Horizon Zero Dawn takes place in the post-apocalyptic United States of the 31st century, where humanity is scattered into tribes with limited access to technology, referring to the previous civilization as the "Old Ones." The planet is dominated by robotic creatures known as "machines."
Most of you that played the game already know the story and its main plot, but I want to highlight a tale that is easy to overlook. While playing the game's DLC, I encountered a story with incredible storytelling and world-building, which used only four minutes of audio data points (recordings) and had no direct connection to the main game.
In one of the old shelters, which was once a park, you learn that six of the few remaining humans on Earth were working on a project before the total collapse. Over time, either through departure or death, only two women remained: Shelly and Laura. As they slowly approached their inevitable end, their bond deepened every day. One day, during an accident inside the shelter, they struck a pipe, producing a beautiful melody.
Excited, the two decided to form their own band by hitting the pipes and singing, fully aware that no one would ever hear them. They left behind audio logs that captured their relationship, their final days, and, of course, their songs. In a world devoid of hope, they found absolute joy by simply hitting pipes and singing, finding solace in each other's company.
Eventually, it was decided that there was no longer any work for them there, and they parted ways, leaving behind only their music and their band.
A thousand years later, after humanity had vanished and some were revived by a northern tribe unfamiliar with technology or the purpose of the place, the tribe members now played music in the same location, hitting the same pipes. They used this music as battle songs to boost morale or as melodies for inner peace and tranquility. It carried the same significance and power as it did for the two women, but for entirely different reasons.
I found it incredibly impressive how, in just four minutes, a seemingly irrelevant part of the story became incredibly engaging, making you feel deeply connected to both the past and present of the world.