The Thunderjaw: Horizon Zero Dawn‘s Deadliest Dinosaur-Inspired Machine
As a long-time Horizon fan, I can confidently say the Thunderjaw is the most dangerous machine in the game‘s epic bestiary. This hulking dinosaur-esque robot strikes fear with an arsenal of devastating ranged and melee attacks. In this deep dive, we‘ll analyze the Thunderjaw‘s animal design inspirations, weaponry, and how it compares to other Horizon behemoths.
Bringing Dinosaurs to "Life" – The Theropod Influences Behind Thunderjaws
Guerrilla Games brilliantly modeled the Thunderjaw after theropod dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus Rexes and Carnotaurus. Specifically, Thunderjaws resemble these bipedal predators in:
- Stature and proportions:
- Hindlimbs much larger and thicker than forelimbs
- Long, thick tail for balance and powerful strikes
- Overall chassis structured liked large bipedal theropod predators
- Movement and locomotion:
- Digitigrade posture with "tiptoe" stance
- Relatively rigid torso and flexible tail
- High top speed of over 30 mph when charging
- Behavioral patterns:
- Vicious hunters that aggressively attack prey
- Uses jaws and head as primary weapon
- Whipping strikes with thick muscular tail
In essence, Thunderjaws capture the essence of towering bipedal theropod carnivores – bringing these extinct dinosaurs to "life" as agile, intelligent killing machines!
Table 1 below summarizes the striking similarities between Thunderjaws, T-Rexes, and Carnotaurus:
| Feature | Thunderjaw | T-Rex | Carnotaurus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stance | Bipedal, digitigrade | Bipedal, digitigrade | Bipedal, digitigrade |
| Limbs | Small forelimbs, large hindlimbs | Small forelimbs, very large hindlimbs | Small forelimbs, large hindlimbs |
| Tail | Long, thick, used in attacks | Long, thick to balance massive head | Thick tail with muscle bands for whipping strikes |
| Top Speed | 30+ mph charging | Up to 25 mph estimated | Up to 31 mph estimated |
| Weapons | Jaws, horns, tail, shoulder cannons | Bone-crushing jaws | Powerful jaw strength |
As we can see, Thunderjaws share numerous physical traits and behavioral patterns with theropods like T-Rexes and Carnotaurus. This reveals how intentionally Guerrilla modeled them after these bipedal dinosaur predators.
An Arsenal to Make T-Rexes Jealous
While the Thunderjaw‘s basic chassis captures theropod essence, no living dinosaur ever wielded such an insane arsenal! This machine boasts an intimidating variety of ranged and melee attacks to annihilate enemies:
Shoulder-Mounted Cannons
The Thunderjaw‘s two shoulder cannons launch high-explosive mortars to pummel targets from afar. With long reload speeds, clever timing between volleys lets these cannons bombard enemies with relentless explosive punishment.
Upgraded variants add:
seeking mortars that independently track targets for unavoidable hits. And burst mortars that explode into lethal shrapnel for increased damage.
Rapid-Fire Disc Launchers
Mounted on its hips, these twin launchers unleash up to 60 armor-piercing discs per minute. With such blistering fire rates, disc launchers quickly whittle down even sturdy defenses. By circling strafing around targets, Thunderjaws can melt health bars in seconds.
Ultra-Concentrated Mouth Laser
For closer-quarter engagement, Thunderjaws wield a proton charge-fueled laser cannon inside their mouth cavity. This weapon discharges an extremely focused and sustained laser beam to slice through metal plating with ease.
Tail Club Smash
The Thunderjaw aptly uses its thick, muscular tail as another weapon for melee-range combat. A solid smash from this heavy tail club deals massive kinetic damage and tremendous impact force. Enough to pulverize bones into dust!
So while T-Rexes and Carnotaurs relied on mere teeth and jaws, Thunderjaws boast far more complex integrated weapon systems for systematically demolishing threats. This reflects their evolution as deadlier hunter-killers than any organic dinosaur!
Thunderjaw vs. Ravager, Bellowback, and Stormbird
To appreciate the Thunderjaw‘s capabilities, it‘s useful examining how they compare against other Horizon machines:
Ravagers
These lion-like robots seem diminutive against Thunderjaws. Though more agile with scorpion-like tails, Ravagers lack comparable firepower and durability. My money is easily on the bigger and meaner bot!
Bellowbacks
Bellowbacks trade blows more evenly thanks to thick armor plates and fiery attacks. But they lack Thunderjaw offense and their larger target profile makes them more vulnerable. Thunderjaws should come out on top.
Stormbirds
Though their flight gives Stormbirds superior aerial mobility, Thunderjaws have stronger ground footing and greater weapon diversity. Combined with sturdier plating, T-Jaws match Stormbirds better overall.
So when sizing up the Horizon bestiary, very few rivals can withstand Thunderjaws for long. Only additions like the Clawstrider and Slaughterspine have disrupted their status as apex machines.
The Brilliant Dinosaur and Animal Influences Behind Horizon’s Bestiary
I would be remiss without addressing how masterfully Guerrilla Games translates real-world animals into these machines. Beyond just the T-Rex and Carnotaurus inspiring the Thunderjaw, nearly every bot has roots in various organism designs:
| Machine | Key Animal Inspirations |
|---|---|
| Watcher | Theropod dinosaurs like Alvarezsaurus |
| Grazer | Horses and other hooved mammals |
| Glinthawk | Raptors and predatory bird species |
| Stormbird | The Eastern Koel "storm bird" cuckoo |
| Tallneck | Giraffes and sauropods |
| Rockbreaker | Giant mole rats |
| Fireclaw | Bears like grizzlies |
| Frostclaw | Polar bears and predatory marsupials |
| Shellwalker | Hermit crabs and turtles |
This small sample reveals how Horizon‘s robots stem from various vertebrates and invertebrates. By basing designs on real organisms, Guerrilla‘s artists breathe life into these machines and ground them in ecological authenticity. Truly exceptional creative work!
And the Thunderjaw sits at the pinnacle – representing the ultimate fusion of theropod dinosaur and futuristic killing machine into a bipedal weapon of mass destruction!
So if you think you‘ve got what it takes to tackle this mechanized T-Rex, make sure to come prepared with plenty of shock traps, blast bombs, and valor! Otherwise, you might just end up like the poor last stander in the clip below:
[Insert gif showing Thunderjaw annihilating human enemies]Thanks for reading my breakdown of the incredible Thunderjaw machine! Let me know your strategies for defeating this epic dinosaur-robot hybrid in Horizon Forbidden West!
