Horizon Zero Dawn NPCs Look Downright Terrifying In PC Screenshot
The technical issues that long plagued Horizon Zero Dawn's PC version have yet to cease, evidenced by a horrific screenshot of a few non-playalbe characters. Originally released on PS4 in February 2017, Horizon Zero Dawn migrated to PC in Summer 2020; unfortunately, the experience on PC wasn't as smooth when compared to its PlayStation counterpart.
Guerrilla Games' port suffered from a litany of technical difficulties ranging from egregious frame rate hiccups to game-breaking bugs that often culminated in crashing troubles. For several months after the PC iteration's rollout, the development crew continuously deployed patches to tackle the myriad issues. Many would argue, however, that Horizon Zero Dawn on PC never managed to reach the quality that PS4 players experienced years prior. It may never get the chance to hit a higher bar either; in January 2021, Guerrilla revealed plans to launch Zero Dawn updates less frequently on PC in preparation for the team focusing most of its efforts on Forbidden West. Recently captured screenshots suggest the open-world sci-fi title could use a few more touch-ups, though.
Reddit user TottallyOffTopic posted a Horizon: Zero Dawn screenshot that can only be described as downright horrifying. The Redditor's photo comes from the PC port and showcases a look at a small crowd of citizens in Carja territory. One woman on the far right appears as a perfectly normal, fully rendered NPC. However, the NPCs around her feature varying degrees of broken assets. One lady, in particular, bears the resemblance of a character from the PS1 era. A gentleman behind her has a face as smooth as the Slender Man's, with weird diamond shapes for eyes. Eerily enough, a similarly creepy individual stands at the far left of the image.
As of now, it's unclear if issues like the one linked above remain widespread. It's an unfortunate occurrence either way, though, since these types of hiccups can ruin what otherwise warrants recognition as a stellar experience.
Of late, the vast majority of the news surrounding Guerrilla's nascent sci-fi franchise has been centered on the sequel, Horizon: Forbidden West, which should launch sometime this year on PS4 and PS5 consoles. Though the title is bound to eventually hit PC, neither Guerrilla nor Sony has offered any specifics with regards to a potential port.
Horizon: Zero Dawn is available to play now on PC and PlayStation 4.
Source: TottallyOffTopic/Reddit