Jobs Arts Videos
DESIblitz.com DESIblitz.com
Shop Advertise Contact Us
DESIblitz
  • Arts & Culture
  • Brit-Asian
  • Fashion
  • Film & TV
  • Food
  • Health & Beauty
  • Music & Dance
  • Sport
  • Taboo
  • Trends
  • Home
  • Videos
  • Jobs
  • Arts
  • About DESIblitz
  • DESIblitz Team
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with Us
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Arts
  • Culture
  • Books & Theatre

5 British Asian Poets to Look out for in 2023

Who was the Princess who helped Jews Escape Nazi Germany f

Which Indian Princess helped Jews Escape Nazi Germany?

7 YA Books by South Asian Authors to Read in 2023

7 YA Books by South Asian Authors to Read in 2023

Jyoti Patel on 'The Things That We Lost' & Representation

Jyoti Patel on ‘The Things That We Lost’ & Representation

Glasgow to return Stolen Artefacts to India f

Glasgow to return Stolen Artefacts to India

more
arts and
culture
  • Life
  • Business & Employment
  • UK & World
Indian Man discovered Alive f

‘Dead’ Indian Man discovered Alive

Pregnant Transgender Man prepares to Give Birth f

Pregnant Transgender Man prepares to Give Birth

Man sues Singaporean Woman for £1.9m after she rejected Him f

Man sues Singaporean Woman for £1.9m after she rejected Him

Mother spent Years in fear of Knife-Obsessed Son who Killed Her f

Mother spent Years in fear of Knife-Obsessed Son who Killed Her

Is Mukesh Ambani the World's Fifth Richest Person f

Mukesh Ambani reclaims Top Spot as Asia’s Richest Man

more
brit
asian
  • Bollywood
  • Television
  • Film
Harry Mahmood explains why he doesn't need Lord Sugar's £250k f

Harry Mahmood explains why he doesn’t need Lord Sugar’s £250k

Arjun Kapoor pays tribute to Late Mother on Birth Anniversary - f

Arjun Kapoor pays tribute to Late Mother on Birth Anniversary

SRK responds to Paulo Coelho’s ‘Legend’ Tweet - f

SRK responds to Paulo Coelho’s ‘Legend’ Tweet

Rakhi Sawant accuses Husband of Cheating on Her f

Rakhi Sawant accuses Husband of Cheating on Her

Varun Tej to tie the knot with Lavanya Tripathi? - f

Varun Tej to tie the knot with Lavanya Tripathi?

more
film & tv
  • Style & Glamour
  • Showcase
Keerthy Suresh trolled over Multi-Coloured Lehenga - f

Keerthy Suresh trolled over Multi-Coloured Lehenga

10 Bold Photos of Anveshi Jain oozing Sex Appeal - f-2

10 Bold Photos of Anveshi Jain oozing Sex Appeal

Athiya Shetty looks Gorgeous in Swarovski Crystal Lehenga f

Athiya Shetty looks Gorgeous in Swarovski Crystal Lehenga

Janhvi Kapoor sizzles in Sultry Saree & Bold Nose Ring f

Janhvi Kapoor sizzles in Sultry Saree & Bold Nose Ring

Masaba Gupta weds Satyadeep Misra in low-key Ceremony f

Masaba Gupta weds Satyadeep Misra in low-key Ceremony

more
fashion
  • Food & Drink
  • Recipes

How Non-Alcoholic Wines are Healthier

Takeaway Chef goes viral for mimicking Salt Bae f

Takeaway Chef goes viral for mimicking Salt Bae

Indian Restaurants in Birmingham with Worst Hygiene in 2023 f

Indian Restaurants in Birmingham with Worst Hygiene in 2023

Chaiiwala opens UK's 1st Indian Drive-thru f

Chaiiwala opens UK’s 1st Indian Drive-thru

10 Unhealthy Oils to avoid for Cooking

more
food
  • Health & Fitness
  • Beauty & Grooming
  • Relationships & Sex
10 Sexy Gifts You can Buy for Her - f

