On the subject of Microtrans-less games... (Gaming)

by Korny , Dalton, Ga. US. Earth, Sol System, Wednesday, March 01, 2017, 15:57 (2824 days ago) @ Cody Miller

It's more like a circle jerk.

Have you picked up Horizon? It's pretty dang great, and there's almost no hand-holding. If you do pick it up, kick the difficulty up a notch for the best combat experience.

No. Someone described it like the Witcher 3.

An open-world fantasy game with a focus on approaching combat encounters strategically? Yeah, a bit like the Witcher 3.

But it's far more polished, faster-paced, and relies on fighting smart rather than pumping damage into damage sponges. Combat is a lot like Bloodborne meets Tomb Raider, and success depends on your ability to adapt to the different fighting abilities of each enemy, while familiarizing yourself with (and developing) your own skills.
A cutscene early on shows Aloy sliding under a Watcher's jump kick and shooting it from below, and it's not a bullshot moment; you can totally do that, and may indeed have to at one point or another.

Sammy couldn't stand playing The Witcher 3, or Bloodborne, but she's put about eight more hours into Horizon than I have.

Plus, it's got a huge emphasis on discovery, but you can totally ignore all side quests and Cauldrons, and push through the game on skill alone. Definitely the most flat-out fun game that I've played in a long while.