Most people play Horizon Zero Dawn side quests just to get that sweet, sweet XP or maybe a Skill Point to unlock the next combat move. I get it. The main story—Aloy’s journey to find her mother and figure out why the world ended—is a literal freight train of momentum. It’s hard to stop. But if you're just sprinting from one "Yellow Main Quest" marker to the next, you’re honestly playing half a game. Guerrilla Games didn’t just fill the map with fluff; they hid the actual soul of the Nora, Carja, and Banuk tribes in those little green exclamation points.
It’s weird.
Usually, in open-world games, side content is just "go kill five boars." In Horizon, the side stuff is where the world actually starts to feel lived-in. You meet people who are broken by the mechanical apocalypse. You see how different cultures interpret the "Old Ones" through their own skewed religious lenses. If you skip them, the world stays a beautiful, shallow backdrop. If you do them, the world becomes a tragedy you’re trying to fix.
Why Horizon Zero Dawn Side Quests Are Actually Essential
Let’s be real for a second. Some of these quests are just plain better than the main missions. Take "In Honor of the Fallen." It sounds like a chore. You have to visit three different shrines. Boring, right? Except it’s not. Each shrine represents a different perspective on the massive war that happened before Aloy was even born. You’re not just climbing rocks; you’re listening to the grief of survivors.
The game uses these missions to build out the "Shadow Carja" conflict without dumping twenty minutes of dialogue on you at once. You meet characters like Namman, a priest who just wants to let people mourn, regardless of their politics. It’s heavy. It’s grounded. It makes the sun-drenched city of Meridian feel less like a level and more like a capital city with real problems.
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You’ve also got to consider the "All Allies Joined" trophy. This is a big one. If you want the best possible ending for the Battle of Alight, you have to complete specific Horizon Zero Dawn side quests to recruit people to your cause. If you don't help Talanah or Petra, they won't show up when the world is literally ending. The finale feels a lot lonelier if you haven't put in the work to make some friends along the way.
The Ones You Should Prioritize Right Now
Honestly, "Redmaw" is the peak of the Hunter's Lodge arc. It’s the culmination of a long series of tasks involving Talanah, a character who is arguably as cool as Aloy herself. You end up hunting a legendary Thunderjaw. It’s intense. The fight isn't just a gear check; it's a test of everything you've learned about using tear arrows and tripwires. Plus, the narrative payoff regarding the corruption within the Lodge is incredibly satisfying.
Then there’s "A Moment's Peace." This one is creepy. You find a Banuk camp where the machines are actually peaceful. They’re just... hanging out. It feels wrong. It looks wrong. Exploring that mystery gives you a massive hint about the underlying code of the machines long before the main quest spells it out for you. It’s environmental storytelling at its best.
Don't ignore the errands either. They're shorter, sure. But "Odd Grata" at the very beginning of the game sets the tone for how the Nora treat Outcasts. It’s heartbreaking to realize Grata can’t even technically speak to Aloy, yet she relies on her for everything. It builds empathy for Aloy’s isolation in a way that cutscenes alone can't quite manage.
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Managing the Grind Without Getting Burned Out
Look, the map is huge. It's easy to look at all those icons and feel like you're staring at a grocery list.
The trick is to group your missions by region. If you’re heading to the Grave-Hoard, check your log for anything in the snowy north. Don't fast travel everywhere. You miss the random encounters that trigger some of the best Horizon Zero Dawn side quests. Some of the most interesting NPCs are just standing by the side of a road, waiting for someone with a bow to help them out of a jam.
Hidden Rewards and Better Gear
A lot of players complain that the combat gets repetitive, but they're usually the ones who haven't done the "Ancient Armory" quest. This is the big one. It's technically a side quest, but it rewards you with the Shield-Weaver armor. This outfit literally gives you a rechargeable force field. It changes the game from a stealth-heavy cover shooter into a "bring it on" power fantasy. You have to find Power Cells scattered throughout the main story bunkers to unlock it, making it the ultimate long-term goal.
- Find the first cell in the ruins Aloy fell into as a child.
- Grab the second in All-Mother Mountain during "The Womb of the Mountain."
- The rest are tucked away in late-game locations like Maker’s End and Gaia Prime.
It's a grind. It’s worth it.
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The Cultural Nuance of the Frozen Wilds
If you have the DLC, the side content there is on a whole different level. The Banuk are fascinating. Their quests, like "The Survivor" or "For the Werak," require a much higher level of skill because the machines in the Cut are faster and meaner. The "Firebreak" storyline is technically side content in the grand scheme of the base game, but it's some of the best writing Guerrilla has ever done.
It dives into the relationship between AI and human emotion. You meet Cyan. Without spoiling too much, Cyan provides a much-needed emotional anchor to the cold, hard data points you find elsewhere. It makes the "Old Ones" feel like people rather than just historical figures in a hologram.
Common Misconceptions About Questing
People think you can "fail" side quests if you progress the main story too far. You can't. You can go back and do almost anything right up until the point of no return at the end of the game. Even then, the game resets you to just before the final battle so you can go back and clean up your map.
Another mistake? Thinking the rewards are just "blue" or "green" items. Some quests give you unique mods that you literally cannot find anywhere else. These are essential for taking down Fireclaws or higher-level Corrupted Machines without burning through your entire inventory of medicinal herbs.
Actionable Insights for Your Playthrough:
- Check the Hunter's Lodge early: Start the "Hunting Grounds" trials as soon as you find them. They lead into the Talanah questline, which provides some of the best combat encounters in the game.
- Talk to everyone with an exclamation mark: Even if you don't do the quest immediately, getting it on your map allows you to plan your routes more efficiently.
- Prioritize the Ancient Armory: As soon as you get to the "Grave-Hoard" or "Maker's End," keep your eyes peeled for those green Power Cells. They are easy to walk past if you're rushing.
- Read the Datapoints: Many side quests are expanded upon through the text and audio logs found in the immediate area. They turn a simple "fetch quest" into a piece of world-building.
- Don't ignore the "Errands": They are often short (5-10 minutes) and provide substantial XP boosts that help you hit the level cap faster.
Basically, just slow down. The machines aren't going anywhere. The world of Horizon is built on the ruins of people who were too busy to notice the end coming; don't make the same mistake by rushing past the stories that make the game worth playing.