Top Early-Game Skills to Acquire in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, crafted by Guerrilla Games, invites players into a captivating open-world RPG set against a backdrop of a post-apocalyptic landscape. As you step into the shoes of Aloy, investing wisely in the skill tree is essential for enhancing her combat abilities and survival chances.

This comprehensive guide details the most effective early-game skills worth your attention, focusing on critical combat improvements and essential survival techniques.

1. Top Early-Game Skills in Horizon Zero Dawn

The skill tree in Horizon Zero Dawn encompasses four distinctive categories: Prowler, Brave, Forager, and Traveler. For a robust foundation early on, prioritize skills such as Silent Strike, Lure Call, Concentration, Double Shot, Gatherer, Dodge Prowess, and Knock Down. Among these, Forager skills are particularly beneficial for resource acquisition and establishing a strong start.

Best Skills to Get Early Game | Source: In-game footage

Explore these early-game skills to transform your experience in Horizon Zero Dawn:

Silent Strike: This crucial stealth skill allows for silent takedowns of machines, helping you preserve health early in the game. Its utility may decline later, but it’s vital for progressing initially.
Lure Call: Complementary to Silent Strike, this skill enables you to ambush enemies stealthily. Hide and lure foes for silent eliminations, although it only works on enemies clearly in sight.
Concentration: A standout ranged skill that slows down time when aiming, it allows for critical shots on machine components and headshots, making it an invaluable early investment.
Double Shot: A game changer that lets you fire two arrows in quick succession, boosting damage significantly and allowing for rapid takedowns while inflicting ailments like Shock or Freeze.
Gatherer: This skill optimizes resource collection, providing essential materials that enhance your production of arrows, traps, and bombs during tougher missions.
Dodge Prowess: Mastering Agile combat becomes effortless with this skill, which extends your dodge rolls and helps you evade enemy attacks effectively.
Knock Down: Boosts your combat strategy by enabling heavy strikes that can incapacitate medium-sized machines like Croc bots and Sawtooths with a single blow.

2. Essential Early-Game Prowler Skills

Best Early-Game Prowler Skills | Source: In-game footage

The Prowler skill tree is crucial for enhancing Aloy’s stealth abilities, a key component for exploring the world of Horizon Zero Dawn effectively. Key skills to focus on include:

Silent Strike: Execute stealthy takedowns on unaware enemies.
Hunter Reflexes: Slow down time while aiming mid-jump or slide, offering precision when it counts.
Silent Drop: Minimize noise when jumping or falling, maintaining stealth.
Strike From Above and Below: Deliver ambush attacks from different angles.
Balanced Aim: Use weapons effectively while rappelling down surfaces.
Low Profile: Reduce visibility while crouching in open areas for improved stealth tactics.

3. Key Early-Game Brave Skills

Best Early-Game Brave Skills | Source: In-game footage

The Brave skill tree enhances Aloy’s direct combat capabilities. Investing in these foundational skills will empower her to dispatch foes more efficiently:

Concentration: Slow time for accurate shots at enemies.
Critical Hit: Land devastating attacks on downed opponents.
Precision: Increase damage dealt with the light spear, useful for armor dismantling.
Concentration+: An enhancement to Concentration available after obtaining Heavy Lifter.
Heavy Lifter: Enhances movement speed with heavy weapons and allows access to Double/Triple Shot.
Critical Hit+: Further amplifies Critical Hit damage.
Precision+: Boosts the armor penetration potential of Precision.

4. Valuable Early-Game Forager Skills

Best Early-Game Forager Skills | Source: In-game footage

The Forager skill tree enriches Aloy’s survivability while optimizing resource gathering. Key skills to enhance your gameplay include:

Lure Call: Attract enemies while remaining concealed.
Healer: Accelerate healing capabilities for your medicine pouch.
Gatherer: Increase resource yield through foraging.
Combat Overdrive and Combat Overdrive+: Prolong the duration of machine overrides indefinitely.
Herbalist: Expand the capacity of your medicine pouch.
Scavenger: Gain extra resources when looting machines.
Scavenger+: Heightened chances of acquiring additional resources.
Ammo Crafter: Create extra ammo while conserving resources.
Disarm Traps: Reuse traps and tripwires effectively.

5. Notable Early-Game Traveler Skills

Best Early-Game Traveler Skills | Source: In-game footage

Provided through the Frozen Wilds DLC, the Traveler skill tree enhances both mount use and resource gathering. Key skills include:

Mounted Pickup: Collect resources from defeated foes while mounted.
Shard Salvager: Convert resources into in-game currency.
Mount Repair: Patch up damaged mounts (best postponed until you have spare points).
Machine Repair: Fix overridden non-mount machines.
Dismount Strike: Execute aerial attacks when dismounting from mounts.
Expert Carver: Improve drop rates for valuable items when looting.
Hoarder: Increase your resource inventory capacity.

With this guide to the skill trees in Horizon Zero Dawn, you are now better equipped to unlock the full potential of Aloy. Always align your skills with your preferred playstyle, and feel free to experiment with various combinations to enhance your adventure. Happy hunting!

6. Discover Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered

Хorizon Zero Dawn takes players on an exhilarating journey with the fierce warrior, Aloy, as she explores a vibrant yet dangerous world populated with various tribes and settlements. The Remastered version revitalizes this iconic title with stunning graphics and enhanced features, allowing players to experience Aloy’s thrilling adventure in a whole new light.

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