10 Sexy Gifts You can Buy for Her

30 Top Budget Beauty Buys under £20 - f

30 Top Budget Beauty Buys under £20

Samantha Ruth Prabhu flaunts her new Hairdo - f

Samantha Ruth Prabhu flaunts her new Hairdo

Everything You Need to Know about Dip Powder Manicures - f-2

Everything You Need to Know about Dip Powder Manicures

ADHD and Women The Diagnosis Gap - f

ADHD and Women: The Diagnosis Gap

more
health &
beauty
  • Music
  • Dance
8 Best Desi radio stations for World Radio Day

8 Best Desi Radio Stations for World Radio Day

Hasan Raheem reveals Inspiration behind his Heartbreak Songs f

Hasan Raheem reveals Inspiration behind his Heartbreak Songs

Tere Pyaar Mein f

Ranbir & Shraddha pack on the PDA in ‘Tere Pyaar Mein’

AP Dhillon wows Fans at Lollapalooza in Mumbai f

AP Dhillon wows Fans at Lollapalooza in Mumbai

5 Best Punjabi Albums Releasing in 2023

5 Best Punjabi Albums Releasing in 2023

more
music &
dance
  • South Asian
  • UK & World
Will Marcel Sabitzer become Man United's new No. 7 f

Will Marcel Sabitzer become Man United’s new No. 7?

Premier League 22/23 Relegation: Who's in Most Danger?

Premier League 22/23: Who’s Getting Relegated?

What does Marcus Rashford’s Goal Celebration Mean f

What does Marcus Rashford’s Goal Celebration Mean?

Sania Mirza bids Farewell to Grand Slam Tennis Career f

Sania Mirza bids Farewell to Grand Slam Tennis Career

Sikh Footballer welcomes FA Rule Update after Head Covering Row f

Sikh Footballer welcomes FA Rule Update after Head Covering Row

more
sports
  • Sexual
  • Cultural
Why is Reporting Rape Difficult for South Asian Women?

Why is Reporting Rape Difficult for South Asian Women?

Why are more British Asians becoming Sex Workers

Why are more British Asians becoming Sex Workers?

5 Organisations to help with Gambling Addiction

5 Organisations to help with Gambling Addiction

Is it Racist to call a Desi Woman ‘Exotic’ - f

Is it Racist to call a Desi Woman ‘Exotic’?

Why are Indian Couples Choosing Not to have Children?

Why are Indian Couples Choosing Not to have Children?

more
taboo
  • Technology & Gaming
  • Lifestyle
Armaan Malik’s Pregnant Wives get into Heated Fight f

Armaan Malik’s Pregnant Wives get into Heated Fight

10 Top UK Getaways for Valentine’s Day

10 Top Features of Hogwarts Legacy

Is Amazon Fresh the future of Supermarkets f

Is Amazon Fresh the future of Supermarkets?

How do OpenAI's GPT and ChatGPT differ f

How do OpenAI’s GPT and ChatGPT differ?

more
trends
  • Home
  • Videos
  • Jobs
  • Arts
  • About DESIblitz
  • DESIblitz Team
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with Us
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
Close

Filter your search

Search

More Results
Close

Trends > Technology & Gaming


Horizon Zero Dawn vs. Halo Wars 2 ~ Comparing Console Exclusives

With Horizon Zero Dawn and Halo Wars 2 coming out so close to each other, DESIblitz compares Sony’s and Microsoft’s most recent console exclusives.

Horizon Zero Dawn vs. Halo Wars 2 ~ Comparing Console Exclusives

By


Twitter132FacebookPinterestRedditWhatsApp
132
SHARES

Horizon Zero Dawn captivated audiences with its take on the post-apocalypse

February 2017 has seen the release of two big console exclusives from Microsoft and Sony. One is an open-world action-RPG, the other a second attempt at real-time strategy on consoles.

Needless to say, Horizon Zero Dawn and Halo Wars 2 don’t make for an obvious comparison.

Yet, both are some of the first console exclusives to have come out this year for both companies. And moreover, they are both different and similar in ways beyond their genre.

Comparing the two console exclusives could prove an insightful look into the current priorities of Microsoft and Sony.

Setting

Horizon Zero Dawn vs. Halo Wars 2 ~ Comparing Console Exclusives

Here, most obviously, Horizon Zero Dawn comes out on top.

