- Release Date: 18th February 2022
- Developer: Guerrilla Games
- Publisher: Sony
- Platform Played: PS4
- Platforms Available: PC, PS4/5
While I loved Horizon: Zero Dawn, I was dubious about the sequel. A big part of the first game was discovering what went wrong with the old world, why society collapsed and how things exist as they do, with robot dinosaurs roaming around. It was amazing watching them treat such a silly-sounding topic seriously, but also create a compelling reason for it all as you get more and more invested in the story. But where does the story go once the biggest mystery is out of the way?
Thankfully, Forbidden West manages to make you much more invested with the game’s current events and challenges, while still having more to reveal about the past. In Forbidden West, Aloy is attempting to fix the world by finding lost parts of an AI system, and is joined by new and old companions, giving other characters a much bigger role. I really enjoyed Aloy’s interactions with everyone, as well as the new groups of people you encounter throughout the game.
The side quests also feel much more meaningful, the world feels much more alive and you can see Aloy’s impact on it much more, making the open world feel much more alive. Traversing also feels much less restrictive, as there was only one “correct” climbing route in the first game, while you have less restrictions and more tools. Some things return form the first, such as Cauldrons and Tallnecks, but the developers have found a way to make each one feel unique and a wonder to explore.
Combat remains a lot of fun, too, although I found that overriding machines was less effective than the first (which does stop it from being overpowered) and there are a lot of “Apex” machines that can’t be overridden. This encourages you to use the other weapons more, although hitting off parts of machines with a bow and arrow is still the most satisfying way to me. Melee combat has been overhauled significantly with combos you can unlock, too.
The game looks absolutely amazing, too. And I played this on a base PS4. Guerrilla have done a phenomenal job getting this running smoothly on such old hardware, especially looking as wonderful as it does. There are some issues – fast travel loading screens are much longer, plus you will occasionally hit a short loading screen as the game world catches up to you, but they’re worth it just for how great the game looks, and how life-like things like plants and trees are, both in looks and movement.
Horizon: Forbidden West is an absolutely phenomenal game, and has become one of my favourites.
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