Rachel Schaffner, Resident Gamer

rls6117@psu.edu

Photo Credit: Sony PlayStation

Horizon Forbidden West, the sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn, and developed by Guerrilla Games, is nothing short of living up to its predecessor’s success when Zero Dawn was first released in 2017. Five years later, Forbidden West was released on February 18th, 2022, quickly gaining success in sales. While Sony has not released the official units sold count, Forbidden West took the number one spot in sales for three months straight in the UK. What made Horizon Forbidden West rise to the top? Could it be the returning cast of characters players came to know in Zero Dawn? Could it be wanting to know more about Horizon’s terrain and exploring new parts of the world? Or would it be wanting to return to Aloy’s new adventure as she journeys into the Forbidden West? Whatever the reason, it brought returning and new players to play Guerrilla’s hit series.
In Horizon Zero Dawn, Aloy was introduced as a young Nora, a tribe within the Horizon series, but was outcast from the entire tribe due to her being motherless. Asking herself why she is an outcast and why she is motherless, her guardian, Rost, cannot answer such questions. Instead, he guides her to fight and learn about the world around her. In due time, Aloy participates in The Proving, an event where young Nora tribesmen can compete to become Nora braves. The winner not only becomes one with the tribe, but also is granted anything they please. Aloy proves herself and then asks why she is motherless. The Matriarchs, those who run the Nora tribe, cannot answer that question either. She is then thrust into a world of the unknown as Aloy searches for those answers herself. Making friends along the way and coming face-to-face with the people who tried to kill her, comes to the conclusion of who she is. In doing so, she defeats a sentient subordinate function from an AI system that made the world prosper after biomass eating technology, known as the Faro Plague, tried to rid the world of life. However, defeating this subordinate function, known as HADES, was not the end of Aloy’s adventures.
After her victory in Zero Dawn, Forbidden West picks up six months after Zero Dawn. In the opening, Aloy is faced with finding a backup of the sentient AI that was introduced in Zero Dawn, known as GAIA. Struggling to find answers, a familiar face pops up to help aid Aloy in her search. Sylens, who was introduced to players and Aloy in Zero Dawn, informs Aloy that she needs to head into the Forbidden West. There is a facility where she can find a backup of GAIA. It just so happens there is an Embassy in the Forbidden West. Aloy takes her leave and heads West to the Embassy, but is interrupted by a rebel from a new tribe: the Tenakth. Regalla, a former Tenakth, now fights against her tribe she was once a part of. After gaining access into the Forbidden West, Aloy continues to run into problems along the way of wanting to fix the biosphere, such as the Far Zenith people; who were people that left Earth when the Faro Plague was ravaging the world. After gaining what she needs, Aloy finds out there is an even bigger threat than HADES and the people of Far Zenith could ever inflict upon Earth and the people who live there. This leaves the story open for a possible third game, but Guerrilla has yet to inform social media if and when they are going to finish off Aloy’s story in a third installment.
Horizon Forbidden West has not only proved their success with this new addition to Aloy’s journey, but has proved it with the many improvements to the game’s mechanics, but also the game’s graphics as well as the map and many other small details within the game. Originally made to use the PlayStation 4’s graphics to its fullest, Forbidden West was made with the idea of coming to the PS4, therefore, Guerrilla pushed the boundaries of the PS4’s outdated graphic system compared to the updated PS5’s graphics. While the landscapes and machines look beautiful on the PS4, they become even better when on the PS5. Compared to Zero Dawn’s graphics, the motion capture (mo-cap) was considered to be great in 2017, but with the evolution of technology, their plastic movements in Zero Dawn became realistic in Forbidden West. Aloy’s stiff movements, especially in facial expressions, became cleaner and more realistic, as if she was a real person players were looking at. The same can be said with all of the NPCs that are within the game.
Not to mention, some of the fighting mechanics are better compared to Zero Dawn. While Zero Dawn had a slew of bows and traps to choose from, Forbidden West brings more weapons that cater for different playstyles. Players now get to choose the perfect loadout of weapons and tools to use for efficiently taking out machines and getting parts needed for upgrades. Tripcasters make a return from Zero Dawn, but new weapons, such as Spike Throwers, are new to Forbidden West. A new weapon that can be acquired, through a side quest, allows Aloy to bind machines up in a sap like adhesive, slowing down machines to where Aloy can get the upper hand in the fight. Zero Dawn also had a slew of outfits and face paint, but Forbidden West has more of a unique look when it comes to different outfits. Just like the weapons catering to each player’s different playstyle, so do the outfits. Certain outfits give Aloy more storage space when it comes to holding medicinal berries, some allow Aloy to make less noise around machines, and a certain outfit lets Aloy not be affected if she sets off her own traps accidentally (we’ve all been there).
What Zero Dawn didn’t have that Forbidden West added into the game, was a powerup called Valor Surges. Depending on which type of playstyle players want to have, Valor Surges are different and unique. Not only does Aloy get a power boost, but she also gets some pretty unique face paint that is only acquired through Valor Surges and only lasts for a short period of time. One particular Valor Surge Aloy can acquire is a surge called Ranged Master. It ups the damage on ranged weapons, but compared to another Valor Surge, Powershots, Aloy’s valor surge does not run out unlike Ranged Master. Aloy gets a more powerful shot when it comes to Powershots instead of Ranged Master. There are other Valor Surges, such as one that makes Aloy invisible to human enemies, but it deactivates when she is using any form of weapon. It’s a great way to get one up on the enemy without being spotted quicker than other times.
