Horizon Forbidden West review

Horizon Forbidden West is a game that builds on the foundations of the first game, but also solidifies that foundation. In the first game, we witnessed a post-apocalyptic scenario and at the same time saw that the game created a unique world. Horizon: Zero Dawn was a game that managed to play itself despite its important shortcomings with its story based entirely on the elements of curiosity. The sequel, on the other hand, has managed to take this situation one step further. I have to say from the beginning that this time we have a game that makes up for its shortcomings and puts its feet on the ground more solidly.

Horizon Forbidden West review

Horizon Forbidden West In fact, it comes across with a very quiet entrance. I don’t want to give spoilers, but after a very short time, we are stepping into the western lands, where the game actually opens. In the first game, we started the game by wondering about this post-apocalyptic world, how the robots were. Forbidden West, on the other hand, introduces this element of curiosity by gradually spreading it to the story. They have managed to combine this element of curiosity with the events you encounter, the mysterious characters and the world that makes you feel much more full. The world and the story of the game are reinforced with sound recordings and notes.

Although I don’t give much detail on the name of the story, I can say that the presentation and editing of the game are the main elements that have been improved in the sequel. One of the biggest shortcomings of the first game was its soulless structure, especially in the presentations, residential areas and dialogue part. Well, Forbidden West has completely resolved this issue. I can say that the cutscenes used and the plot of the event were one of my favorite aspects of the game. Moreover, every character you encounter in the game has been carefully considered. In other words, I can say that even the facial expression of the character, which you will see only once in the game that you will play for 60-70 hours, has made the dialogues here much more natural.

The world of the game has beauties to wander every inch of

Let’s come to the magnificent world of the game. Already in the first game, a very beautiful world was presented to us. Forbidden West, on the other hand, took this event a few steps higher. With the return of graphics, such a beautiful world has emerged that you can often find yourself watching this beauty. The game has a huge world and a different detail awaits you in every corner. A world that becomes more beautiful with settlements, crumbs of civilization spreading to every corner of the map, hidden temples, ecological order or underwater sections added to the game is presented to the players. Moreover, the fact that there are many different regions such as deserts, forested areas and snowy mountains in this world has made the world of the game even richer.

Of course, this world should be full as well as beautiful. The production team filled the map as much as possible this time. Everywhere you go, you encounter a separate mission or different dynamics scattered on the map. Apart from the main missions, many missions, large and small, are included in the game. And this quest structure is very thoughtful apart from the classic quests where you collect items. The map structure of the game is divided into different regions as in the first game. In each region, you can encounter important and branching side quests related to that part. For example, a side story that started with the explosion in the mine in the first episode branches off and can go up to an event that affects the fate of the people living in that region. Likewise, a story that you start with a small task can go as far as the war between two tribes and finally choosing your leader.

Of course, in addition to these missions, you also encounter classic item collection or black box and drone collection missions distributed to certain points of the map. However, these different stories and large and small side missions introduced into the game prevented the classic missions from standing out. In other words, when you go to a side mission that you play with pleasure, you start saying “Oh, there is a question mark here, or I’m going from the bottom of the drone mission, let me do this too”. The mission structure of the game and the occupancy rate of the world were one of the details that surprised me in Forbidden West.

Aloy, whom we control in the game, has gotten rid of that novice structure. A character portrait is drawn that is self-confident, aware of the responsibilities on his shoulders and does not hesitate in making instant decisions. We have an Aloy, who gives sherbet according to the pulse when appropriate, but does not hesitate to take responsibility when necessary. Being aware of what is going on, he adapts very quickly to this leadership situation he has undressed and does not hesitate to fulfill his duty in the dangerous lands of the west. The side characters also have a huge impact on the story. At the same time, as I said at the beginning, I passed the mysterious characters, even a character you encounter in a casual way contributes to preserving the integrity of this world in some way.

Aloy has become more skilled on the battlefield with the experience of the first game. Bow and arrow are our biggest helpers in wars, as always. Apart from that, we also have different weapons such as bomb-throwing weapons, spears or slings. By improving these weapons, you not only make them more effective, but you also find different or better weapons as you progress in the game. Of course, each weapon also has shots with different effects. Here you can shoot shots that damage the opponent with electricity, ice or poison.

Of course, setting traps is inevitable in some wars. If you want, you can resort to these traps even in the smallest fights, but it makes more sense to use these traps in boss battles instead of the robots scattered on the playground in general. In addition, by shooting at some points on the playground, you can cause logs or a hanging object to fall on the enemy.

