Successful sequels build on their predecessors in multiple ways – think Mass Effect 2, Assassin's Creed 2, and Uncharted 2. They all improve what came before them by conjuring up exciting new gameplay mechanics, developing characters through engaging stories, and switching up mission design to offer variety. In other words, they take a solid base and combine with new elements to create more advanced bonds, much like an alloy… or in this case, an Aloy. Horizon Forbidden West does this with aplomb, building on the already impressive foundations of 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn to tell a thrilling story full of familiar explosive combat against elaborate robotic foes and blockbuster action sequences, but also adding Witcher-like settlements to the map and filling it out with great side quests. There’s a genuine sense of exploration and loads of completely involving lore behind it all to uncover. The result is a fantastic open-world action-adventure that, despite falling into a couple of its old habits, emphatically delivers on the promises made five years ago.
The battle between the natural and firmly unnatural is everywhere to see in the Forbidden West. It drills down through many levels to what the Horizon series is all about, from the vines strangling the remains of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge to the animal-like man-made machines that wander the land, tracing the footsteps of their long-dead creators. But this clash also takes place inside Aloy, who (spoilers for the first game) herself is a complicated combination of human and synthetic life. It's what drives the plot along and lends a personal touch to what could be otherwise ungainly themes if handled without the obvious care that developer Guerrilla Games has put into Forbidden West.
Take the Power Back
Once again, Aloy is on a time-sensitive mission packed with mystery, not least in its characters, many of whom are firmly established in the grey area between friend or foe. Its twists and turns are numerous and had me guessing how it would turn out right until the end of Aloy's journey. That journey isn't a short one; my playthrough (which was done at a fairly relaxed pace that included completing a healthy amount of side missions) took around 32 hours.
Guerrilla has definitely learned a lesson this time around when it comes to finding a balance between worldbuilding and telling a coherent story. Horizon Zero Dawn tackled some big, ambitious ideas, but sometimes stumbled when it came to conveying them in an engaging way, with an over-reliance on audio and text files found in lifeless labs and abandoned offices. With the stage now firmly set, though, Forbidden West is able to confidently stride over the deep exposition potholes that Zero Dawn sometimes fell victim to, (mostly) mercifully avoiding lengthy information dumps in favour of a more elegantly told tale. While there are still a decent amount of audio logs to find, the quality of them is much improved, and more importantly, this time around all of the story’s key moments are told through engaging cutscenes that contain their fair share of character-centric drama without dwelling on it long enough to overstay their welcome.
This is still very much a hard sci-fi setting, though, and that is where the slightly weaker parts of Forbidden West’s story lay during the opening hours. Sometimes it just can't help but stray into overlong monologues referring back to the events of Zero Dawn and the setup for the journey west, and that’s where some momentum is lost. This makes for an uneven start, but the pace promptly picks up and becomes much more engaging once a new threat is introduced and the true plot of Forbidden West comes to the fore. From here on it successfully rumbles on its way to a full-on bonkers, yet highly enjoyable ending. It's also worth noting here that Forbidden West is very much a sequel to Zero Dawn, meaning newcomers attempting to skip the line and jump in here may feel slightly alienated by the overarching plot, though there's still plenty to enjoy regardless.
The story's strengths, however, far outweigh those awkward moments. It's much stronger when focusing on the personal dramas and social and political conflicts of the Forbidden West than when satiating its fetish for rambling holograms. If Horizon Zero Dawn was about Aloy discovering a dangerous new world, Forbidden West is all about a new world discovering just how dangerous Aloy can be. After the events of Zero Dawn, she’s a living legend: worshiped by some, feared by others.
The present-day political turmoil between warring tribes paints a tense backdrop with plenty of room for great moments to play out in front of. There are some real standout missions, too: one questline involving a clumsy but loveable inventor trying to fulfill the ambitious legacy of his grandfather is a particular highpoint. It’s a perfect example of how well Aloy's quest collides with other people's stories to create something truly memorable.
There are fantastic character moments that are delivered with a deft touch; it's a credit to the writers that I found myself caring so much about the fate of these people so quickly after meeting them. This goes for the actors embodying the characters, too – performances are brilliant across the board, with no one feeling out of place and even the most incidental seeming characters well observed. That’s no mean feat considering the large cast of fresh faces you'll meet throughout your playthrough.
Part of that is due to the fact that Forbidden West is far more concerned about the world as a whole and the people surrounding Aloy than Zero Dawn ever was; from early on it becomes apparent that the whole lesson of the story for Aloy is allowing some of the pressure she places on herself to be carried by others. The supporting cast does a great job of keeping you company, and Varl – an old friend of Aloy’s from the Nora tribe who is with you from the opening moments – in particular, provides warm companionship throughout and brings the best out of Aloy. It’s a pleasant change when compared to the often-lonely adventure of Zero Dawn.
Actors Angela Bassett and Carrie-Anne Moss bring salvos of Hollywood-caliber firepower to the story; the former provides a fearsome presence as rebel leader Regala, even if she is too absent for long stretches to feel like a prominent piece of the story. Meanwhile, Moss brings a touch of class to proceedings as the enigmatic Tilda. It’s never enough to wrestle the limelight away from Ashly Burch as Aloy, though. Naturally, she’s at the core of everything in Forbidden West, and Burch carries that weight with confidence and panache – displaying power in loud, pivotal moments, but also shining in the story's quieter, more heartfelt pockets.
On the topic of the loud parts, while Zero Dawn may have been action-packed, its presentation never felt nearly as cinematic as this. Massive moments take place in masterfully choreographed cutscenes with swirling camerawork reminiscent of a Tony Scott chase sequence. It may seem simple, but subtler techniques (such as a wider lens used during conversations) add a filmic quality to dialogue-heavy scenes, allowing characters to use their bodies to move expressively and convey a wider range of emotion. Feelings run high over the course of the lengthy campaign, and while this isn’t anything like the trauma fest of something like The Last of Us Part 2, Forbidden West certainly tugs on the heartstrings.