Horizon Forbidden West

A Masterpiece of Open-World Adventure

Game Introduction

Herein known as the Horizon Forbidden West, the game is a sequel, and Sony Interactive Entertainment owns it, situated in the hands of Guerrilla Games. It is an Action RPG where its user can travel around a highly detailed post-apocalyptic environment and encounter the robotic beings that provide a detailed, involving storyline. It is much more advanced than its predecessor in almost every aspect and visual quality. It will be released on PC on March 21st, 2024; on February 18th, 2022, it was released on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Continuing what was there in the former, Forbidden West is reportedly a game with a richer experience, better gameplay, awe-inspiring graphics, and excellent visuals supported by detailed stories. With reviews on action, story, graphics, sound, replay value, and worth, this review is seeking to establish why the title is among the best open-world games of this generation.

Horizon Forbidden West Gameplay

Horizon Forbidden West also keeps the timeless mechanics of the gameplay that made Zero Dawn so much fun to play and improves it with new features. The game puts players once again in the shoes of Aloy, a skillful huntress and an outcast, who travels across a world inhabited by greedy automated fauna and homo sapiens. The game map is made to look like an open-world format, which is quite huge and detailed in terms of exploring, fighting, solving clues, and riddles.

Characters and Missions

The main story remains on the side of Aloy, where her character is expanding further as new obstacles are being introduced. She is strong, witty, and empathetic, which makes her a character that others can relate to and, at the same time, an inspiring protagonist. The secondary characters are equally impressive, and reintroduce Varl and Erend and some others, including a warrior Tenakth, Kotallo, and an Utaru healer, Zo. The backgrounds of these characters are well written, and the story has been developed upon these characters to provide strength and diversity in the plot of the story.

The most unique feature in the game is its mission set that includes main story quest lines and trips to hunting grounds, cauldron, and errands, as side activities. It is an addictive narrative where Aloy tries to fight a new menace known as the Red Blight and make discoveries in the mysteries of the Forbidden West. Outposts that are occupied by the enemies, referred to as the Rebel Camps, are also conquered by Aloy. The side stories are also very fulfilling, complete with some extremely emotion-fuelled plots and useful rewards. Along with this, a strategic board game called Machine Strike has also been made available, and this keeps one busy and entertained.

Combat and Exploration

The combat in Forbidden West is interesting as well as challenging. Besides the bows and slings, Aloy has tripwires and novel weapons like the Spike Thrower and Shredder Gauntlet. Every weapon possesses special abilities which can be converted into various kinds of elemental damage, allowing for taking more advantage of the flaws of an enemy. The game is now much more tactical and multi-faceted as the robotic animals, or the so-called machines, are much more diverse and aggressive.

The outstanding moment is exploration because the game even has several biomes such as dense jungles, desert lands, snow white mountains, and even wetlands. The scaling of cliffs has also been simplified through the introduction of a grappling hook and a Shieldwing glider to aid better movement. With the exploration of the underwater world, players are presented with unique challenges, creating another depth to the world.

Features and Upgrades

It also includes a new skill tree, due to which the players can specifically design skills to Aloy’s capabilities depending on their playing styles in the newest game of the series. There are 6 subtrees (trees) of the skill, and they include: Warrior, Trapper, Hunter, Survivor, Infiltrator, and Machine Master. In addition, the game introduces a workbench mechanism that provides an opportunity to improve the equipment and armory, which is encouraging to search and test different builds.

Horizon Forbidden West Game Story

The narrative of the story in Horizon Forbidden West continues 6 months after Zero Dawn. Aloy is assigned the responsibility to reinstate the GAIA, an AI that is associated with the biosphere of Earth, and prevent complete ecological breakdown, aka doomsday. During her adventures, she also passes through the Forbidden West, where the place is deadly as well as anarchic because of the presence of tribal conflicts and the Red Blight, a type of unnatural evil that threatens all life.

In exploring the secrets of the Forbidden West, the two new groups the gamer encounters are the Tenakth and Utaru, who have their own war going on. Considering the plot in detail, it is possible to observe the idea of eco-sustainability, the harm that human evolution in technology causes, and the resilience and spirit exhibited by humans. The game is vivid in terms of twists of events and heart-warming scenes, as well as guaranteeing total player absorption.

Graphics and Sound Design

Graphically, Horizon Forbidden West is an immaculate piece of art that makes use of what the PlayStation 5 can do to the best of its ability. The world of the game is a wonder itself because it has animated features and some complex details, and all this enhances the excellent color mixture of the game. The models of the lifelike characters also contribute to the immersion of the game. Emotive facial motions increase an already emotive plot. The game is especially stunning following the application of underwater parts, which include lighting effects and flows that are better than other games.

The same thing can be said about the Sound design. The work on the score of the game by Joris de Man, Niels van der Leest, and The Flight shows how easily these people combine tribal rhythms with synths and impress the reader with the theme of the story. Admittedly, voice acting is also amazing, and Aloy is voiced by Ashly Burch, who nails the role. Sound effects are not bad either; machines have a unique roar, and the leaves are rustling, which is nominal.

The Verdict

In general, the game Horizon Forbidden West is a phenomenal piece that is better than its predecessor in the aspects that needed it, and also has something that can make the experience even better. Open-world lovers and Action RPG lovers will be compelled to purchase it.

Genre and Platforms

Released on February 18, 2022, to the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 platforms as an action role-playing game (RPG) with world exploration features, Horizon Forbidden West follows the video game Horizon Zero Dawn. The narrative of the game and the fighting system, as well as the exploration process, leave no one forgetting the game. It has already managed not just to be the yardstick of its genre but also to make sure that it holds the largest share among players of both consoles.

Horizon Forbidden West System Requirements