I didn’t play Horizon Forbidden West until the PC version came out. Because I didn’t own a PlayStation back then, I didn’t play it. When I read the story of Aloy, who was shunned, it hit me very hard. I was also very interested in the meta of killing fantastical mechanical animals.
I was thrilled to perceive how Guerrilla Games kept the story of Aloy, Sylens, and a god-like AI named GAIA going. The first game’s developers promised that there would be a new chapter that would be even more exciting at the end of that game. Horizon Forbidden West holds up to that promise, too.
Horizon Zero Dawn arrived in 2017, and Guerrilla Games first said about Horizon Forbidden West in 2020 when they said about it. When the developers took their time, they came up with what can only be called an “apt” sequel that gives players a new and better experience than the first one.
How does the story of Aloy go on?
Finally, Aloy looked like she had defeated the AI named HADES, a subroutine of GAIA, the AI in charge of the world. HADES had gone off the rails and reactivated killing machines to wipe out all the humans that live on Earth now, so he did this. First, Aloy learns that HADES was not defeated but had escaped before destroying it.
For his plans and ways, Sylens had taken over HADES. That’s where the Tenakht is, and Alloy had to go West to find HADES. Now, I want to keep this review spoiler-free, so I’ll only talk about parts of the story that make the game stand out even as a sequel. There are new clans, like the Utaru and the Tenakth, that you can join in the game. The Tenth is a group of very angry people.
They are made up of the Skyland, Desert, and Lowland Clans. There are humans behind this time, but not the clans I just mentioned. The enemy is pulling the strings this time, but not the ones I just mentioned. In this story chapter, Aloy has to go through many different terrains in the Forbidden West. There are mountains, deserts, and tropical forests. As for our main character, she is even more alone than before.
In a world where technology isn’t very common, she has learned a lot about technology, which makes her the one who has to keep the world on her own. But her friends tell her that she needs help and can use some help. This is an enormous part of the game’s main goal.
A Combat System Based on Enemy Capture Ability
Aloy’s skills are better this time because the skill tree is more diverse and has some special skills that help her for a short time. This could mean that she can do more damage with her weapons or go into stealth mode, making her a Stalker. Like in the last game, skills will be the key to taking down some big machines.
Similar things happen with weapons that add new types of damage, like fire and water. These types of damage will work better on different enemies, too. It would help to glance at a new enemy before fighting it to figure out weak and strong. Like last time, both ranged, and melee attacks are made with a bow and a spear. People who use bows and elemental effects do the most damage.
People who use spears to fight smaller and medium-sized enemies do the best job. If you want to land a spear blow, don’t get too close to some of the heavyweight machines. Most of them have ground slam attacks or other AOE attacks that will leave you reeling, so don’t do that. They also have powerful long-range attacks, so you won’t be able to fight them from afar.
People who made this game came up with many new machines this time. Some are very good at hunting down people who get in their way. The Slithering and the Tremortusk are two of the heavyweight combat machines shown in the trailers. They have so many different attacks that you need to be on your toes when you fight them, so you must be very careful. You’ll have to be careful because there are a lot of machines spread out all over the map.
If you want to change the way machines work, you can do it the same way you did last time. There is a lot of space on the map. You will need to use overridden machines to get around when you don’t have the Fast Travel feature on. When the Fast Travel feature is turned on, you need to have a fast travel pack or be near a campfire to work.
By taking on the different Cauldrons scattered across the map, you can learn how to override new machines like the one you learned last time. Machines tampered with either become mounts or help in the fight. They also added a surprise this time: you can now fly. A little later in the game’s story, players will be able to take over Sunwings and fly across the map without dealing with machines or rebels on the ground in front of them.
Visually stunning with some exceptional motion capture
One of the biggest complaints about the movie last time was that the characters’ motion capture and facial expressions seemed slightly off. This time, the story was great, but the movie didn’t live up to it. Some of the best motion drawings and facial looks I have ever seen in a video game came from this game.
Even the subtle manifestation of some of the characters looks like they were copied perfectly, which adds to the story. Aloy would fall off when she tried to jump on a beam or hold on to a ledge before the launch-day patch was released. There were even places where plants were floating in the air. But most of these problems were fixed with the launch-day patch, and the last part of the storyline I finished ran without a hitch.
Forbidden West has a lot of great places in the game that have beautiful views that can be caught with a powerful photo mode. The vegetation, animals, and landscapes are all very well-made. Even the characters have facial hair that is very small. I played the Sony PS5, which was supposed to be the best way to play it.
The game ran perfectly at 60 FPS at 1080p, but I couldn’t play it at 4K because I didn’t have the right screen. Before the first patch came out, I played the game on performance mode because the Resolution Mode had some V-Sync trouble. Besides, please show us the patch that seems to have worked.
For the main storyline, I spent about 35 hours playing it. This includes side quests that you have to do to reach certain levels so that you can keep playing the main storyline, which took me even longer. The side quests are made to fit in with the main story and have a lot of interesting twists. Some side quests are hard, and you’ll have to fight not just one but even two heavy machines at once.
Is Horizon Zero Dawn Forbidden West worth it?
In 2017, I became a fan of the game Guerrilla Games made. I have to say that they have lived up to their promise and given me more. Forbidden West has a lot of heart, and it shows how much work the team has put into it. The game comes back with an interesting combat system that keeps the fights interesting even after much playtime. It has enemies that will make you think about getting through the terrain and fighting them.
The characters and their stories will make you want to know what happens to them next, and you’ll want to read on to find out. At the end of the game, a twist leaves things open for the next game, which assures it to be even better difficult than the first one. All in all, it’s a great game that you should play. It’s a well-deserved follow-up to Horizon Zero Dawn.
