Horizon Forbidden West

If you've been a PlayStation fan for the recent generation (PS4/PS5) then it's likely you've played Horizon Zero Dawn. If not, what the hell are you doing!?! From Guerilla Games - the developers behind the Killzone series - it's probably one of the best new IPs in the last 20 years in terms of knocking it out of the park on the first try. I adored my initial playthrough and it stuck with me like glue, slowly becoming my favorite PlayStation 4 exclusive (which is saying a whole lot). 

Horizon Forbidden West, one of the premier titles on the PlayStation 5, was easily my most anticipated game of this year. I couldn't wait to continue playing this fabulous, open-world, third-person adventure. I couldn't wait to see the graphical horsepower of it on a new generation and experience all the neat tricks with the DualSense 5 controller. Most of all? I couldn't wait to continue the story. 

In so many ways, Forbidden West betters its predecessor and chugs this series right along on a high note. There are minor frustrations that hold it back from near-perfection, but I can already tell my time with it was special enough to leave an imprint. Should I ever do an assessment at the end of the PS5's lifecycle of "favorite series", I would bet Horizon (with hopefully another sequel by the time that happens) is high on that list, easily. 

So yeah...the visuals are jaw-dropping on the PS5

Forbidden West continues the story of Aloy, one of PlayStation's most iconic protagonists now (which again, that's saying a lot). After the events and reveals of the first game, she's called to action to essentially save the world. The scope of this plot is larger and while "saving the world" sounds generic, with Horizon, it's anything but. There are many nuances to its story, and the grand strokes of direction are epic and BIG. If Zero Dawn was "one of" my favorite stories in videogames, then Forbidden West ensures this series is flat-out my favorite story currently in gaming. I'd hardly want to spoil anything, so I'll keep that praise short but powerful, though suffice it to say there are still plenty of surprises in store. Hearing that this will be a TV series on Netflix (apparently) has me giddy because it lends itself to be binge-able television if done right (I won't hold my breath). In particular for this sequel, I found the cast of characters in addition to Aloy to be really memorable. In a lot of ways, this game parallels a Mass Effect 2 vibe as you build your team from different tribes. Aside from one insanely annoying character, the rest become your buds and the chemistry of the group's friendship feels organic. The same is true for our villains in the sense that they're effective. Menacing upon first introduction, coupled with a mind-blowing backstory, they're wicked and easy-to-hate, like the best villains usually are. 

Gameplay continues to nearly rival the story and plot as a strength, though it's here where a few quality-of-life improvements hold it back. Specifically, I had a handful of dramatic framerate drops (they eventually stopped for good so are likely patched) and there are some control mappings that end up creating conflicts down the line, particularly with traversal. Traversal is simple - much like Uncharted - but the open-world is much bigger than a linear campaign level in that game so there will be times you get stuck, can't jump where you want, etc. Or times where you're doing a combination of hop/grab/hop to get up a less-steep cliff. 

"I'm a sneaky snaaaaake"

Otherwise, gameplay is tight, intuitive, and damn addicting. Melee has been beefed up and while still not something like the Arkham series, it has its benefits. The star of the show is the bow-and-arrow work, which features many more weapon and element types this time around. Pretty much anything to do with aiming and shooting in Horizon, Guerilla Games has perfected. Aiming, focusing to slow down time, and releasing arrows to specific points on an enemy body is still a magical sensation, made all the better by the best controller in gaming, the DualSense 5. Nocking an arrow on your bow builds a gradual tension in the controller's triggers and vibration, while shooting releases the trigger with a whoosh from the speaker. It sounds like a lot, but the dev team was able to make it so subtle, yet powerful, that it really makes a difference. In a lot of ways the controller manipulation reminded me of Returnal's excellent use. Taking down enemies small and large via melee, stealth, active shooting (or some combination of all 3) is thrilling and fun, representing some of PlayStation's best third-person adventure gameplay. Again - say it with me - that's saying a lot.  

There's a lot more to do this time around, both along the map itself and within Aloy's skill trees and upgrading. Regarding the latter, I found Aloy's skill trees to be a solid combination of power-ups, but the entire list felt fragmented separated into 6 separate trees. Call me a sucker, but I've really enjoyed how the Assassin's Creed series has presented their upgrade trees lately, but ultimately that comes down to a UI preference. Upgrading weapons, pouches, and armor is minorly addicting until I hit a wall with many that require specific parts I don't often come by. That's less a critique of the game and more so admittance of me being lazy...the game makes it easy to know what you should be looking for and going to get it. 

