Horizon: Forbidden West is a masterclass open-world game for gameplay and visual flair, but falls flat with its story. While it gets close, Forbidden West never reaches the potential heights of what it attempts to set up. Instead, Forbidden West serves as a solid chapter in what could be a fairly large tale that is an absolute joy to play and take in.
Composing a sequel to a mega-hit is no easy feat, especially one that’s expected to supersede everything that came before it. Many franchise’ before have fallen victim to this Herculean feat; although many have risen to the occasion. Star Wars had Empire Strikes Back, The Godfather had its Part II. Horizon: Forbidden West is this franchise’s Empire, with everything that comes with it.
Guerrilla Games has crafted a journey that doesn’t seek to revolutionize its predecessor. Instead, the majority of my playthrough with Forbidden West feels more akin to an expansive continuation of what Zero Dawn had established. Everything, from combat to exploration, is a small evolutionary step from Zero Dawn. The adage, “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” applied heavily throughout my journey in the Forbidden West.
A Dangerous West
Forbidden West’s story is one of utmost urgency. Picking up just six months after the events of Zero Dawn, Aloy is still seeking out a backup of the GAIA protocol to reestablish and save the various tribes on earth from an encroaching plague. To do so, she must journey deep into the Forbidden West to seek out a potential lead on where to find this backup. As she ventures West, Aloy encounters several new villains, machines, and tribes. It’s a harrowing journey, but one that ends up being laid out in a disjointed way.
For all I love about Forbidden West’s gameplay, I found its story to be poorly executed. Very early on, Forbidden West introduces several plot elements that are as intriguing and mysterious as all of the mysteries in Zero Dawn, if not more so. However, all of these mysteries and elements tend to end abruptly or simply run out of steam. There are several interesting moments throughout, but there was never a “big reveal” or an “ah-hah” moment. Instead Forbidden West tends to understand that it is the middle chapter of a larger book.
Characters that are treated as impactful early on in the game are seldom treated as such by the end. Some plot elements are wrapped up in a way akin to when a Netflix show’s story arc is fizzling out and they need to finish it in an episode. Some of the main threats in the game never feel present in the world outside of their key story missions. Other villains, while present in the world, feel so minuscule to the rest of the story they are forgettable.
There is also a distinct shift in pace for side-missions, as they all seem to be counter to Aloy’s overall goal. While she is supposed to have a sense of urgency in her main mission, it all seems to come to a halt as soon as someone needs her to go inspect a machine site or locate a missing person. The side missions are possibly my favorite part of the game from a narrative standpoint, they just stand in jarring contrast to the main missions of the game.
All that aside, it’s difficult to gauge how impactful Forbidden West’s story will be in the future. As I mentioned before, Forbidden West is the Horizon franchise’s Empire Strikes Back. Guerrilla Games has gone the extra mile to flesh out the world of Horizon’s lore and sets up numerous plot elements that will need to be addressed in future entries. But for now, Forbidden West’s story is one that unfortunately doesn’t stand on its own.
The Hunted Becomes The Hunter
The key area where Horizon: Forbidden West stands apart from its predecessor is its moment-to-moment gameplay. Forbidden West’s gameplay can be broken down into two distinct categories: combat and exploration. Combat has seen an increase in aggressive tactics towards Aloy’s enemies, whereas exploration has been improved in both traversal options and locations to go and see.
Whereas Zero Dawn put more emphasis on planning out an attack on various machine encounters, Forbidden West gives the player enough new tools to spend more time in actual combat. While there is certainly a time and place for stealth, I found that attacking head-on after scanning for a machine’s weak points was a much more enjoyable experience. Combined with the new Ropecaster tool to propel Aloy up various pillars and launch points throughout the world, combat feels more kinetic than it did in Zero Dawn.
Machines are faster as well, especially ones that are more aggressive towards Aloy. Leaplashers, one of the new machines in Forbidden West, is a kangaroo-like machine that uses its tail as a whip to strike out at Aloy. Being able to move more freely in combat, especially using the Ropecaster to use grapple points to get away quickly, is invaluable. New weapons like the Spikethrower, a throwable spear that detonates or inflicts elemental damage, also encourage players to play more aggressively against these new machines.
