Horizon Forbidden West is the sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn, the open-world title from Guerilla Games and PlayStation Studios that established whip-smart, flame-haired Aloy as one of the most memorable icons of the previous console generation.
Certainly a marquee title for PlayStation Studios and a pre-emptive Game of the Year candidate in the books of many a scribbling critic, here’s everything you need to know about Horizon Forbidden West.
Horizon Forbidden West Release Date & Platforms – When And How Can I Play Horizon Forbidden West?
The Horizon Forbidden West release date has been confirmed as February 18, 2022. Horizon Forbidden West will be released for PS4 and PS5 consoles.
Brilliantly, if you own the PS4 version of Horizon Forbidden West, Sony are offering a free upgrade to the PS5 version of the game. Happy days eh?
Horizon Forbidden West PC Release – Is Horizon Forbidden West Coming To PC?
With the Horizon Forbidden West hype train now running at full steam, many folks have been asking if Horizon Forbidden West will be released on PC.
Well, as of right now Sony has not confirmed that Horizon Forbidden West will be released on PC. However, there are a whole heap of reasons why a Horizon Forbidden West PC release will almost certainly happen in the not so distant future.
Not only can PC gamers get the prequel, Horizon Zero Dawn, on PC (not releasing the sequel would be a bum move, let’s be honest), but Sony has recently realised that a whole heap of money can be made from PC gamers and so has committed to porting its extensive library of console exclusives to the platform.
The caveat being that the PlayStation version will be released first and the PC versions following later on. Indeed, aside from Horizon Zero Dawn, we’ve already seen impressive PC ports of Days Gone and God of War do the business, while the mightily impressive Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is also set to hit PC later in 2022.
What is Horizon Forbidden West?
Developed by Guerilla Games and published by PlayStation Studios, Horizon Forbidden West is a third-person, open-world action RPG that is the sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn which was released on PC and PS4 platforms in 2022 and 2017 respectively.
Once more putting players in the well-worn boots of red-haired, bow-toting heroine Aloy, Horizon Forbidden West picks up right after the events chronicled in the first game and has players venturing into the titular Forbidden West to track down the mysterious Sylens and prevent an already shattered, but slowly healing world, from falling further into ruin.
Horizon Forbidden West Gameplay – What New Gadgets And Abilities Will Aloy Have?
In addition to being able to climb and traverse vertically challenging terrain more effortlessly than before and dive deep underwater, Horizon Forbidden West also provides our flame-haired hero with some neat new tools to play with as well.
First up is the ultra-handy Ropecaster which allows Aloy to target structural weaknesses in the environment, latch onto them and pull them free – resulting in walls being pulled down or ledges being made available for jumping onto. The Ropecaster can also be used to pull down chests and crates that would normally be out of reach, too.
The Shieldwing meanwhile gives Aloy the ability to glide long distances, permitting her to drop right into the middle of battle or reach otherwise inaccessible areas and locations.
Horizon Forbidden West Gameplay – How Big Is The Map?
Like Horizon Zero Dawn before it, Horizon Forbidden West boasts a sizable expanse of land for Aloy to cut across. Just how big is the Horizon Forbidden West map though? Well, in a recent interview with IGN, Mathijs de Jonge, the director of Horizon Forbidden West, stated that the map is actually “slightly larger” than the one seen in Horizon Zero Dawn.
Most notably, the title of the game also tips you off to the new setting of the sequel too, as Horizon Forbidden West takes in the west coast of the United States and a whole swathe of land around it.
Horizon Forbidden West Gameplay – What Skill Trees Are Available?
A returning feature, Horizon Forbidden West also features skill trees that facilitate Aloy’s progression through the game. However, Horizon Forbidden West does things a little differently to its predecessor in this regard, featuring six entirely different skill trees for players to tailor their playstyle – compared to just the four skill trees seen in Horizon Zero Dawn.
The Horizon Forbidden West skill trees are Warrior, which places a premium on melee attacks, Trapper, that places an emphasis on traps, Survivor, which deals with optimising herb gathering and health skills, Infiltrator, which concentrates on stealth, Hunter, which seeks to develop ranged skills and finally Machine Master, which deals with hacking and stunning enemies. Even better still, you’re not just locked into a particular skill tree and can put points here and there to craft your own unique build.
Horizon Forbidden West Gameplay – How Do Valor Surges Work?
Buried within each of the six skill trees in Horizon Forbidden West are special skills known as Valor Surges. From increasing attack power to providing a damage soaking shield and even enabling a form of invisibility, each Valor Surge can easily turn the tide of a heated battle, but must be used sparingly as it takes a while to build up the necessary Valor to use them again, though a number of skills in each tree can help with this.
It’s also worth noting that while Horizon Forbidden West allows players a fair amount of creative latitude when it comes to putting points into skill trees, Aloy can only have a single Valor Surge equipped at any one time. So choose your active Valor Surge skill wisely.
Horizon Forbidden West Gameplay – What New Machines Are There?
Arguably the stars of the Horizon franchise overall, the numerous wildlife mimicking robots return for Horizon Forbidden West, bringing a veritable array of new machine types along with them.
Boasting over twelve new machines for Aloy to face of with, the new machines that are in Horizon Forbidden West include Bristlebacks, Burrowers, Clamberjaws, Clawstriders, Chargers, Rollerbacks, Shellsnappers, Slitherfangs, Snapmaws, Sunwings, Tallnecks, Tiderippers and Tremortusks.
Buy Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition for PC
If you’ve missed out on the game everyone’s been talking about and want to get up to speed on Aloy’s adventures then jump over to our store to buy a PC key for Horizon Zero Dawn. You’ll experience an unforgettable adventure with a cast of fully-realised characters in one of the most immersive open worlds ever created.
