Horizon Forbidden West guide : Everything you need to know

Story, setting and Characters

Story

Horizon Forbidden West continues the story of Aloy half a year later after the event of the Zero Dawn. One of my favorite female characters that goes from outcast to heroic Machine hunter looks to improve on all aspects as she travels through and to the forbidden West there is much to explore and many enemies new and old to face along the way. Aloy, has travelled west to investigate a mysterious and deadly blight. In these uncharted lands, she will meet strange new tribes and encounter ever more deadly machines. Together with old friends and new companions, she must brave this dangerous frontier to find the answers she needs to save life on Earth.”

For anyone who has not played Horizon Zero dawn I suggest you do so and prepare for a even more epic sequel as from the footage I see a universe more dynamic and deadly than ever. Guerrilla Games Studio seems to have given Aloy more freedom so players can have new and inventive ways to take on missions and enemies.  With a richer story we see tribes settlements and more which will certainly build on an already phenomenal franchise intro in HZD. There is much to discover as we take a look at what to expect below.

“The land is dying. Vicious storms and an unstoppable blight ravage the scattered remnants of humanity, while fearsome new machines prowl their borders. Life on Earth is hurtling towards another extinction, and no one knows why. It’s up to Aloy to uncover the secrets behind these threats and restore order and balance to the world. Along the way, she must reunite with old friends, forge alliances with warring new factions and unravel the legacy of the ancient past – all the while trying to stay one step ahead of a seemingly undefeatable new enemy. Uncover the secret behind Earth’s imminent collapse and unlock a hidden chapter in the ancient past… one that will change Aloy forever.”

Setting

Set in an open world of post-apocalyptic California, Utah and Nevada, the game will explore the setting of a mysterious location known as the Forbidden West. The game will feature a multitude of iconic locations including a ruined San Francisco and the Yosemite Valley with various biomes.

Characters

With tons of world building we will see more characters than ever,  from friends to foes in time we will update the list when more is revealed.

Returning
Aloy
Erend
Petra Forgewoman
Sylens
Talanah Khane Padish
Varl

New
Alva
Hekarro
Kotallo
Regalla
Tilda
Zo

Tribes

Oseram: they have tinkers builders revelers

carja:

utaru:

battle-worn Clan Lands of the Tenakth:

Release date, Platforms and free upgrades

Horizon Forbidden West releases on February 18, 2022 for PS5 and ps4 users and yes there will be Free upgrades from PS4 to PS5. There is a variety of versions players can choose from we list them at bottom of this guide. 

Gameplay

 

One thing I would like to point out is Guerrilla games studio have become true technical masters as the first Horizon game showcased that to the world and with all the investigation I have seen I believe that Horizon Forbidden West will be a masterpiece gameplay wise. Story yet to be revealed and that will be a debate that tends to be about preference but gameplay is one thing that is hard to argue when a studio masters their craft and sharpening a already razor sharp blade I believe this game will exceed  and succeed in offering gamers the best experience up to date. There are new weapon system will allow players to upgrade their weapons at a workbench, while outfits now give Aloy access to new outfit-specific skills. Hope you brought your swimming trunks there is underwater exploration is a new element that allows players to uncover the mysteries beneath the surface of seas, lakes and rivers. Players will Engage in strategic battles against enormous machines and mounted human enemies by using weapons, gear and traps crafted from salvaged parts. Best yet for someone like me who likes to explore games, we will explore wider and deeper into a bigger map compared to the previous game.

 

‘Another example is that more machines are now capable of swimming and have the ability to dive and chase Aloy underwater. Amphibious enemies can also use jumps to get in and out of the water, so if you are unlucky they will combine this with an attack.” Guerrilla dev Arjen Beij said.

 

 

“While that principle remains in the sequel, we completely redesigned the skill tree with additional tracks and skills; within the skill tree, skills also synergize with those that are either already present on outfits or need to be unlocked on them.”  Lead Combat Designer, Dennis Zopfi said.

Quoting the developers makes me happy because all the hours I put into Killzone and Horizon Zero Dawn were pure joy and thanks to them I got some technical masterpieces and expect the same for this new installment. One big thing to note is yes they are building on top of the first installment but as a person who put in over 1,000 hours into Horizon Zero Dawn I can confidently say Forbidden west has huge improvements and innovative mechanics and features that surpass the first game. All this from the interviews and information they release plus the videos showcase it best and That makes me excited for Feb 18th.  

Summary for Horizon Zero Dawn

 

 

If you made it this far you already have some aspects spoiled about the previous Horizon game but I will still keep this summary light on spoilers and hope to give you a feel for what to expect if you haven’t played the game. 

 

You play as Aloy throughout the game and you find out she is a outcast with mysterious reasons to why as she never was told, this is a key storyline aspect later on so keep the curious mind flowing. The world is filled with giant machines who will attack you so you have to learn to fight fast. Aloy happens to have a great teacher and as you might have seen in trailers is very much a true Warrior, hints to why I called her a Machine Hunter throughout this article. Unlike most she is curious and wants to know about the ancient ones history this takes her on a special journey that only playing can do justice to the story without spoiling it. If you read all this you must be interested in Forbidden west but I promise you if you play the original first you will enjoy it and be ready for what’s to come in the Forbidden west. 

 

 

Machines

There will be tons of new machines but also some from zero dawn will be coming back. We count 21 so far but will there be more?

Special Editions

Regalla Edition

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contents
HFW Regalla Edition.png
Horizon Forbidden West PS4/PS4 game(digital)
Regalla Tremortusk and Aloy statues
Replica Focus
Focus stand
Two art cards
Clawstrider Machine Strike piece
Sunwing Machine Strike piece
Steelbook display case
Mini art book
Digital soundtrack
Horizon Zero Dawn Vol. 1: The Sunhawk digital comic book
Photo mode unlocks (special pose and face paint)
Bonuses
Carja Behemoth Elite outfit
Carja Behemoth Short Bow
Nora Thunder Elite outfit
Nora Thunder Sling
Carja Behemoth Elite outfit
Carja Behemoth Short Bow
Nora Thunder Elite outfit
Nora Thunder Sling
Apex Clawstrider Machine Strike piece
Resources pack

Buy here

 

Collector’s Edition

Contents
HFW Collectors Edition
Horizon Forbidden West PS4/PS4 game(digital)

Tremortusk and Aloy statues
Steelbook display case
Mini art book
Digital soundtrack
Horizon Zero Dawn Vol. 1: The Sunhawk digital comic book
Photo mode unlocks (special pose and face paint)
Bonuses
Carja Behemoth Elite outfit
Carja Behemoth Short Bow
Nora Thunder Elite outfit
Nora Thunder Sling
Apex Clawstrider Machine Strike piece
Resources pack

Buy Here

 

Special Edition

HFW Special Edition
Contents
Horizon Forbidden West PS4/PS4 game(digital)
Tremortusk and Aloy statues
Steelbook display case
Mini art book
Digital soundtrack
Horizon Zero Dawn Vol. 1: The Sunhawk digital comic book
Photo mode unlocks (special pose and face paint)
Bonuses
Carja Behemoth Elite outfit
Carja Behemoth Short Bow
Nora Thunder Elite outfit
Nora Thunder Sling
Apex Clawstrider Machine Strike piece
Resources pack

Buy here