Set in a green, post-apocalyptic world inhabited by massive, robotic creatures, Horizon Zero Dawn sees Aloy searching for the truth of what happened to civilisation.

From the game’s reveal at E3 in 2015, Horizon Zero Dawn captivated the audience with its distinctive take on the post-apocalypse.

Halo Wars 2 would appear the complete opposite. The game speaks to the Microsoft’s historical reliance on the Halo franchise ever since the original Xbox’s launch. With the Halo franchise now spanning thirteen games, Halo Wars 2 is nowhere near as original as Horizon Zero Dawn.

Sony opened this year with a completely new intellectual property, while Microsoft fell back on a franchise that it’s been using as a crutch for over a decade now.

Related Reads

  • Horizon Zero Dawn unleashes the Hunter in You
  • Milind Soman on Comparing Paurashpur to Game of Thrones
  • Kangana Ranaut trolled for Comparing herself to SRK

Gameplay

Horizon Zero Dawn vs. Halo Wars 2 ~ Comparing Console Exclusives

When it comes to gameplay, somewhat ironically, the roles are reversed. Horizon Zero Dawn is a rather standard, action-RPG affair. Meanwhile, Halo Wars 2’s real-time strategy makes it as unique in all the ways its setting isn’t.

Horizon Zero Dawn has an open world that most gamers will feel quite familiar in. The world is populated with various checklist tasks that have been a staple of open-world design ever since its popularity in Assassin’s Creed.

There are towers to climb that unlock pieces of the map; there are areas to clear out enemies. None of this is new.

Of course, Horizon Zero Dawn does play around with its robotic opponents. And likewise, Halo Wars 2 is in its own way as iterative.

Halo Wars 2 was designed to suit the limitations of console gaming. To this end it employs game systems pioneered years ago with the first Age of Empires.

You build a base, you build troops, you search the map. You alter your army to exploit the weaknesses of your opponent, and then again after they try to counter. It’s the rock-paper-scissors of real-time strategy, and hardly new.

With this said, Halo Wars 2 has the advantage in being a rarity for console gaming. Console real-time strategy games are few and far between. Focused on a smooth strategy experience for the Xbox One controller, the game relies on radial menus while emphasising action most of all.

This is evident in Halo Wars 2’s multiplayer offerings – which sometimes do away with the logistical base-building component entirely.

Whilst both games rely on tried-and-tested systems, in its own way, Halo Wars 2 is quite unique when it comes to gameplay.

Graphics and Consumer Friendliness

Horizon Zero Dawn vs. Halo Wars 2 ~ Comparing Console Exclusives

These are some final points to wrap up on with these console exclusives. In terms of showing off their home console’s horsepower, Horizon Zero Dawn is an easy win.

The game features bright, lush vistas and character work straight out of the Uncharted series. It’s a beauty to behold.

This is especially true on the PS4 Pro, where the game benefits from 4K support, bringing Horizon Zero Dawn’s already stunning visuals into even more vivid clarity.

What is perhaps more significant, however, is Horizon Zero Dawn’s relative consumer friendliness. Microsoft could not help but monetize Halo Wars 2’s much-touted Blitz mode.

Blitz relies on single-use cards to play – which players earn via challenges or bought. This makes Blitz, at best, a game that can be played only infrequently, or at worst, a mode that’s pay-to-win.

With Halo 5: Guardians and Gears of War 4 also having featured monetised game systems, it seems this will be a staple of all Microsoft exclusives from now on.

This perhaps makes Sony’s relative avoidance of such practices – in Horizon Zero Dawn and beyond – even more admirable.

Verdict

Horizon Zero Dawn vs. Halo Wars 2 ~ Comparing Console Exclusives

Deciding which exclusive is fundamentally “better” is beside the point. Halo Wars 2 and Horizon Zero Dawn are very different games, after very different audiences.

Nevertheless, comparing the two console exclusives reveal so much, with both having come out so close to each other.

Sony, it would seem, has a greater eagerness to expand its franchises with new ones, even if that means relying on game mechanics less innovative.

Microsoft, on the other hand, would seem eager to search for new audiences in the latter area, even if that means wheeling out a very established franchise once again.