Last of Us Part III, is that you?

In case you've never picked up on it:
I love photo modes
and I lose a lot of time in them

Speaking of Assassin's Creed (or Forza Horizon for that matter), our map has a similar gaggle of things to do, strewn around its very large geography. Things to do range from simple collectibles, more complex collectibles, missions, side quests, "errands", melee pits, hunting grounds, rebel camps to liberate, Tallnecks to climb, etc. I've heard a lot of grief in recent years about how open-world games are being same-y in doing this and while I don't disagree, I still enjoy these massive maps with lots to do. It makes it easy to sink several hours into them or pick it up for 30 minutes and knock out some simpler things. Most of the mission design - specifically in the main missions - of Forbidden West is well done, though there are a handful of side quests that had an obnoxious amount of travelling to accompany them. Luckily the fast travel system is fantastic, so I'd utilize it more often than not.

The world itself, similar to the first game, is breathtaking and far more varied this time. You start in similar territory as the last game (i.e. desert-esque Colorado/Arizona something or another). Over the game's entirety though, you'll experience just about every single type of environment you could hope to find. Obviously, the developers had to dramatize this post-apocalyptic world's setting to give us jungles (for example) in the Western US, but I'm not complaining. It keeps the game feeling fresh and also helps you to understand where you're at on the map, whether it's the icy Rockies, Pacific North West, or tropical ex-Californian coasts. 

Missed it by *that* much...

To couple this gorgeous and very colorful world is some of the best creature/machine design there has ever been in a game. Favorites like the aforementioned Tallneck and Thunderjaw return, along with many, many more. I'm not sure what the final tally of highly-unique creatures is, but it's likely around the 20-30 range. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses, unique weak parts, and special tricks to taking them down. Unlike any game I've played before this series, it truly helps to scan and read up on your enemies to do maximum/awesome damage. If the story is my absolute favorite thing about Horizon, then you can be sure the creature design/variation is close behind it in second place.   

And the best part about all of this? There is just unbelievable game development on display here. Much like the first, Guerilla has thrown down the gauntlet, joining the ranks of Naughty Dog as PlayStation's premier developer. Horizon Forbidden West at full 60 FPS on PlayStation 5 is the single best looking videogame experience I've ever had, save for Forza Horizon 5 and it's really close. For an action game in this massive of a world with as many moving pieces as there are at any given time, that's incredible and borderline black magic. Not to be outdone, the sound design is impeccable, providing a plethora of iconic and awesome sci-fi sound effects coupled with one of gaming's best original scores. Make no mistake about it, Forbidden West is a system seller for the PlayStation 5.

If it wasn't obvious, I adore this series and this game. I truly wish I could give it a perfect score, but some minor annoyances prevent me from doing so. That said, sometimes it's not the movies that earn perfect 10/10 that stick with me the longest, it's the 8/10, 9/10s that have faults I learn to forgive. In the case of Forbidden West, it's near perfect and an iconic example of a developer at the top of their game where story, characters, design, graphics, sound, and gameplay all mesh together into something that will stands the test of time. 

CONS

• Few too many awkward moments during traversal that felt like they could have been ironed out
• Handful of missions that require way too much back and forth travelling
• Upgrading things near the end is slow and you're stacked with a lot of weapon/armor buffs you dont need
• Honestly? There were some 1-hit-kill moments from powerful creatures that just pissed me the f**k off and were unacceptable/cheap, particularly later in the game when my health bar was massive
• One VERY annoying character

PROS

• The story/plot continue to be mysterious, compelling, and exciting in a way that games can rarely achieve. One of my favorite sci-fi stories right now, across any medium
• Memorable case of characters that are [mostly] fun and engaging to interact with
• Aloy continues to be a strong protagonist and it's clear why Sony is positioning her so heavily in marketing
• Gameplay is some of the best in the third-person adventure market right now, specifically the bow-and-arrow elements
• Upgrading is easy to understand and a good balance of challenging without feeling like a chore
• The DualSense 5 for the win, yet again
• Vast and varied open world that ensures you'll never be bored
• Easy fast-travelling, thank God!
• Some of the best creature design in any game series, ever. The quantity, variation, and strategy across the board is staggering
• How are graphics this stunning and smooth?!?!
• Awesome special effects, equally awesome original score
• Consistently fun whether you're playing for 15 minutes or 2 hours. An entertaining thrill ride with lots to do and see

Rath's Review Score | 9.5/10

Enjoy many more screenshots from my playthrough below!