Guerrilla Games basically changed the conversation back in 2017. Before Aloy stepped out into the Nora Sacred Lands, open-world games were often a bloated mess of meaningless chores. You know the type. Collect 500 feathers for no reason. Walk across the map to find a single chest that contains a common sword you’ll never use. But when people started looking at the list of trophies for Horizon Zero Dawn, something felt different. It wasn't just a list of chores; it was a roadmap for actually seeing everything the developers poured their souls into.
Getting the Platinum in this game is a rite of passage. It’s not about being a "pro gamer" with twitch reflexes like you need for a Soulslike. Honestly, it’s more about curiosity.
The Philosophy Behind the Platinum
Most games treat trophies as a way to artificially extend playtime. Horizon doesn't do that. If you look at the trophy list, you’ll notice there aren't any difficulty-related trophies in the base game. You can play on Story mode or Ultra Hard, and that shiny Platinum pops just the same. This was a deliberate choice by Guerrilla. They wanted you to focus on the world-building and the tactical combat against the machines, not banging your head against a wall because a Watcher one-shot you.
The core list is built around three pillars: story progression, world exploration, and combat mastery.
You’re going to get a good chunk of these just by playing. But the real meat—the stuff that makes you appreciate the game—comes from the hunting grounds and the collectibles. Usually, collectibles are the worst part of any trophy hunt. In Horizon, they actually mean something. Every Vantage Point tells a heartbreaking story of the "Old Ones." Every Metal Flower includes a snippet of poetry. You aren't just checking a box; you're uncovering the lore of a fallen civilization.
Hunting Grounds: The Only Real Skill Check
If there’s one thing that trips people up, it’s the Blazing Suns. You need to earn the highest rank in all trials at all five Hunting Grounds.
These aren't just "kill X machines" quests. They’re tutorials disguised as challenges. The Parts Stripping Trial at the Nora Hunting Ground? It’s teaching you that the Tearblaster and Hardpoint arrows are your best friends. The Tie Down Trial? It's forcing you to realize the Ropecaster isn't just a niche tool—it’s a god-tier survival item when you're facing a Ravager or a Thunderjaw.
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Most players struggle here because they try to brute-force it. You can't. You have to use the mechanics. It’s satisfying. When you finally nail that perfect run and get the "All Suns at All Grounds" trophy, you actually feel like a Master Seeker.
Those Missable Trophies Everyone Worries About
Let’s clear something up right now: there are virtually no missable trophies for Horizon Zero Dawn.
I see people stressing about this on forums all the time. "Did I miss the Power Cells for the Shield-Weaver armor?" No. You can go back. "Did I miss the chance to talk to a specific NPC for the All Allies Joined trophy?" Kinda, but not really.
The "All Allies Joined" trophy is the one that causes the most anxiety. People think they need to pick specific "Flashpoint" responses (the brain, heart, or fist icons) to recruit people. That’s a myth. Your dialogue choices don't actually lock you out of allies. What matters is completing the side quests associated with specific characters before the final mission, "The Looming Shadow."
Even if you finish the game and missed it, the game literally resets you to the moment before the final battle. You can just go do the side quests and finish the game again. It’s incredibly player-friendly.
The Shield-Weaver Armor Grind
The "Got the Shield-Weaver armor" trophy is probably the most rewarding one in the game. To get it, you need five Power Cells. These are tucked away in main quest locations like All-Mother Mountain, Maker’s End, and GAIA Prime.
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A lot of people think they’re stuck if they miss the cell in All-Mother during the early game. You aren't. You just have to wait until the world opens back up later in the story to go back inside. Once you get that armor, Aloy becomes a tank. It creates a literal energy shield that soaks up damage. It changes the game. It makes the "All Machines Catalogued" trophy much easier because you can stand your ground against a Stormbird without getting evaporated in three seconds.
Beyond the Platinum: New Game+ and The Frozen Wilds
If you’re a completionist, the base Platinum isn't the end. Guerrilla added DLC trophies and New Game+ trophies later. This is where the real challenge lives.
- Ultra Hard Difficulty: Doing a New Game+ run on Ultra Hard is a different beast. Aiming assistance is turned off. Enemies are more aggressive. Everything costs more at merchants.
- The Frozen Wilds: This expansion added a whole new map, new machines like the Fireclaws (which are nightmare fuel), and a separate trophy list.
- The Ikrie Challenge: In the DLC, there’s a trophy for winning Ikrie’s challenge. It requires extreme ammo conservation. It’s arguably the hardest single trophy in the entire game.
The beauty is that these don't take away your Platinum. You can have the "100%" badge for the base game while still chipping away at the brutal DLC challenges. It keeps the game's floor low for casual fans but raises the ceiling for the hardcore crowd.
Combat Trophies and the "Machine Encyclopedia"
You have to kill at least one of every machine type. This sounds easy until you realize there are 26 types in the base game.
Most people miss the smaller ones. Everyone remembers the first time they downed a Sawtooth or a Behemoth. But have you scanned and killed a Trampler? Did you find a Rockbreaker? (Pro tip: Rockbreakers are the worst. Use freeze and stay on high ground.)
The "All Vantages Found" and "All Ancient Vessels Found" trophies are basically a tour of the ruined United States. You'll see the remains of Denver, Colorado Springs, and Bryce Canyon. It’s haunting. It’s rare for a trophy hunt to actually enhance the emotional resonance of a story, but Horizon pulls it off. You feel the weight of what was lost.
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Practical Steps for Your Trophy Hunt
If you’re starting a fresh save or going back to clean up your list, don't overthink it.
First, focus on the story. Don't worry about collectibles until you get the "Golden Fast Travel Pack." It’s an item you can buy from merchants that gives you infinite fast travel. Without it, you’ll spend half your life running across the map, which is fun for the first ten hours but gets old when you're just looking for one last Strader dummy to knock over.
Second, buy the collectible maps. Merchants in Meridian sell maps for Vantages, Metal Flowers, and Ancient Vessels. It puts a general circle on your map. It’s not cheating; it’s a tool.
Third, use your Focus. Constantly. Every machine you see, scan it. Even if you don't kill it right then, scanning it adds it to your notebook, which is a requirement for the "All Machines Catalogued" trophy.
Lastly, do the Tallnecks immediately. They’re the "towers" of this world, but they’re actually fun to climb. They clear the fog of war and show you exactly where the machine sites are.
Getting the trophies for Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the most satisfying "full clears" in gaming history. It respects your time. It rewards your curiosity. And it makes you feel like the smartest hunter in the 31st century.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your "All Allies Joined" progress by verifying you've completed the "A Daughter's Vengeance" and "Sun and Shadow" side quests.
- Travel to the Hunting Grounds early to unlock the gear rewards; the Lodge weapons are significantly better than standard versions.
- Prioritize finding the five Power Cells for the Shield-Weaver armor before attempting the final mission to ensure maximum survivability during the endgame gauntlet.