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Gameplay tips & tricks for Horizon Zero Dawn
23.08.2026 13:26
✏️ Edited
Introduction
Horizon Zero Dawn is an amazing game, but there’s a lot the game doesn’t tell you. If you’re a new player or a returning player looking to optimize your playthrough, you’re in luck as this guide has compiled all of the best tips and tricks from a variety of sources into one comprehensive resource.
I've gathered these tips from multiple guides and videos, so credit goes to the original creators. I'm just presenting them in a clean, written format for those who prefer reading over watching.
Combat & Stealth tips
Fire damage optimization
This is one of the most important tips in the entire game. When you're modding your weapons, you might be tempted to use Fire Coils to boost fire damage. But here's the thing, they're actually not the best choice.
The key: Use Damage Coils instead of Fire Coils. Damage Coils provide a 6x boost to burn damage compared to the 2.5x boost you get from Fire Coils. So if you want your fire arrows to really hurt, stack Damage Coils on your fire weapons.
Dodging & Combat techniques
Dodge past enemies, not away from them
When you're in a fight, your instinct might be to dodge backwards to create distance. But in Horizon Zero Dawn, this is actually less effective. Dodge past the enemy. This puts you behind them and gives you a better opening for attacks.
Heal during dodges
You can actually use healing items while dodging. This is incredibly useful in tough fights where you don't have time to stand still and heal. Just trigger the healing animation and immediately dodge, you'll still get the health back.
Learn enemy attack cues
Every machine has tells. Pay attention to their body language and animations. Once you learn the cues, you'll be able to predict attacks and dodge or counter accordingly.
Stealth & Melee efficiency
Best early skills:
Silent Strike , This should be one of your first unlocks. It allows you to instantly take down smaller machines from stealth, which is invaluable in the early game.
Critical Strike, after knocking down an enemy, you can deliver a powerful finishing blow. This pairs perfectly with Silent Strike.
Strike from tall grass
Aloy is at her most dangerous when she's hidden. Use tall grass to your advantage. Take out one machine, wait for the others to calm down, then strike again. It's slower but much safer.
Using the ropecaster
The Ropecaster is one of the most underrated weapons in the game. It allows you to immobilize machines, making them easy targets for critical strikes or follow,up attacks. Use it on tougher enemies to control the battlefield.
Economy & Resource management
Easy XP from tutorial quests
Weapon tutorials are a fantastic source of easy experience points. To access them:
Open your quest log
Find the tutorial quests
Set them as active
Complete the requirements
They're quick, they're easy, and they give you a nice XP boost.
Hunting for Resources
The Golden Fast Travel Pack
There's a Golden Fast Travel Pack that allows you to fast travel unlimited times for free.
To get it:
Hunt animals like foxes, boars, and rabbits
Collect their skins and meat
Use the Focus to scan wildlife and tag them for easier tracking
The pack requires a fox skin and some meat. Totally worth it.
Use Harvest Arrows
Harvest Arrows are your best friend for resource gathering. They allow you to collect more resources from fallen machines, especially when you shoot off components before the machine is destroyed.
Hunt Wildlife regularly
Animals aren't just for show. Hunt boars, rabbits, foxes, and other wildlife regularly to gather meat and skins. These are essential for crafting potions and upgrading your inventory.
Don't overcraft ammo
When crafting ammo, be careful not to overcraft. Any ammo you craft beyond your carrying capacity is simply lost. Craft only what you need, and top up when you're running low.
Quick tip: In the crafting menu, you can see your current ammo count versus your max capacity. Keep an eye on this to avoid waste.
Sell useless resources
Check your inventory regularly. Some items are marked as "useful only for selling." These are just taking up space. Sell them at merchants to earn valuable metal shards.
What to look for: Items with descriptions that mention they're only good for trading or selling. They're common and not worth hoarding.
Upgrades & Gear
Free Gear from Special Tokens
Early in the game, you'll get special tokens that can be traded for free resource packs and outfits. Don't waste them on items you could easily craft. Use them for gear that gives you a real advantage.
