Not One Fireclaw...TWO Fireclaws

I'd been thoroughly warned about the Horizon: Zero Dawn DLC The Frozen Wilds. I prepped as much as I could before delving in. I procured the special armor from the Ancient Armory quest. I upgraded and modded my weapons to the max. I made sure my skill trees were damn near complete. And for the most part I found it just about right in terms of challenge. I'd even gotten kinda nonchalant about battling Thunderjaws and Stormbirds.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

But TWO FREAKING FIRECLAWS at the end?! Really?! Let's not forget the oh so loveable magenta energy spewing overgrown sea cucumbers that strip Aloy's super cool armor of its shield effect. So while the Fireclaws were beating me like the red-headed step child Aloy is, I had no shield for part of that beating and, let's be honest Ourea and Aratak aren't the best back up. Of course after the main story line of the DLC, there are FIVE more Fireclaws you have the pleasure of hunting down.

 Still, I loved every second of it. The side quest and errands are never boring. The combat is just challenging enough... usually. And the frozen landscape of HFW is just as jaw-dropping as the rest of the main game.

I'm already itching and shopping, desperate to avoid falling into a game-hole (definition: that gap between beating a truly great game and finding another great game to play). Once again, I say "Hurry the eff up, Sony Interactive!!!" I need a fresh dose of that Aloy good good.