Horizon Forbidden West: Everything We’re Excited To Do In The Game
Horizon Forbidden West is no more than a week away and we can’t wait to get our hands on it. The highly anticipated sequel to Horizon: Zero Dawn is set to continue Aloy’s story as she ventures west and encounters new human and mechanical threats. The game will expand on the lore of the Horizon franchise and expand the series significantly with new characters, gameplay, and a huge new world for you to explore. Ahead of its release, we thought we’d take a look at everything we’re excited to do in the game.
Explore The Forbidden West
The Forbidden West is the western region of the United States – stretching from Utah to the Pacific Coast – that the Carja deem to be mysterious and dangerous. Most people who venture there never return, while others are driven mad by what they discover. It’s been likened to the Bermuda Triangle and the Western Highland from Egyptian mythology, which was thought to be the land of the dead where the sun sets.
The Forbidden West was mentioned in Horizon: Zero Dawn, and Aloy will venture there in the upcoming game. Guerrilla Games has confirmed that the map in Forbidden West will be wider and deeper than its previous game. From trailers released so far, we’ve already seen numerous iconic locations, including the Golden Gate Bridge and Yosemite Valley, and we can’t wait to see what else the Forbidden West has in store for us.
Face The New Machines
Dozens of machines from Horizon: Zero Dawn are making their return to Horizon Forbidden West, including Thunderjaws, Tallnecks, Grazers, Glinthawks, Snapmaws, Rockbreakers, and more. In addition, the game will feature a range of new more threatening machines, like the Tremortusk, the Slitherfang, the Tideripper, the Clamberjaw, and more.
Like the original game, all of the new machines are based on animals or prehistoric creatures, and they all have varying attacks and weaknesses that you’ll need to work out before you can successfully defeat them. You can check out some of the new machines in the trailer below:
Swim Underwater
One of the major new gameplay mechanics coming to Horizon Forbidden West is the ability to swim underwater and explore some of the game’s submerged environments, including sunken landmarks from the real world. You can explore seas, lakes, and rivers to uncover additional secrets and mysteries.
You won’t be alone, however, as many machines can also be found in these bodies of water, including Snapmaws and Tiderippers, which posses a new challenge and means you’re going to have to find a way of fighting or escaping them underwater.
Craft Weapons And Unlock Outfits
Horizon Forbidden West has expanded the crafting and outfit mechanics of its predecessor. Quick crafting from the weapon wheel is in the game, but it also comes with a new weapon system in which Aloy can upgrade weapons from materials found throughout the world to improve them with improved states, new skills or a change in ammo or damage. However, weapons can only be upgraded at workbenches located in settlements.
Outfits have also changed in Horizon Forbidden West as rather than solely improving your stats, they now have outfit-specific skills. These skills can boost Aloy’s abilities and can be used in conjunction with the game’s revamped Skill Tree. Some of the new outfits can be seen in the trailer below:
Explore With Aloy’s New Tools
Although Aloy’s bow and spear will still be your primary weapons in Horizon Forbidden West, the game features a range of additional tools that you’ll be able to use to help Aloy on her journey. One of the most important is the Diving Mask, which will be used to explore the game’s underwater locations.
The game also has a Pullcaster, which can be used to pull yourself forward when traversing, and there’s the Shieldwing, which allows you to safely descend from heights and stealthily attack enemies from above. There’s no doubt that there will be a slew of other tools and weapons to use in the game, and we can’t wait to see what they are.
Try Out The Side Activities
Horizon Forbidden West will feature a diverse range of side activities for you to enjoy, including an in-game game known as Machine Strike in which you use machines to capture terrain and can find new game pieces throughout the game. There’s also an arena mode in which you face-off against various machines, and melee pits in which you take on other humans.
The game also includes salvage contracts where you must help Aloy hunt for rare machine parts. If all of that isn’t enough, much of the game’s side quests have been revamped to make them more engaging and to offer more meaningful rewards for completing them too. So prepare to be distracted!
See Old Faces And Meet New Characters
Throughout the adventure, you’ll be reunited with several familiar faces and you’ll get to meet numerous new characters too. Characters returning from Horizon: Zero Dawn include Erend, Varl, Sylens, Petra Forgewoman, and more, most of which will help Aloy on her journey while others hide their true motivations.
Alongside returning characters, Aloy will meet a range of new faces, including rebel leader Regalla, the mysterious Tilda, and warriors and various tribe members Alva, Hekarro, Kotallo, and Zo. We can’t wait to meet and learn more about the above characters, as well as spend some more time with older characters.
Experience The Story
Ultimately, we’re most excited to experience the story of Horizon Forbidden West. Judging from the trailer, there’s lots to unpack, including solving the mystery behind the strange plague that is killing humans and machines, learning more about the storms disrupting the Forbidden West, and learning more about each faction’s motivations, including Sylens’.
Horizon: Zero Dawn was memorable for its tightly-written and exciting story, and we can’t wait to see what Guerrilla Games has planned for us. We’re sure that whatever it is, will completely change Aloy’s life and leave us clamouring for more.
Horizon Forbidden West launches February 18th for PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles. If you can’t get enough of Horizon, check out the trailer for the upcoming VR game Horizon Call Of The Mountain.