Meanwhile, while Sony steered clear of any predatory consumer practices, despite the risks of a new IP, Microsoft monetised a key part of the Halo Wars 2 experience.

Whilst neither of these games are the companies’ only releases for 2017, they both, all the same, seem to say something about Sony’s and Microsoft’s current preoccupations.


Twitter132FacebookPinterestRedditWhatsApp
132
SHARES
Harry Turner
Harry Turner
Harry is a History undergraduate with a passion for writing and good stories. His key interests lie in gaming, TV, film and long-distance running – the latter of which his motto comes from. “Go as far as you can, and then further.”

Images courtesy of Microsoft Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment

4K Televisions ~ The Next Step to a Greater Viewing Experience
Amazon Prime launches dedicated Bollywood Movies channel

Related Reads

  • Related Reads

    • Horizon Zero Dawn unleashes the Hunter in You
      Horizon Zero Dawn unleashes the Hunter in You
    • Milind Soman on Comparing Paurashpur to Game of Thrones
      Milind Soman on Comparing Paurashpur to Game of Thrones
    • Kangana Ranaut trolled for Comparing herself to SRK
      Kangana Ranaut trolled for Comparing herself to SRK
    • Nintendo’s Next Console unveiled as the Nintendo Switch
      Nintendo’s Next Console unveiled as the Nintendo Switch
    • Xbox One X ~ the Best Console for Gaming in India?
      Xbox One X ~ the Best Console for Gaming in India?
    • 10 Popular Console Games Played in India
      10 Popular Console Games Played in India


What's New

  • Armaan Malik’s Pregnant Wives get into Heated Fight f

    Armaan Malik’s Pregnant Wives get into Heated Fight

  • 10 Top UK Getaways for Valentine’s Day

  • 10 Top Features of Hogwarts Legacy

  • Is Amazon Fresh the future of Supermarkets f

    Is Amazon Fresh the future of Supermarkets?

  • How do OpenAI's GPT and ChatGPT differ f

    How do OpenAI’s GPT and ChatGPT differ?

MORE

Popular

  • Armaan Malik’s Pregnant Wives get into Heated Fight f
    Trends

    Armaan Malik’s Pregnant Wives get into Heated Fight

  • Trends

    7 Luxury Cars launching in India in 2023

  • Trends

    10 Top Features of Hogwarts Legacy

  • Is Amazon Fresh the future of Supermarkets f
    Trends

    Is Amazon Fresh the future of Supermarkets?

  • How do OpenAI's GPT and ChatGPT differ f
    Trends

    How do OpenAI's GPT and ChatGPT differ?

  • Trends

    10 Top UK Getaways for Valentine's Day

  • Is Radiator Sludge increasing Heating Bills by 25% f
    Trends

    Is Radiator Sludge increasing Heating Bills by 25%?

  • Trending

  • "Quoted"

    • Sunny Leone attracts Huge Crowds to see Her in Kochi
      She also posted a video where she filmed the crowd, all taking photos of her.

      Sunny Leone attracts Huge Crowds to see Her in Kochi

  • Polls

    Which Indian television drama do you enjoy the most?

    View Results

    Loading ... Loading ...
    • Polls Archive
  • Top Middle Bottom
    What's New Popular Trending
    Close
    Scroll To

    RECENTLY

    • ‘Dead’ Indian Man discovered Alive
    • Harry Mahmood explains why he doesn’t need Lord Sugar’s £250k
    • Arjun Kapoor pays tribute to Late Mother on Birth Anniversary
    • Pregnant Transgender Man prepares to Give Birth
    • SRK responds to Paulo Coelho’s ‘Legend’ Tweet

    Socialise with us

    FOR OUR LATEST NEWS, GOSSIP & GUPSHUP

    About Us

    • Contact Us
    • DESIblitz Shop
    • Advertise with Us
    • About DESIblitz
    • DESIblitz Team
    • Terms of Service
    • Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy

    Copyright © 2008-2023 DESIblitz. DESIblitz is a ® registered trade mark | Email:info@desiblitz.com DMCA.com Protection Status

    en English
    bn Bengalien Englishgu Gujaratihi Hindiit Italianmr Marathipa Punjabisw Swahilita Tamilur Urdu