Horizon II: Forbidden West Review
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Gameplay
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Graphics
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Audio
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Story
Summary
Pros
Gameplay – A fantastic, densely packed world to explore for dozens of hours.
Story – Expands on the story of Zero Dawn in some exciting – and unexpected – ways.
Graphics – Visually stunning. A graphical showcase for both the Playstation 5 and earlier models.
Cons
Gameplay – Quest design can get a little repetitive.
Gameplay – Some overly familiar mechanics for fans of the original.
Call of the Wilds
The sequel to Sony and Guerilla Games’ seminal Horizon: Zero Dawn is here – promising a more vibrant and verdant open-world, fresh traversal mechanics and more twists in protagonist Aloy’s unique tale.
Does it live up to the lofty aspirations of its predecessor, as well as make the most of the power of the Playstation 5?
Check out our Horizon II: Forbidden West review to find out!
Storyline
Picking up six months after the events of the original, the sequel’s story takes Aloy into new directions amidst a post-apocalyptic America, in search of a solution to avert complete extinction.
The plot – tidily summarised and deftly narrated in a brief intro video – throws us straight back into the power struggle between our heroine and the mysterious Slyens, in a search for the all-important GAIA artificial intelligence which can restore balance to the planet’s ecosystem.
To avoid straying into spoiler territory, it’s safe to say that the actions of series antagonist Ted Faro continue to have ripples throughout this lengthy adventure – which sees Aloy travel to the eponymous Forbidden West, meeting characters old and new, and learning some potentially (and literally) earth-shattering revelations along her journey.
Those who were gripped by the story of the original – drip-fed in both cutscenes and lore pick-ups dotted through the landscape – you’ll be very much enjoying not only the main quest but also the beautifully woven and self-contained side stories of those you meet on your travels.
Rival tribes with their customs, beliefs and fears of this beautiful and dangerous world around them make for dense and compelling experiences to learn, all complimenting and supporting the core plot which can be engaged with at your own pace.
Whilst impossible to capture the same level of mystery of the original – where we only discovered the meaning of Zero Dawn more than a dozen hours in – Horizon: Forbidden West still manages to pull you in some incredibly novel and unexpected directions throughout its 25 – 30 hour playtime.
Graphics
From icy tundra to verdant jungles, arid deserts to lush underwater environments, Forbidden West is a graphical showcase whether on the Playstation 5 or last-gen systems.
The sheer vastness and beauty of the world is conveyed over each hilltop, where you’ll be stopping and surveying the fantastic scenery at every opportunity.
Equally impressive is the ability to navigate by sight – the exhaustive accessibility options can enable customisation of the HUD, where you can minimise it and traverse the environments largely by scoping out surroundings and simply exploring.
A far-away dilapidated satellite dish could be home to a small encampment of villagers – and a set of great side quests – or a cache of all-important equipment.
The visuals simply enable you to get fully immersed in this beautifully crafted, and sometimes overwhelmingly varied expanse.
Special mention has to go to the character models and motion capture work, which might be some of the best that Team CRISP. has seen in a game to date.
The people in this game look and feel like people is the best way to describe it, with every interaction from a key story beat to the most hidden side quest being lavished with the same degree of care and detail for animation and performance capture – it is simply transformative and makes it so easy to become invested in the events which transpire.
The diverse cast are all immediately recognisable, and even the detail and texture in clothing or facial paints and dyes is nothing short of remarkable.
Graphics modes are here on PS5 – simply Favo(u)r Performance and Favo(u)r Resolution. The former enables the game to run at a silky 60 frames per second, whilst the latter allows for native 4K visuals and 30 frames per second.
Audio
A lush audio soundscape makes for an atmospheric journey through the Forbidden West, punctuated by a dynamic orchestral score. Various areas have familiar musical motifs and only serves to compliment your journey without becoming overpowering.
Speaking of overpowering, the audio mix was sometimes a little tough to make out conversations between protagonists in the more heated moments of combat or a softly-spoken NPC, but a tiny blip amidst a beautiful tribal meets futuristic theme, marrying up perfectly with the events unfolding on screen.
Gameplay
Where to start?!
Horizon: Forbidden West has all of the RPG-lite trappings one would come to expect in a modern open-world game.
Crafting, skill trees, levelling up of your character (and the requisite level-gating of the world as a consequence) all make an appearance here.
Whilst free to explore at your leisure, taking a detour to an area where you simply aren’t equipped for it will make for a very brief jaunt…
As with the original, mechanics for the varied weapons (and traps, and potions, and now stat-boosting meals) all are laid on you in quick succession, which quickly becomes part of your repertoire after some practice.
As one would expect, mechanics for better swimming, climbing and taking over the robotic denizens of the West are all metered out carefully over time, enabling access to past areas and making for a fairly rewarding core exploration loop.
Aloy feels responsive to control and when it comes to using her Focus whether exploring the landscape, dodging an enemy or quickly defeating a foe, all become second nature as you become accustomed to the harsh climate.
There is an overall sense of familiarity to the core experience for those having completed the original, and in a post-Elden Ring world, some of the quests and hand-holding through puzzles can feel overbearing for those that seek to be at the mercy of the elements.
Summary
Horizon II: Forbidden West is a refined and assured sequel and – despite handwaving away all of her progress in the original with a line of dialogue – the growth of Aloy in her new role as a renowned saviour after the events of Zero Dawn is both exciting and subverts expectations in more than a few ways.
The narrative, visual and gameplay evolutions do seem laser focussed on addressing criticism of the original but equally strives to expand on the involved and crafts a living, breathing world inhabited by new friends, enemies and wildlife.
It stops short of greatness by playing some things a little safe, but remains a shining jewel in Sony’s console exclusives crown.
