Behemoth is one of the larger machines found in the game and its size makes it dangerous. The machine has a very precise charge attack which the player has to respond to quickly or risk being crushed.
They have an attack that lifts up any large loose rocks around it and then launches them out, either in a circle around the machine or in a direct stream at Aloy. In addition to the raining rock attack, they are very fast for a machine of their size which means they can be deadly for anyone who underestimates them. The Force Loaders near the head of the machine are weak. Luckily for the player, this area is an easy target.
4 Rockbreaker
Rockbreakers are gigantic machines that mainly live underground and are one of the rarer machines in the game. Their giant claws allow them to burrow quickly underground mid-battle. This makes them impossible for Aloy’s focus to pick up until they resurface.
The machines are sensitive to sound so they can track the player above the surface, making it harder for Aloy to escape. Once above ground, the Rockbreakers churn up rocks and boulders then launch them at the player with maximum force. For their massive size, they are swift-moving machines.
3 Deathbringer
In the world of video games when something is given the name of Deathbringer, it’s more than likely going to pack a punch. It lacks overall speed and mobility but it can damage you from incredible distances and inflict a good amount of pain and suffering. Anytime you have to deal with one as Alloy it’s going to take everything you have, and hopefully you’ve become skilled enough by that point to deal with it. The Deathbringers are damage absorbers who are some of the most resilient machines roaming the Earth.
2 Fireclaws/Frostclaws
The Frostclaw and Fireclaw are elemental versions of the same core beast, which is a large formidable bear-like machine. Each possesses its own set of challenges for you as Aloy, with their elemental cores being evident by their namesakes. The real difference is that the Frostclaw is a bit smaller than the Fireclaw, which comes equipped with the same speed and mobility as its smaller cousin, but places it in a larger and more resilient body. They’re the type of machines in Horizon Zero Dawn that’ll have people rage-quitting and uninstalling the game from their consoles.
1 Thunderjaw
Thunderjaws are colossal machines that roam the landscape and are deadly. The machine is specialized for combat, having several powerful ranged weapons built into it. The machine has cannons attached to either side of its face and disc launchers attached to its hips. Both weapons are highly effective at ranged combat, damaging the player even from a distance. The Thunderjaw is equipped with a radar that allows it to scan the landscape, so it is pretty much useless to hide from this machine.
The Thunderjaw’s size means that the charge attack can be lethal; it charges with its head down and hits the player with its jaws first then tramples them with its feet after. If the ranged weapons get taken out, the Thunderjaw will use its large tail to swipe at the player. It’s big, it’s fast, and it was created to fight. The power of the Thunderjaw is indisputable.
NEXT: Horizon Zero Dawn: Facts About Thunderjaw You Didn’t Know