Aloy now also has a hook that you can hold onto certain points. It becomes a tool that we frequently use in platform dynamics as well as in wars. Although the straight hit-and-run logic makes the game ordinary, as you use all the tools you have on the battlefield, you enable more effective and enjoyable battles to emerge. Speaking of climbing, Aloy is able to climb almost every spot on the playground. With your scanner feature, you can mark the surrounding objects as well as see the areas you can’t climb or not climb.

The tactical combat system built on the trap system in the first game is a little more detailed in Forbidden West. Now, when you scan the enemies you encounter, you can look at their parts one by one and create your war strategy accordingly. Let’s say you come across a giant mammoth-like robot. When you scan before entering the battle, you see that the part in his abdomen can explode. This enemy, which you can not reduce to half health if you struggle for a long time, can be taken down more easily when you try to this weak point. Or you can find a piece that takes more damage when it reacts with chemical weapons. Including such tactical touches for almost every type of robot makes the combat system more enjoyable.

New abilities make the game more fun

An important update has also been made in Aloy’s skill tree system. There are different skill trees that branch out and you can even unlock special attacks. The skill trees are divided into six categories: warrior, trapper, hunter, survivor, spy, and master of machines. As the names suggest, you improve your fighting skills in the warrior section, your potion and trapping skills in the trapper section, your shooting and special attacks from afar in the hunter section, your stealth skills in the spy section, and your advantages against the machines in the master of the machines section. For example, apart from the machines you hack as a mount, there are also machines that you can make them fight for you. You also have special abilities, such as giving Aloy invisibility or more stamina, in addition to her normal attacks. When you use these abilities, you see that the abilities are activated with a special animation. These new touches added to the skill and combat system have managed to have a positive effect on the game dynamics.

In addition to the distant and close action dynamics, from time to time, you also have to proceed secretly, as in the first game. It is of vital importance to use the grass in the playground and the places where you will hide. One of the reasons why concealment dynamics are at the forefront is the diversity of robots. With the new robots added to the game, you sometimes encounter situations that you can avoid fights or that you can handle much easier when you go stealth.

The loot system still has an important place in the game. In addition to the items you collect from the enemies, even the items you collect from nature or get by hunting are of great importance. Thanks to the Craft system, there are some items that merchants or the weapon development system want, as well as items such as arrows, bombs or potions that you can make instantly. When you directly attack the robots you encounter, you can cause the parts you need to break. In such cases, you need to scan the robot first, detect that piece and make attacks to drop that piece.

The biggest problem on the gameplay side is actually the animation jump and artificial intelligence problem that we encounter in the first game. You may encounter animation jumps in some attacks, climbing parts or especially finishing hits. In the same way, there are sometimes small but strange bugs such as the characters dying standing up. Due to the story in the game, you can have one or more characters with you in some missions. The artificial intelligence of the characters next to you in these missions is at the level of disaster. So much so that they disrupt the overall integrity of the game. These characters next to you can act as if they have come to Gulhane Park when you are secretly advancing and you will be noticed if you get your head out of the bush. Moreover, although they pass by the enemy, they are not noticed.

Apart from all these dynamics, Horizon Forbidden West has a ton of details to tell. It is possible to say that many differences that should be in a sequel game are included in the corrections made in the fighting system, the dynamics of floating in the air with the shield, the changing structure in underwater missions.

Wandering around this world for hours

I talked a little bit about the world of Horizon Forbidden West. As in the first game, one of the biggest reasons why the game is so beautiful is its world and graphics. Decima Engine graphics engine is used in the game, which has a much more natural look (except for the looks) with the development of character expressions. We are faced with a graphics engine that does its part with the atmosphere that changes according to the regions, the day and night cycle, the changing weather conditions, and most importantly, the landscapes like paintings. It is really enjoyable to walk around in the forest areas, explore the underwater sections or watch the sunset in the desert.

Without forgetting, it is necessary to mention the Dualsense and 3D sound support of the game. Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Trigger features from Dualsense features have been used very successfully in this game, as in every Playstation-specific game. You feel the vibration and tension reflected in the controller in every weapon you use. For example, when you pull a bow to shoot an arrow or try to open a door with your spear, this tension is clearly transferred to you in the trigger keys. Or, in moments of action, the vibration while sliding from a rope has managed to add small but pleasant nuances to the game. The music of the game is very beautiful, as in the first game, and it has a structure that rises in the moments of action. If we leave the music aside, I can say that listening to the ambient sound in 3D also strengthens the atmosphere.

Last word

The bottom line is Horizon Forbidden West, with its detailed, astonishing mission variety and fantastic world. an enjoyable game managed to be Although the foundations of the first game were laid, the production team managed to close many things that were missing in Zero Dawn. I think players who enjoyed the first game will like Forbidden West even more. If you are tired of the first game and left it unfinished due to certain shortcomings, I can say that it is an open world game that you should definitely give a chance.