The 'Biology' of Horizon Zero Dawn

Ever wondered how the machines of Horizon: Zero Dawn function? Join us on our nature-documentary style deep-dive into an artificial ecosystem.
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Curious Archive Social Media:

Imagine an ecosystem made entirely of autonomous machines. Where every ecological niche is filled by an artificial organism. In the video game ‘Horizon: Zero Dawn’ and it’s sequel ‘Horizon: Forbbiden West’ a global calamity has led to a version of planet Earth inhabited by animal-mimicking machines — from mighty herbivores to deadly predators. While these synthetic creatures might not be ‘biological,’ their fascinating interactions, unique behavioral patterns, and hidden intricacies make them worthy of study.

The story takes place thousands of years in the future, but a little thing like the flow of time isn’t going to stop this archivist from doing his fieldwork. So, for this entry into the archive, I’ll lead us on another documentary style expedition, investigating the artificial ‘biology’ of these intriguing machines and revealing what animal roles they fill. We’ll need, though, to stay alert—there are constant dangers in this environment.

Now, let’s leap forward in time, and discover an ecosystem of metal and wire...

0:00 Machines of Horizon: Zero Dawn
1:14 Strider
3:45 Watcher
5:20 Grazer
6:53 Sawtooth
8:28 Longleg
9:43 Scrapper
11:13 Shell-Walker
12:56 Glinthawk
14:54 Snapmaw
16:24 Bellowback
17:36 Behemoth
19:04 Thunderjaw
20:28 Tallneck
22:00 The Next Horizon…

Copyright Disclaimer: Under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. All video/image content is edited under fair use rights for reasons of commentary.

I do not own the images, music, or footage used in this video. All rights and credit goes to the original owners.

Beauty Flow, Firesong, Impact Lento, Majestic Hills, Bittersweet, Floating Cities
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

#CuriousArchive #Horizon #SpeculativeBiology

[entropic-decay]

slight correction regarding the reason for the machines to exist in-world
the majority of the machines were originally designed to terraform earth after the biosphere was destroyed. The humans created by this terraforming system, unaware of the reason for the machines' existence, began to hunt the machines for parts, and so the subsystem of the terraforming system responsible for designing and constructing the machines began creating more dangerous ones that are designed to defend the rest.

[malwareinc]

I love how detailed the machines are, especially with the textures.

[theorigamiking]

Definitely one of the most creative game concepts ever.

[imlewishehe]

I've always wanted to see a video like this, where it's an animal documentary within the world of Horizon. It's just a perfect setting for such a thing. I can't wait for an inevitable video on Horizon: Forbidden West, and the many new machines in the new regions

[Nukesnipe]

I always liked how the different categories of machines in HZD followed the themes of recon, acquisition, terraforming and transportation. Lancehorns mine raw materials from the ground, which get transported by Behemoths, while Shell-Walkers transport already packaged goods. And in-game, it even points out areas where transport-class machines will follow a supply route to and from different areas, usually near Cauldrons. While this gives the image of a migrating herd, it also makes perfect sense considering what their purpose is.
Then you have machines like the Snapmaw, whose purpose is to regulate water supplies and ensure that they don't become toxic, while Stormbirds were directly responsible for repairing the atmosphere.

[thatcat]

I’m going to say that there is actually a storyline in these videos. I’m also gonna say Curious came to this world after time dilation caused by traveling to and from 45-46b and thought; “No apocalypse is gonna stop me!!!”

[AlexCunradi]

If you're interested in sci-fi or post-apocalyptic games, you have to give Zero Dawn a try. A great story, great characters, great combat, and a great open world. Can't recommend it enough.

[fang]

In a nutshell. Dont aproach any machine, keep distance and out of sight. Unless a certain flame haired young woman is around. Then your 100% safe. Jokes aside its really incredible what the team behind the game did with the machines in this game. Their models are incredible in the bits there made of, animated and texture, Id say these are the best robbots in any media. As for within the games context Gaia really did an incredible job rebuilding the bioshpere, and Hephaestus arming machines to defend them from humans as well as creating machines purely made for combat is qutie the sight indeed (tho they get even more dangerous and leathal further west)

[KaneyoriHK]

The designs are really good, there's a lot of moving parts, and they're realistic, and it's really cool to watch them move. To me, they're simply amazing works.

[Replicaate]

I absolutely love the machine 'beasts' of this world. They're both wonderfully imaginative yet highly plausible given the level of technology the 'ancients' in the Horizon-verse had at their disposal, and also aesthetically quite beautiful in their way. I think my personal favorites are the Thunderjaw and Sawtooth (and the Ravager, unseen here) - their 'inspiration' being extinct predators is clear, but they're also efficiently sparsely mechanical enough to feel not just like cheesy robot versions of a dinosaur or a sabertooth.

[The_Story_Of_Us]

I like how the machines are built like actual animals. Not just like classic robots, but they have almost mechanical muscles like we do, built out of these metal fibres that contract and lengthen like muscles do to control movement.

[jackobidy]

I absolutely love that Curious made a Youtube video on this video game, because it's my favorite video game of all time, and I love it when it gets this kind of recognition. I really hope he makes a sequel on the second game Horizon Forbidden west and its machines.

[neilc.]

I love your videos so much!

I’m eagerly waiting for when part 5 of The Epic of Serina comes out, granted I’ve read so far what happens, it’s nice to hear other people share how amazing the story is.

[floofyfluff]

I literally started this game last week and thought that it would be cool if he made a video on it

[samtrudeau]

There is a similar symbiotic relationship between ostriches, zebra, and wildebeest where the ostrich acts as look out of sort

[susangardini]

The concept of machine life is rare to see! This is amazing!

[zacharyreed]

I love the small machine details in the game. If you watch Shell-Walkers when their cargo gets knocked off, they use some form of gravity manipulator in their claw to pick up the cargo and hold it on their backs. Snapmaws will soak in the waters, then come up on land and eject several pods of chillwater from their backs (the little empty spheres on their tail then get filled with more chillwater). So many cool small details

[jacobcox]

It's crazy how similar these synthetic animals are to real animals, they're the same thing, just made different from organic, carbon-based life. Like a math problem that can be solved in more than one way.

[jeremycreations]

Not only are you good at finding interesting things, but your also incredible with storytelling and writing, every time a see one of your videos in my subscription feed I get exited because I know you found something good. Love your videos

[bonkproof]

As someone who’s gotten %100 completion on horizon, I was wondering when someone would do a video breaking down the machines like this.