Aside from new weapons, outfits, and newly added Valor Surges, Forbidden West also adds in new tools. In the first hour of the game, Aloy acquires a tool called the Pullcaster. It allows her to reach higher places quicker than climbing up, but it can only be used when prompted. Not only can it aid Aloy in getting to higher places quicker, but it can allow Aloy to pull out debris from her path, bring treasure closer to her, and as well as bringing crates over her way so she can climb up to higher places. Speaking of climbing, in Zero Dawn, there are already laid paths when climbing higher and they’re not marked clearly. Forbidden West fixes the issue with making most of the mountain terrain climbable and they’re easily outlined this time.
Another tool that was implemented into Forbidden West was the use of a Shield Wing. After defeating a rebel Tenakth during the Embassy, Aloy acquires a Shield Wing, which allows her to glide down from higher places. So after players climb up a mountain, they can glide down to safety and continue on with Aloy’s journey. This was a great addition into the game when it comes to getting down mountains or other higher places safely and not having to worry about fall damage (which this game has). With the addition of new tools, it also gives players a new terrain to discover: underwater. Unlike Zero Dawn where it lets players swim through the creeks, Forbidden West allows players to explore the underwater areas, but it’s not until the middle of the game where Aloy gets a diving mask to let her breathe underwater. When IGN was interviewing some of their employees about Forbidden West, they all mentioned how beautiful the underwater terrain looks. With a new terrain added, means there are newer and stronger machines.
In Zero Dawn, the only main concern players had with machines were facing Thunderjaws and Stormbirds, some of the strongest machines Aloy has ever had to face in the first game. Move aside Thunderjaw, there are much stronger machines Aloy has to face, being Snapmaws, which are snapping turtle like machines, Slitherfangs, an acid spitting cobra, Tremortusks, which is modeled after a wooly mammoth, Tiderippers, based after the loch ness monster, and Slaughterspines, based off the prehistoric dinosaur: the Spinosaurus. While there are newer machines, such as: Skydrifters, Sunwings, Burrowers, etc. There are some that make a return, such as: Chargers, Scorchers, Longlegs, Snapmaws, and much more.
Unfortunately, two mounts from Zero Dawn do not make a return, them being the Strider, resembling that of a horse, and the Broadhead, resembling a longhorn. However, Forbidden West adds in three new mounts, which are better than the Strider and Broadhead. While the Charger makes a return, the new mounts are Clawstriders, having a velociraptor appearance, Bristlebacks, looking similar to a warthog, and one of the best mounts Horizon has to offer is the Sunwing, its look based off of a pterodactyl. The Sunwing is the first flying mount the Horizon series has, making traversing the Forbidden West faster than riding on any other mount in the game.
While the Sunwing is one way to move around faster, Guerrilla brought back the Fast Traveling system in Forbidden West, but unlike Zero Dawn, Forbidden West allows players to have free fast travel at campfires. Zero Dawn had an item, called fast traveling packs, which is the only way to get around faster. Players can either buy these packs from merchants or make them with resources. Another detail Forbidden West implemented was the addition of Aloy’s stash. Zero Dawn had limited inventory space, forcing players to sell the items they do not need and make room for items they do need. Forbidden West fixed that issue with now having a stash. So players can scavenge machines to their heart’s content without having to worry about their inventory getting full.
While Zero Dawn had a large and memorable cast, those characters make a return alongside the appearances of new characters. Aside from a few main ones, Erend, Varl, and Sylens, make a return, characters such as Talanah, Nil, and Petra return into the Forbidden West. Along with them, players get to see new faces such as Zo from the Utaru tribe, Kotallo from the Tenakth, Alva from the Quen (a tribe not part of the Forbidden West), and people from Far Zenith. However, one new character was thrown as a curve ball for some players. I, a player of both Zero Dawn and Forbidden West, watched the trailers for Forbidden West and I commend Guerrilla for doing an amazing job with hiding this character until the game was released. Beta was introduced as someone who worked for the people of Far Zenith, but how she was introduced surprised players. In certain areas of both games, Aloy is the only one who can open gene locked doors because of who she is. Aloy is in an area where only she opened the door, but the door opened up to someone who looked exactly like her. That was Beta. Beta is exactly like Aloy. In Zero Dawn it is learned that Aloy is a clone of someone who lived long ago. Beta is another clone of that person, making Aloy and Beta genetic twins. Both Aloy and Beta are voiced by the same person: Ashly Burch. However, she gives both characters different voices and personalities from one another, one aspect of the game I commend as well.
Starting in Zero Dawn, Aloy has a confident attitude, but not arrogant. She had a sharp tongue and did not put up with nonsense, especially from those around her. While that stayed the same in Forbidden West, the one thing that changed was her voice. In Zero Dawn, Aloy has a bit of a higher pitched voice, but it was loud when she needed it to be. On the flip side in Forbidden West, Aloy had a bit of a deeper pitch than in Zero Dawn. While it was subtle, some players were able to point it out and made them wonder why the sudden change in pitch. It was because Beta is the opposite of Aloy. While Aloy is confident and strong, Beta is insecure and anxious. Her voice is softer and a bit higher pitched when compared to Aloy’s. I commend Ashly Burch on playing the same characters, but giving them different voices to differentiate them.
With all things considered within both Zero Dawn and Forbidden West, Forbidden West lived up to the first game’s success and then some. Adding on to Aloy’s adventure of saving the world while also developing her character more, made Forbidden West a great game for returning and new players to enjoy. Forbidden West left off on a note that there is a possible third game in the works. If and when it is announced, I cannot wait to see what Guerrilla has upon the Horizon for Aloy.