COLD CUT, WARM DAEMON
The first and only DLC for Horizon Zero Dawn, titled The Frozen Wilds, is a solid and ambitious offering from Guerrilla Games. Once again, we step into the shoes of the flame-haired, resourceful heroine Aloy (voiced by Ashly Burch), as she uncovers trouble brewing in a previously sealed-off corner of her robot-infested open world.
The new content opens up the northeastern section of the map, introducing The Cut: the snowy, mountainous homeland of the Banuk tribes. Accustomed to harsh conditions, the Banuk pride themselves on testing their strength against the forces of the land. They are not ignorant of its dangers, but they fear stagnation and weakness even more than death itself.
Their territory is as beautiful as it is unforgiving, with freezing temperatures, near pitch-black nights, and narrow mountain paths skirting glaciers and sheer drops. New and deadly machines stalk the region, many of them controlled by a malignant force known as “the Daemon.” When Aloy arrives, one Banuk tribe is already counting its losses after a disastrous encounter. Reluctantly, they accept her help.
As polished as The Frozen Wilds is, it cannot escape one of the classic pitfalls of story-driven expansions: the question of when you’re actually supposed to play it. The DLC becomes available roughly halfway through the main campaign, but tackling it immediately results in a brutal spike in difficulty. Saving it for later, when Aloy is properly equipped, risks undercutting the urgency of the main story’s climax. This is the perennial problem of inserting a large chunk of new content into an already tightly paced narrative—no placement feels entirely natural.
Beyond the expanded map and new story missions, the DLC introduces tougher enemies, new bows, and additional armor sets—some of which feel almost mandatory. Combat shifts toward heavy reliance on elemental effects such as freezing and burning, rendering much of your previously dependable gear ineffective. Traps and tripwires lose their edge, stealth takedowns become unreliable, and the Daemon’s resistance to machine override removes one of the base game’s most enjoyable tactical options. While the challenge is welcome, the loss of strategic variety is disappointing.
The final boss fight is long, intense, and punishing. In my case, the creature glitched halfway through the encounter, freezing in place as I slowly wore it down with arrows and bombs. Since I hadn’t saved in a while, I reluctantly accepted the victory. “Fortunately,” several similar enemies are added to the world map afterward, allowing for more legitimate rematches.
To support the increased difficulty, the level cap is raised and new skill trees are added. Unfortunately, many of these upgrades feel ill-suited to the region. New mounted abilities in terrain hostile to mounts? Skills for repairing overridden machines in a land where machines can’t be overridden? The most genuinely useful additions simply expand carrying capacity—practical, but uninspired.
Where The Frozen Wilds truly excels is in its storytelling and exploration. The main quest introduces a pair of compelling Banuk characters locked in a heartfelt rivalry: a chieftain and a shaman divided over how best to confront the Daemon, and who has earned the right to do so. It’s a tightly focused narrative that complements Aloy’s own journey without overshadowing it.
The side quests further flesh out Banuk culture, offering thoughtful insights into their traditions and worldview. The DLC also expands the ancient lore of the world and provides a few tantalizing new details about Sylens, the enigmatic figure who shadows Aloy throughout the main campaign.
Visually, the already impressive presentation gets subtle refinements. Aloy’s movement through deep snow feels weighty and tactile, and facial animations during dialogue are slightly improved. That said, I struggle with how underdressed characters tend to be in cold climates across popular fiction. Bare arms, exposed skin, and minimal headgear in sub-zero temperatures stretch the game’s survival pretensions to the breaking point. Perhaps the Banuk’s bluegleam-infused gear offers some explanation—but Aloy flexing her toned muscles in a blizzard remains hard to justify.
Still, The Frozen Wilds captures the atmosphere of the north beautifully. The landscape may be hostile, but snow-covered plains and shimmering auroras lend the night an unexpected serenity. The sound design reinforces this sense of place: distant winds, creaking ice, and the haunting calls of Banuk horns announcing your arrival in their domain.
Where the base game often framed spirituality as superstition or even menace, The Frozen Wilds offers a more nuanced perspective. Banuk belief systems are portrayed as pragmatic tools for survival rather than dogma. Once Aloy proves her worth, the tribe listens—and adapts.
In the end, The Frozen Wilds is a confident and thematically resonant expansion. It deepens the world, sharpens its cultural contrasts, and fills in gaps in the broader lore. If you can find the 10–15 hours it demands, it’s a rewarding detour—one that strengthens Horizon Zero Dawn rather than merely padding it out.
Comments
Post a Comment