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Aloy-overriding-strider

Aloy overriding a Strider

Overriding refers to the ability to control machines.

Overview[]

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Overridden machines are identified by blue tendrils that sprout around their neck and head region, presumably generated by a form of nanotechnology.

While an overridden machine cannot be commanded per se, overriding turns a machine from its default state of hostility toward any human to a state of combat friendliness toward the human who overrode it, in that instead of attacking the player, it will attack other hostile machines or humans.

Horizon Zero Dawn[]

Horizon Forbidden West[]

History[]

The Nora Brave and Seeker Aloy gained the ability to override machines after defeating the Corruptor that attacked Mother's Watch in the aftermath of the Proving Massacre. Upon examining its chassis, she discovered the component that Corruptors used to enslave the CPUs of other machines. She attached the component to her spear and began to use it to override machines. At first, she was only able to override the weakest machines: Watchers, Striders, Broadheads and Chargers. However, after downloading override codes from successive Cauldrons into the component, she gained the ability to override successively stronger and more dangerous ones, culminating in the strongest and most dangerous machines: Thunderjaws, Stormbirds, Behemoths, and Rockbreakers.

The wandering researcher Sylens learned about overriding by watching Aloy through her Focus. He put the skill to use himself by overriding three Ravagers and then bringing them with him via a machine lure attached to his lance to aid in his rescue of Aloy from the Eclipse leader Helis after he captured her.

It appears that overridden machines are immune to corruption, since the two Corruptors that Helis had commanded to kill Aloy were helpless to stop the three Ravagers from attacking and destroying them.

Later, Sylens began working with the splinter Oseram group, the Sons of Prometheus, teaching them to override machines.

Classes[]

There are twelve classes of override, each allowing the ability to override a different group of Machines.

PSI Overrides[]

PSI Override

Aloy discovers the PSI overrides

These are automatically obtained by Aloy when she searches the carcass of the defeated Corruptor at the end of the main quest, The Womb of the Mountain. The cauldron itself cannot be visited in-game. They grant the ability to override the following machine types:

SIGMA Overrides[]

CauldronSigma

Cauldron SIGMA

These are obtained by completing Cauldron SIGMA, and grant the ability to override the following machine types:

RHO Overrides[]

Cauldron RHO

Cauldron RHO

These are obtained by completing Cauldron RHO, and grant the ability to override the following machine types:

XI Overrides[]

Cauldron XI

Cauldron XI

These are obtained by completing Cauldron XI, and grant the ability to override the following machine types:

ZETA Overrides[]

CauldronZeta

Cauldron ZETA

These are obtained by completing Cauldron ZETA, and grant the ability to override the following machine types:

EPSILON Overrides[]

Cauldron EPSILON

Cauldron EPSILON

These are obtained by completing Cauldron EPSILON, during the Frozen Wilds quest The Forge of Winter, and grant the ability to override the following machine types (although the vast majority of these machines are Daemonic, making them impossible to override):

MU Overrides[]

Cauldron MU

Cauldron MU

These are obtained by completing Cauldron MU, and grant the ability to override the following machine types:

TAU Overrides[]

Repair-Bay Tau

Repair-Bay TAU

These are obtained by completing Repair-Bay TAU, during the main quest The Dying Lands, and grant the ability to override the following machine types:

IOTA Overrides[]

These are obtained by completing Cauldron IOTA, and grant the ability to override to following machine types:

CHI Overrides[]

Cauldron CHI

Cauldron CHI

These are obtained by completing Cauldron CHI, and grant the ability to override the following machine types:

GEMINI Overrides[]

These are obtained by completing Cauldron GEMINI during the main quest Gemini, and grant the ability to override the following machine types:

KAPPA Overrides[]

Cauldron KAPPA Enrty

Cauldron KAPPA

These are obtained by completing Cauldron KAPPA, and grant the ability to override the following machine types:

THETA Overrides[]

These are obtained by completing Cauldron THETA, and grant the ability to override the following machine types:

  • Bilegut

Master Override[]

Aloy-discovering-master-override

Aloy discovers the Master Override

During the main quest The Mountain That Fell, Aloy discovers the Master Override in GAIA Prime, which is essential in defeating HADES as it can purge the Extinction Protocol. The master override is then fitted near the blade of Sylens' Lance and it is later used by her during the Battle of the Alight to accidentally send the rogue AI to Sylens' custody.

Six months after, Aloy reattaches the device to the Champion's Spear after returning to Meridian and learning of the sage's treachery. When she finally finds HADES in the Forbidden West, the huntress uses the Master Override to purge HADES for good and, later, to revert the subordinate functions to their original code in order to merge them with GAIA.

Usage[]

The ability cannot be used on an attacking machine, nor can it be used on Corrupted, Daemonic and Apex machines. In order to be successfully used, the machine must be either unaware of the player's presence or physically restrained, i.e. by Ropecaster lines. Furthermore, damaging the overridden machine above a certain threshold will revert it to its default hostile state.

Mountable machines are always overridden indefinitely, but other machines will only remain overridden for a limited time. The override duration for non-mountable machines can be extended by 50% using the Combat Override skill, or indefinitely with Combat Override+.

In Zero Dawn, overridden machines gain a 100% boost to their damage dealt while taking 50% less damage. This means that in a one-on-one fight between the same machine, the overridden machine has a greater advantage.

Trivia[]

  • Other than mounts, overridden machines typically remain in their original designated patrol zone.
  • During cutscenes with standard dialogue (i.e. those where the player can skip lines rather than only skip the whole scene), overridden machines are not paused as Aloy is. Occasionally this can result in the machine initiating combat: for example, in A Curious Proposal a companion machine at the foot of the cliffs will start attacking Fernund's ambush group while he is still talking to Aloy.
Machines
Horizon Zero Dawn
Acquisition Class Broadhead - Charger - Fireclaw - Frostclaw - Glinthawk - Grazer - Lancehorn - Rockbreaker - Scrapper - Snapmaw - Strider - Trampler
Chariot Class Corruptor - Deathbringer - Metal Devil
Combat Class Ravager - Sawtooth - Scorcher - Stalker - Stormbird - Thunderjaw
Communication Class Tallneck
Recon Class Longleg - Watcher (Redeye Watcher)
Transport Class Behemoth - Bellowback - Shell-Walker
Unknown Class Control Tower
Horizon Forbidden West
Acquisition Class Bilegut - Bristleback - Clamberjaw - Fanghorn - Plowhorn - Scrounger - Spikesnout - Stingspawn - Sunwing - Tideripper - Waterwing - Widemaw
Combat Class Clawstrider - Dreadwing - Grimhorn - Shellsnapper - Slaughterspine - Slitherfang - Specter - Specter Prime - Tremortusk
Recon Class Burrower - Skydrifter
Transport Class Leaplasher - Rollerback
Unknown Class Defense Drone
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