Horizon: Zero Dawn was one of my favorite games from 2017. Even though it was overlooked in a powerhouse release year of games, Guerrilla Games created a wonderful world that I implore others dive into. They have built upon that awesome structure started in Zero Dawn. This isn’t a full review of Forbidden West, but more of a synopsis of my first giant chunk of playtime. I have spent twenty hours so far, but can confidently state that this game will be in Game of the Year contention.
Story and Setting
*spoiler for Horizon: Zero Dawn*
The setting of the Horizon series fascinates me. It portrays a different spin on a post-apocalyptic world with thriving, lush ecosystems. Very different than the usual post-apocalypse wasteland. 31st century America is vastly different with a dichotomy of primitive humans and advanced robot animals. Humanity is on the brink of destruction until our shining light was born to solve everything. That shining light is Aloy, our hero.
Forbidden West continues Aloy’s story. She has traveled west after her defeat of the rogue AI, Hades, in search of GAIA: the governing AI in charge of bringing the world back to life after its initial destruction in the 21st century. Aloy encounters all kinds of new friends, enemies, and tribes of people in the Forbidden West. She also finds herself wrapped into a conundrum way bigger than she originally thought.
Horizon is loaded with new areas to explore and friends to make, but it’s nice that the best characters from Zero Dawn are along for the ride in Forbidden West. Erend is still the hilarious drunk after Aloy’s heart and Varl has become Aloy’s trusted confidant. Horizon: Zero Dawn introduced these fun characters, but left them by the wayside in Aloy’s ‘chosen one’ overarching story. I’m glad we’re developing more side characters!
The Horizon series is a game for anyone who enjoys delving into lore. It is a complex story with two converging timelines. The player must figure out what in the 21st century has caused the world to be so different in the 31st century. Guerrilla Games has written a wonderful story on top of that as well. The story can be a little confusing at first, but awesome. There are a lot of names, places, and technology to read up on if you want to stay privy to what’s going on. Forbidden West only piles onto that lore tenfold. Lore to dive into, that’s for sure.
Gameplay
Forbidden West gameplay is the aspect of Zero Dawn that was upgraded the most, by and large. Zero Dawn combat I found to be tedious, but Forbidden West improves that in spades. Aloy can extinguish various enemies in a lot of different ways. Multiple kinds of traps, weapons, and throwing spears help fight battles throughout. Guerrilla Games expanded the Skill Tree by adding special moves and status alterations. Aloy can rain down acid arrows with a bonus acid damage percentage. The added RPG elements are fantastic.
In contrast, the improved skill tree was bundled with an increase in difficulty. Vicious archers and robots with little weakness surrounded me numerous times. Using the elements to my benefit was key. Traps became my best friends.
The vast amounts of climbing and platforming in Zero Dawn is back in Forbidden West. It wasn’t bad by any stretch, but Guerrilla Games streamlined it here. You can climb a lot of stuff. There are even fun platforming puzzles to figure out across the land. One click of the Focus highlights everything that can be climbed, which is nice.
I also loved the Fast Travel system in Forbidden West too. Zero Dawn’s fast travel system was a pain in the butt unless you had a Golden Pack. Fast Travel packs are obsolete in Forbidden West, fortunately. Infinite fast traveling between previously discovered bonfires is far superior.
Visuals
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The PS5 is amazing. Horizon: Forbidden West is a true Next-Gen experience. I thought the visuals of Horizon: Zero Dawn were the only other main improvement that needed made. Emotionless facial expressions in cutscenes pulled me out numerous times. The facial emotion was just lacking. Every character in Forbidden West, main or NPC, shows loads of improvement. I can feel what the characters say, which is very important to me. The PS5’s power shines in this game.
Verdict
I’m not going to give this game a final score because I haven’t completed the story. But know that Horizon: Forbidden West is a great game. I think most know that by this point. Unfortunately, Forbidden West might succumb to the same overshadow that Zero Dawn suffered. Elden Ring is sure to overshadow Horizon in 2022 the same way Breath of the Wild did in 2017. That is a shame because Forbidden West is a fantastic game. I hope everyone gives in a chance in 2022. It will be a Game of the Year finalist for me.
Everything about this game vibes with me. The world to delve into, the strong female lead, and the awesome setting Guerrilla games has created. I will come back to this game to complete it.