Spear upgrade
Your spear is your primary melee weapon, and it can be upgraded. Do the quest "In Her Mother's Footsteps" to boost your spear damage significantly. It's worth doing early.
The tinker perk, get it early
The Tinker Perk is one of the most valuable skills in the game. Why? Because it allows you to remove modifications from your weapons and armor without destroying them. This means you can freely experiment with different builds and mod configurations without losing your best mods.
Recommended: Unlock this perk as soon as you start collecting purple (very rare) coils and weaves. It will save you a lot of frustration later.
Best Bows & Coils
The Frozen Wilds Bows
If you have The Frozen Wilds DLC, head there relatively early. There are powerful bows available that will carry you through the rest of the game.
Farming Purple Coils
You can farm purple (very rare) coils from Scrapper piles. These are scattered around the map and respawn. It's a great way to get powerful mods without relying on RNG drops.
Exploration & World tips
Check out the cauldrons
Cauldrons are underground facilities that allow you to override and control machines. This is incredibly useful , you can turn enemies into allies or even mounts.
CALDRONS ARE HARD. IMPORTANT. They have aggressive machines and end with a tough boss fight. Don’t try them until you are at or above the recommended level. Bring plenty of arrows, potions and crafting materials.
The Reward: Completing a Cauldron gives you the ability to override specific machine types. Over time, this allows you to build an army of machine allies.
Unlock Campfires simply by passing them
You don't need to stop and interact with campfires to unlock them for fast travel. Just walking near them is enough to register them on your map. This saves time and keeps you moving.
Save often
Manual saves are your friend. Use campfires to save regularly, especially before tough encounters. There's nothing worse than losing an hour of progress because you forgot to save.
Fast Travel tip
If you're low on resources, you can save at a campfire and then choose "Restart from Save" instead of using healing items to recover health. It's a bit of a cheese, but it works.
Use Focus to Tag Machines and Wildlife
The Focus is Aloy's most important tool. Use it constantly to:
Scan machines and identify their weaknesses
Tag enemies so you can track them even when they're behind cover
Spot wildlife for hunting
Find collectibles and points of interest
Side Content before "Deep Secrets of the Earth"
There's a point in the main quest called "Deep Secrets of the Earth." Before you start this mission, pause and explore the side content. Many side quests, collectibles, and character interactions become unavailable or change after this point. Do everything you want to do before progressing past this quest.
Settings & Quality of life
Enable Auto pickup
There's a setting that allows Aloy to automatically pick up resources as she walks over them. Enable this , it saves a lot of button pressing and makes gathering much smoother.
Motion aiming
If you're playing on a platform that supports motion controls, consider enabling motion aiming. It allows for finer control and more accurate shots, especially for precision archery.
Expand Your Field of View
The PC version of Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition includes a Field of View slider. Expanding your FOV allows you to see more of your surroundings, which can be a real advantage in combat.
How to adjust it: Go to the Display settings tab and drag the Field of View slider to the right.
Customize controls
Don't be afraid to remap controls to something that feels more natural. The default layout works, but everyone has different preferences. Customizing controls can make a huge difference in combat responsiveness.
Which Perks to skip
Not every perk is worth your valuable skill points. Here are some that are less useful throughout the game:
Quiet Sprint , Limited utility. The stealth mechanics are forgiving enough without it.
Cheaper Ammo Crafting , Ammo is not that expensive. Other perks are more impactful.
Increased Hacking Time , Hacking isn't used frequently enough to justify this.
Increased Scavenging , You'll find plenty of resources without this.
Disarm Traps , You can simply avoid or shoot traps.
Focus on perks that directly improve combat, stealth, and resource efficiency.
Take your time. Experiment with different weapons and playstyles. And most importantly, have fun. The world of Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the most beautiful and immersive worlds ever created in gaming. Enjoy exploring it.
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