Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds

It feels like there isn't such an overlooked open-world RPG in recent days. Horizon: Zero Dawn - The Frozen Wilds is an expansion to a game that was simply brilliant. It had everything from a rich story, exciting gameplay, and immersive visuals that could arguably be defined as one of the best genre releases of all time.

However, the release of the parent game came amongst when other prominent titles arrived. Thus, it was lost in the marketing mix where it just didn't seem to be able to scream its way to the top. Horizon: Zero Dawn - The Frozen Wilds is a colossal expansion that seeks to give the game second beginnings. It deserves recognition, after all.

Adjusting to the Cold

Horizon: Zero Dawn - The Frozen Wilds seamlessly fits into the original game. Whether you've just started, halfway through, or finished the game, the expansion becomes accessible as soon as it's installed. The first impression is that it's refreshing that there are no prerequisites to getting stuck in. So what's featured in this large-scaled addition to the post-apocalyptic American West?

Naturally, there's a whole new area to explore as defined in its namesake - not called the Frozen Wilds - but you get the gist. On top of a gorgeous new mountainous landscape to explore. Not forgetting an immersive storyline and all the thrills and spills that the original Horizon: Zero Dawn brought us.

While not being as big as a standalone game, you can't argue with the 15-hours of content delivered with Horizon: Zero Dawn - The Frozen Wilds. There isn't a whole lot that differs from the core gameplay. Still, the crucial drawing point is the excellent story that plugs in flawlessly wherever you are in the game. The new cast and funky characters add a unique personality to the fantastic game.

So there's not much else to say if you already enjoyed Horizon: Zero Dawn. The Frozen Wilds is an excellent expansion to an already brilliant game. There's nothing you could say that's disappointing. However, does it give the game the rebirth that it needs to send it in to the AAA stratosphere? Well, not quite. But there's no doubt it will procure legendary status over time.

A Mighty Fine Addition

Too often, we'll get a new open-world expansion only for it to fall short of hype and expectations. That notion has us think of Skyrim's Dragonborn DLC, which didn't disappoint but didn't add a truckload to the core game. Horizon: Zero Dawn - The Frozen Wilds does the polar opposite. It adds a significant chunk of gameplay to the point of being valuable.

Round-Up - Pros & Cons

Pros:

• A brilliant expansion that fits in anywhere you are in the game
• Great characters add new flair to the universe
• Fantastic storyline to spice up the game's core narrative

Cons:

• Doesn't add any new features to the core gameplay