One of the toughest animals to track down and hunt in Horizon Zero Dawn is the rat. If you are having a hard time finding and killing these creatures, then you can check out our strategy guide below to find the fastest way to do so.
About Rats in Horizon Zero Dawn
It is quite possible that you play through the entirety of Horizon without killing a single rat. This is because that the animal is so small that it is virtually impossible to spot without using your focus. The species can only be found in select locations as well (in our experience, near bodies of water and inside ruins) Not to mention that the rat is almost impossible to hit with your arrow due to its size and quickness.
Rat Location
You will find plenty of rats inside the ruins south of the road between Mother’s Watch and Mother’s Cradle. That area is the same location you explore at the very beginning of the game.
Hunting the Rats
Make your way down all the way to the bottom of the aforementioned ruins. Once you land, you will immediately hear squeaking noises. If you use your focus (via pressing the R3 button, which is by pushing downward on the right analog stick until you hear a click), you will immediately spot a pack of rats.
We recommend using your heavy spear attack (which is the R2 button). This is because the attack has an auto lock if you are closed enough to your target, making it much easier to kill the pesky enemy without having to worry about wasting any arrows or any other types of ammo.
There are also other rats inside the same ruins. To get out of this place, take the same path as you did in the beginning of the game. Alternatively, you can fast travel to another campfire by first pressing the touch pad to bring up the map. Afterwards, you press up on the directional pad until you can see the world map again. Select a green campfire and then press R2. If you have a fast travel pack on hand, you can then warp out of the ruins.
If you did not find the right amounts of Rat Skins and/or Rat Bones you are looking for, then you can fast travel to a nearby campfire and then repeat the same process we mentioned above.