Horizon Forbidden West on PS5
2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn ushered in a new era for Sony’s first-party studio, Guerrilla Games. Casting aside the linear corridors and orange-eyed Helghast of the Killzone series, the new IP introduced us to an amicable protagonist in Aloy, and a sprawling open-world teeming with animal-like machines roaming the Earth just begging to be slain, with Aloy stripping their components off like a complex and rather vicious puzzle. It was an excellent foundation, providing a tantalizing ending that set up its sequel. That sequel is here now in the form of Horizon Forbidden West, and just as any sequel should be, it’s bigger and better in almost every way over its predecessor.
Following on from where things left off in Zero Dawn, Forbidden West opens with Aloy trying to understand what’s causing an unstoppable blight — a red-colored moss that poisons the world and the natural creatures that inhabit it — and violent storms that are destroying the world. New machines have also begun to appear, prompting Aloy to embark on another epic adventure, this time into the Tenakth territory of the Forbidden West, No Man’s Land which borders it, and the Sundom of Meridian that players explored in the first game. There’s also the case of that pesky Sylens, quite possibly my favorite member of the ensemble cast, a character that retains his air of mystery in the sequel as he did in the first title.
Speaking more broadly in order to avoid spoiling anything in the story, Forbidden West’s narrative is excellent, maintaining solid pacing that’ll keep you hooked and eager to press on through Aloy’s adventure. It tackles themes of greed, selfishness, and humanity’s own ignorance of the damage it has caused, providing plenty of food for thought over our own actions in the real world today. It’s that latter point, in particular, that makes Horizon’s world and narrative so enthralling — the fact that there’s a tangible link back to the real world and our own actions and behaviors, further highlighted by the “ancient” ruins and remnants of our society, scattered throughout the world.
Aloy is as endearing as she was in Zero Dawn, with her inquisitive nature and selfless desire to do good in the world, no matter the danger it may place her in. She is a bastion of light and hope in times of darkness and despair. Her reluctance to just accept a bad situation and her story from a Nora outcast to a legendary warrior leaves an empowering message on the palette. It’s a story of optimism in the face of relentless adversity and how, despite our best intentions, it’s not always possible to keep everyone happy — to always be right in every scenario, regardless of how stellar a track record you have.
Ashly Burch delivers another spectacular performance, bringing this endearingly determined heroine to life, and Lance Reddick’s performance as the ever-enigmatic Sylens was another particular highlight. By and large, the performances from the entire cast were exceptional, with strong writing and contrasting characteristics being delivered in a manner that makes the various people you meet along the way feel so unique, in turn, making them more memorable.
Within what is a rather serious and grounded overarching narrative, Guerrilla Games still manages to get some genuinely humorous moments in there thanks to Aloy’s running commentary as she deals with ever-increasingly daunting tasks. The supporting cast is no slouch here either, with new faces like Kotallo and Morlund providing some comic relief in their conversations and witty remarks to Aloy, while Erend and Varl act as sounding boards and voices of support for our savior of Sundom in her times of need.
All of this comes together to make for a story that’s even more unforgettable than its predecessor. New and returning characters are memorable and drive you on to succeed on your quest. Guerrilla Games has delivered something special with Horizon Forbidden West’s narrative, with ample twists and turns that’ll keep you guessing throughout.
Fortunately, the gameplay delivers on that same level of quality, too, chiefly when it comes to combat and traversal. The former feels far more extensive, thanks to a range of new mechanics, from Valor Surge’s which act as a ‘special move’ of sorts once you’ve filled up your Valor Meter. Unlocked through the six skill trees in the game, they relate to the one that they’re found in. For example, High Volley can be found in the Hunter skill tree — centered around ranged attacks — which sees Aloy fire a high-arcing volley of arrows to rain down on your enemies, while in the stealth-oriented Infiltrator tree, you’ll find Stealth Stalker, activating a cloaking device to massively reduce your visibility from enemies.
Then there are Weapon Techniques, which are more or less the same thing but are focused on providing a ‘special attack’ for different weapon types — of which there are many more in comparison to the original game. The Sharpshot Bow’s Braced Shot, for example, sees Aloy fire a powerful shot from a kneeling position that explodes on impact. To ensure these aren’t overused in combat, they require Weapon Stamina, which slowly recharges over time, and the more powerful a Weapon Technique is, the more it’ll drain your stamina gauge.
There are a wealth of new weapon types, such as the buzzsaw-cross-boomerang Shredder that hacks away at enemies before returning back to you, and explosive spears and various elemental damage types. They help ensure Aloy’s arsenal of weapons feels varied and suitably lethal for the formidable machines she’ll encounter roaming across the Forbidden West. I did still find myself relying largely on the various types of bow, purely because I found them to be the most effective and easiest to use when combat got particularly hectic, but having different options to exploit each machine’s weakness rewards a more strategic approach to combat.
In that regard, the enemies you come across feel like even more complex and entertaining puzzles to tackle than those in Horizon Zero Dawn. They often require a combination of different ammo and weapon types to pick off components and, in some cases, use their own weapons against them if you can pry them off their chassis. Spot a Sparker on the back of a Charger? Target it with shock ammo to cause a chain reaction, rippling through the wiring and circuitry of the bull-like beast, dealing hefty damage while also momentarily paralyzing it. Come across a heavily armored Rollerback? Acid ammo and traps can help chip away and remove the armor, revealing weak spots that can be targeted for massive damage.