I’d be remiss not to discuss the new machines found throughout the Forbidden West. All of the machines from Zero Dawn make their return in Forbidden West, but the new additions are remarkable. The Tideripper, a plesiosaur mixed with a whale, is easily one of my favorite machines in either game. The Clawstrider, one of the new rideable machines, is also as devastating and lethal as it looks; even if it’s not as fast of a mount as the Charger. The Sunwing and Plowhorn are both remarkable machines that surprised me with how impactful they were in terms of Forbidden West’s lore and story. Apex versions of these machines are also found throughout the world, which boasts extra elemental attacks that are also reflected in their design.
Of course, these machines are all found by exploring Forbidden West’s extraordinarily gorgeous open world. Traversal through the Forbidden West is assisted through several new tools, including the aforementioned Ropecaster, but the most impactful new traversal tool is the Shieldwing; a retrofitted energy shield turned into a glider that Aloy uses to glide gracefully back to solid ground. Not only is the Shieldwing used in combat scenarios after launching from grapple points, but also allows players to think outside the box in terms of how to solve certain puzzles or reach certain climbing points.
Aloy is now able to climb on many, many more surfaces throughout the Forbidden West, including mountain walls. While she isn’t able to climb everywhere a la Breath of the Wild, the traversal options in terms of going from point A to point B have been expanded greatly. This is both a blessing and a curse, as I found many times Aloy refused to climb in the direction I wanted her to go in. Often the game would try to predict where I was wanting to go, leading to an awkward climb up a mountainside.
Relic Ruins, Rebel Outposts, and Cauldrons all benefit tremendously from the new improvements to traversal options and combat. Cauldrons especially feel a lot more varied than their Zero Dawn counterparts, with each feeling wholly unique from the other in terms of completing them. Forbidden West’s side activities are a ton of fun to complete, with several notable standouts.
Gauntlet Runs are mounted races that are heavily inspired by Mario Kart, where Aloy finds herself racing to the finish line against other mounted combatants. Elemental arrows (which may as well be power-ups) are found hanging along the racetrack for Aloy to grab and fire at her opponents, stunning them briefly so she can take the lead. It’s an exciting activity that feels as stress-inducing as the most competitive of Mario Kart races, but with a Horizon twist.
The Arena is a combat activity that pits Aloy against increasingly difficult machines in a race against the clock to destroy them all. It’s a daunting task at higher difficulties but elicits a sense of accomplishment when striking down a difficult machine before the timer runs out. Melee Pits, similar to the Arena, are sparing pits where Aloy faces against human opponents in melee combat. Both combat activities do a fantastic job of showing off Forbidden West’s combat improvements and allowing the player to flex their skills they pick up as they complete the story.
Of course, Horizon wouldn’t be Horizon without its collectibles. Datapoints make their return from Zero Dawn, but Aloy is now tasked with tracking down several new collectible objects. Strange new relics from ancient ruins have been uncovered for Aloy to collect, and mysterious survey drones can be spotted through the Forbidden West for Aloy to take down. Every collectible, as were the collectibles were in Zero Dawn, are interesting looks into the past that flesh out the Forbidden West’s lore and the environment from both the new and old world.
The overall world design for Forbidden West is outstanding. While the typical biomes from Zero Dawn make their appearance once again (jungle areas, deserts, etc.), each flow into the next making it seem as if Aloy is journeying out farther out to the West coast. While I played the majority of my time using the performance mode at 60 frames per second, Forbidden West’s resolution mode is when the visuals truly shine. Ray-tracing abound, the world of Forbidden West is teeming with life. There’s an abundance of foliage and wildlife that was never possible with Zero Dawn, which adds to the sense that this is a living world.
This Is Not the End
Horizon: Forbidden West is the sequel the Horizon franchise needed. While the story certainly doesn’t hit the dizzying heights of its predecessor, Forbidden West functions as a solid middle chapter of a compelling story. I was left wanting more once the credits rolled, but that’s just a testament to the world Guerrilla Games has crafted. The open-world design is a masterclass, and Horizon’s gameplay is still the most unique and engaging action I’ve played in an open-world game ever.
Horizon: Forbidden West is a must-play game, no question about it. But for those looking for the same awe Zero Dawn instilled, expectations may need to be tempered. Conversations will almost assuredly be had over the next few months in regards to where the franchise is headed, and I’m excited to be having those conversations. But for now, we can all sit back and enjoy the Forbidden West.
