Horizon Zero Dawn is just an introduction to the fascinating world of Guerrilla Games and the unlikely hero doing everything in his power to save it. The sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, takes things to an exciting new level with novel mechanics and compelling lore. Guerrilla Games improves on the shortcomings of the last game, and isn’t afraid to borrow popular features from other big-name series, like Uncharted, Mass Effect, and Assassin’s Creed. The result is a game that is not only fun to play but also full of surprises and thrills. Zero Dawn is a great proof of concept, but Forbidden West shows that Guerrilla Games still has plenty of intriguing and thought-provoking locations to make Aloy’s adventure work.
Forbidden West launches six months after the events of Zero Dawn. Aloy’s discovery only brings more questions and dangers on her way, forcing her to head west to find the answers. With a few returning characters and a plot twist from the first game, Forbidden West isn’t ideal for newcomers looking to grasp the story. The Guerrilla writers expertly expanded on Horizon’s rich lore and delved into the series’ sci-fi elements, which are the most compelling aspects of the sequel. Some of the most fun I’ve had is piecing together Aloy’s journey, but certain revelations and “ah ha” moments wouldn’t be as satisfying without the full context from the first game. first. The overall story kept me hooked, but some parts felt rushed, and I was disappointed that villains like Regalla didn’t get more time to shine.
In the previous installment, Aloy’s journey was often solitary, but Forbidden West makes the other characters central to her success, which is a good change of pace. Returning faces like Varl and Erend get to show more of their personalities, and newcomers like good-natured Zo and tragic warrior Kotallo have interesting backstories explaining beliefs and values. of their tribe. To make these burgeoning relationships more real, Aloy sets up a home base, a la Mass Effect, where she can talk to her companions about new developments. in the main quest, find out what they think about each other and get to know them more on a personal level. I love seeing the base get lots of new members and seeing new areas open up inside it. If anything, I want more time to hang out with the characters. It was fun to be around them and listen to their jokes.
The world is the star of the show. The West Forbidden Forbidden is an engineering wonder, with breathtaking vistas, vibrant underwater passageways, and lush jungles. Each locality has its own flavor; just wait until you see Las Vegas. Traversal has been greatly improved, with smoother climbing mechanics and a new tool called the Shield Wing, which acts almost like a futuristic umbrella allowing you to descend from great heights. However, the sense of nonstop exploration of the world has really kept me glued to my controller. Forbidden West is a much larger game than its predecessor, featuring an impressive number of quests and items to explore. The story-focused side quests add so much to the lore that I never want to miss, as they provide insight into the tribes. One side quest forced me to choose between two imperfect characters competing to lead a tribe, while another forced me to battle the most evil combination of flying machines atop Sunhawk.
Extra content also allows me to unlock new languages and dungeons, and this doesn’t even affect extra activities like clearing the rebel camp, climbing Tallnecks to explore more maps, and discover Cauldrons to overwrite the new machine. I didn’t expect such a dense and vast world, and I always felt like I had to do something. Side quests bring great rewards, making them worth it – some of my best weapons and armor come from these pursuits. I especially enjoy revisiting settlements to see how some of their environments and inhabitants have changed as a result of my actions. And as a great reference, even more side quests will be opened regularly.
Battles are still adrenaline pumping, and the satisfaction of defeating monstrous machines never wears off. You can expect more kills and larger areas for battles, and I love the variety in the zones, from close quarters combat to rocky areas with lots of hiding places. hide, keeping things fresh with new strategies to consider. Forbidden West lets you embrace your own playstyle, offering multiple ways to gain the upper hand on the machine. This has its advantages and disadvantages. I love getting creative at my disposal, like shooting weapons off machines and using them against enemies or causing chain reactions with specific elements to cause massive explosions. But at the same time, I’ve never felt the increasing power that makes the battle so enjoyable over time, and this has largely left me frustrated with the skill trees.
The abilities you learn through the skill tree are more like small perks than fun upgrades. For example, you can unlock faster trap placement, stronger potions, and extra ranged damage along with weapon techniques that can do anything from guaranteed kills to increased lethality. commercial shredder. The best addition to the skill tree is Valor Surges, which are special attacks that you unleash skillfully. I wish there were more of this ability to experiment with, because once I fully unlocked and upgraded the radial blast which causes a powerful AoE shock wave, I never found another. have such value. Others include dealing more damage with limited-time melee attacks and damage-absorbing energy shields. That said, the skill trees weren’t so important to my success that I let my skill points go up to 10 without even touching them.
Thankfully, the game is full of worthwhile improvements that make for a better experience, from a cleaner HUD to less inventory management. My favorite improvements are being able to use Aloy’s focus to see climbing spots, and her ability to tag specific machine parts with a different color for easier targeting. The latter comes in handy for critical upgrade resources, as certain machine components are crucial to upgrading your armor and weapons. As a result, upgrading is a bigger time investment and I got tired of fighting the same machine over and over again. In terms of performance, I ran into some minor hiccups along with some poor AI control points, but none of these were significant issues that let me down. I was really impressed by how smooth the game played considering its size and scope.
Horizon Forbidden West reaches a new high standard for Guerrilla Games. It does more than its predecessor; it takes the fictional Horizon to captivating locations and builds a rich world that rewards you for your efforts. Most of all, it’s an entertaining experience, complete with exciting moments and unforgettable battles.
