Platform:
PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Publisher:
PlayStation Studios
Developer:
Guerrilla Games
Release:
Rating:
Teen
Fans have been eagerly awaiting Horizon Forbidden West’s launch for years, and now it’s finally here. The sequel boasts a whole host of new features, exciting locales, and a sprawling story, some of which are detailed in our round-up of everything we know about the game. While these are all great things, it leaves a lot for new players and even veteran fans to wrap their heads around, especially in the first few hours. But you don’t have to set out into the Forbidden West unprepared. Here are ten essential tips and tricks for players to keep in mind as they embark on a new journey with Aloy.
1
Don’t Stress Over Zero Dawn’s Story
The Horizon games are story-heavy, and while we recommend experiencing the first game to get the full impact of the narrative, you won’t need to play Zero Dawn to understand Forbidden West. Guerrilla gives players a broad-stroke recap of vital information from the first game before you step foot on your adventure. It absolutely contains spoilers for Aloy’s first journey, though, so if you want to enjoy game one without spoilers, don’t start with the sequel. Forbidden West is also very good about using dialogue to refresh players on returning characters and their relationships with Aloy.
2
Use Your Focus, A Lot
Thankfully, Guerrilla has tweaked the once-grating sound of your Focus, the device that lets you examine the world around you, because there are even more reasons to use it in Forbidden West. You can send out a pulse to scan the environment for a quick lay-of-the-land, but your futuristic second sight will really come in handy for highlighting areas connected to new features. It can be hard in the beginning to distinguish when and where you can use new tools, so if you get stuck, turn to your Focus for help. You might also notice the scanner highlighting a few rocky surfaces with yellow, indicating you can climb on them thanks to the new free-climb mechanics. The Focus also comes in handy when battling machines. While looking for high-tech details on your mechanized foes isn’t exclusive to Forbidden West, the system has been reworked for this game, making it easier to find machine weaknesses in a fight.
3
You Can Find Tutorial Notes Later
Since Forbidden West tries to catch you up on the backstory while getting you up to date with the game’s mechanics, there is a lot of information to take in during the opening hours. Though the helpful hints can sometimes disappear quickly, or new data can push out recently learned information, don’t worry about trying to keep everything in your brain just from memory. Everything in the tutorial, from how to perform basic moves to how upgrading your armor works, is stored away in your notebook menu tab. It might be a good idea to skim over it occasionally, just in case it helps you recall a small but useful detail.
4
Skimp On Supplies At Your Peril
Gathering resources in the environment is crucial, and with the new auto-stash feature, you can grab more supplies than you can carry now. Extra resources are sent to storage chests you can find in major settlements or shelters. So, grab everything you can. Like in the first game, almost everything, from healing to upgrading, relies on finding certain ingredients or machine parts. It’s really tough to get through a fight if you’re caught in the middle of a battle without weapon-crafting materials. On top of everything from the first game, Forbidden West introduces even more resources and ways to use them. Gathering top-quality ingredients and bringing them to the world’s best chefs will net you a hearty meal and valuable stat boosts. Delivering dye components to special merchants lets you customize your look.