Horizon Forbidden West: A Well-Crafted Sequel

I can remember when I first played Horizon Zero Dawn on my PlayStation 4 back in 2017. Five years later and that title still brings me so much joy. Naturally I was down right stoked for Forbidden West, but I was also a bit cautious. When I love a series as much as I love Horizon, I fear sequels won’t live up to the original. I experienced the same fear with The Last of Us: Part II, but I was blown away by that game. Forbidden West did the same thing to me and not only met my expectations, but actually exceeded them. Horizon Forbidden West is already my game of the year, at least at the time of writing this article and I can explain why.

A Sequel Done Right

Horizon Forbidden West took everything I loved from Zero Dawn, and delivered it to me with added extras mixed in. I fell in love with Zero Dawn for its rich atmosphere, original lore and beautiful enemy design. Forbidden West continues those traditions, allowing me to experience some of my favorite moments in an open world game. It expands Horizon’s world and lore, tells a captivating story and gives the players a well-rounded gameplay experience. I honestly sought out every single thing this game had to offer and earned the platinum trophy. Even still, I jump on from time to time to fight machines.

New gear and abilities give Aloy access to new ways to traverse the world as well as navigate combat. The skill tree is more expansive and you don’t have to repurchase all of the skills unlocked in Zero Dawn. Instead, you can focus on what playstyle works best for you and hone the skills within that category. The Pullcaster  gives Aloy and grappling hook that can help with climbing and obstacles in her way. The Shieldwing allows her to glide and opens up the world tremendously. Just those two additions add so much to her arsenal that I really didn’t expect much more. I was wrong though, and the game just kept surprising me.

Changes to the franchise just feel like natural improvements. Watching Horizon grow from one game that Sony took a chance on, to a fully established franchise has been one of the most exciting things I have experienced with video games. Guerilla Games is strengthening Aloy and her series as a PlayStation staple and a must-play one at that.

During my playthrough I would think about how Aloy would handle situations and when my intuition was correct, I was excited to see that her character and her games have created a world of their own. This sequel took a while to arrive, but the long wait was so worth it. In a world full of open world games, Forbidden West and the Horizon franchise itself is setting itself apart from the rest and it is incredibly refreshing.

Combat Evolved

The machines feel realistic, with the focus on breaking parts off being more prominent than in the first game. If you are looking for a specific part, you may have to break it off before the machine dies to collect it. This added a bit more challenge to the game, especially when hunting specific parts for armor or weapon upgrades. It gave the game more of a Monster Hunter feel to it which I really loved. I found myself in many fights that took quite a long time to defeat, but when I came out victorious, I was ecstatic.

The Focus is improved here too, allowing you to tag specific parts you may need, or canisters to explode for massive damage. The Focus feels more useful than ever before. I definitely utilized more in this title than I did in Zero Dawn. Finding weak points, targeting specific parts and trying new strategies to take down machines all bundles together really well and makes combat enjoyable.

They improved melee combat as well, giving Aloy a slew of new combos to perform. Although I do still wish she had some way to parry or block, melee combat felt more fluid and I was content with it. Towards the end of game I was knocking down machines left and right. I felt powerful.

Aloy The Fire-Haired Huntress

The real star of the show is our protagonist, Aloy. She is fierce, determined and second to none when it comes to wielding a bow. I don’t think I will ever truly get over just how amazing it is that she can take down these machines with just arrows. At any rate, she is a force to be reckoned with, and in Forbidden West she is even more committed to her mission to save the world. It is a commitment that I find truly admirable, especially considering everything she discovered during the events of the first game.

Throughout Forbidden West’s story, Aloy comes across a lot of people in need. She is always ready to help, even if it means navigating the delicacies of all the different tribes’ customs and beliefs. Regardless of what may get in her way, she always figures out a way to make it work. It is truly impressive watching her sort through all of these tribal affairs while also surviving the deadly wilds.

She is certainly a problem solver but it goes much deeper than that. Aloy truly believes in Elisabet Sobeck’s dream and wants to ensure that the world continues on. She is hellbent on making that dream a reality and will stop at nothing to make that happen. In fact, that determination often keeps her from exploring relationships, although in Forbidden West, she does branch out a bit.

Not Alone Anymore

As Aloy made her first journey through the events of Zero Dawn, she met a few friends along the way. Those friends are here for this journey, too and Forbidden West makes those friendships feel so much more important. On top of the returning companions, Aloy makes more friends during her time in the Forbidden West, and brings them along for the ride, as well.

A big way this sequel improves the franchise is how it expands those relationships. As her friends vow to help her on her mission, she gives them Focuses and they begin to learn everything she has learned since she found her focus when she was a child. That strengthened her bond with them and they were able to really see what all she has had to endure on her own.

They were along for the ride in the first game, but they couldn’t quite see what she had to go through. She literally carried the weight of the world on her shoulders, and now her friends can truly see that. It was heartwarming to see her lean on others, even if just a little bit. She was still, of course, stubborn as always. On the bigger missions though, she really began to rely on them. This helps the game feel bigger and in a way, more connected. They could communicate with each other through their Focuses and that allowed them accomplish bigger feats.

An Open World Experience Like No Other

The world of Horizon is so unique and breathtaking. It is one of the most creative and ambitious games I have ever played and I am so excited to see Guerrilla Games expand it even more. I found myself traveling mostly by foot just to take in all of the scenery and experience every inch this map had to offer. I had to grab crafting materials anyway, so it was well worth the time and effort.

The settlements and overall atmosphere of Forbidden West also elevate the series. Big settlements like Plainsong look absolutely stunning, and add so much character to the world. They also contribute so much to the story and the native tribes’ history. Discovering new areas on the map was extremely satisfying for me. There are so many different environments to explore and the underwater segments just made the game feel that much larger.

There are plenty of quests to complete as well, including the return of Tallnecks and Cauldrons. Even though those are repeating quests, each felt different and creative. No Cauldron or Tallneck was the same as the last. All of the quests and activities blended seamlessly into Aloy’s journey. It didn’t matter what order I completed them in which was nice. Many times I would be in conversations with people and they would reference previous actions I had taken within the game. I found that to be genuine and it helped me stay connected to the world and its people.

Recap

Forbidden West grew the franchise into something much larger than I could have imagined and with that, it grew my excitement for its future. I hope Aloy becomes one of those PlayStation heroes that gets a long and healthy life like Ratchet and Clank have had. Although that may be wishful thinking, I do think Sony will keep this franchise alive a bit longer. I can’t see them ending it now with how phenomenal Forbidden West is.

This piece has actually been pretty difficult for me to write because I love this game so much and wanted to do it justice. However, I really didn’t want to spoil too much in it either, so finding that balance was tricky. Regardless, I hope that I was able to express my love for this game because it quickly became a favorite. I would love to do more pieces about it in the future, as well as the franchise as a whole. For now though, I think this sums things up well.