PS5/PS4 "Horizon Forbidden West" is recommended for all! An in-depth review by a fan of the previous title, focusing on the points of evolution from the previous title!

Suddenly, have you ever had the experience of looking forward to a sequel to an anime, movie, or game, and when you finally touch it, you think, "Hey, the parts I liked or the atmosphere seems to have changed ......"?

I can assure you that you will never have to worry about that regarding the open-world action RPG " Horizon Forbidden West," which was released on February 18, 2022. Players who loved the previous title, "Horizon Zero Dawn," will 100% surely be satisfied with this sequel.

Why do we say "satisfied"? In this article, the author, who is a big fan of the previous title, explains how "Horizon Forbidden West" has evolved compared to its predecessor. I would also like to discuss whether those who have not played the previous work can also enjoy it.

As for spoilers, we have taken great care not only with regard to the mechanical beasts, but also with regard to the scenery. This is because "Horizon Forbidden West" has more impressive landscapes than its predecessor, and the best time to witness these amazing landscapes is when you first play the game. However, it is also true that as long as we are writing an article, we must convey its charm. For this reason, this article is one photo of the landscape. The mechanical beasts are shown in two identifiable photos.

What is "Horizon Forbidden West"?

Horizon Forbidden West" is a sequel to "Horizon Zero Dawn," a completely new IP title that has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and has become Sony Interactive Entertainment's signature title in both name and reality. Development continues to be handled by Guerrilla, based in the Netherlands.

The previous title was released on March 2, 2017. Its beautiful graphics, unique worldview, and bow-based action. Above all, the awe-inspiring depiction of mechanical beasts was fascinating.

In the previous work, the secret of the birth of the main character, Arloi, the truth of the world's collapse, and Arloi's mission are intertwined in a story that unfolds. The story was highly acclaimed for its perfection as a pure science fiction work.

In the sequel, "Horizon Forbidden West," Arloi ventures into the "Forbidden West," an uncharted region, to save the world from a new threat. What are Arloi's adventures, and what is the fate of the world?

So, now that we have briefly introduced "Horizon Forbidden West," let's talk about how this title has evolved compared to its predecessor.

A wider variety of mechanical beasts and more diverse combat

The iconic characters of this work are, without a doubt, the mechanical beasts. The sight of them strolling across the land, which has returned to its primitive state after civilization has died out, is impressive.

However, as wonderful as they are, there were many times when playing the previous title that I wished there were a greater variety of these beasts.

In this sequel, the number of types of mechanical beasts has been greatly increased. There are also many "subspecies" with different attributes, so you will never feel stuck in a rut with mechanical beasts.

Of course, the action of peeling off the armor and aiming and shooting at vital points from the previous title is maintained, but a variety of equipment has been added to make combat even more fun, including pull casters that can instantly move to grapple points and increase the mobility of the Arloi, and shield wings, glider-like equipment that can surprise attackers from the air. The new equipment makes combat even more enjoyable.

The variety of weapons has also increased, including the bolt blaster, which has excellent rapid-fire capabilities, and the spike thrower, which throws spikes, and the skills to match. In the previous title, players quickly acquired all the skills they needed, but in this title, the skill tree is more than ample.

Melee combat has evolved significantly from the previous work.

Although there was melee combat using spears in the previous title, the action was quite simple compared to the deep combat using bows and arrows, which was one of the few complaints in the previous title.

In this sequel, melee combat has evolved significantly. Not only the spear combos, but also the melee combat using the spear and bow is uniquely interesting and cannot be found in any other game.

Fans of the previous game will be delighted! You'll see many characters from the previous game in the early stages!

In "Horizon Zero Dawn," the main character, Arloi, of course, has all the characters you will come to love as you play.

Elend, who has taken over the captaincy of the king's elite force, the Vanguard, from his dead sister, but has become desperate after losing her. Var, a volunteer soldier of the Nora tribe who understands and cares for Arloi. King Avard, who is intelligent and dignified, but also a bit effeminate.

These characters are sure to be favorites of those who have played the previous title, and they are all back again in "Horizon Forbidden West". The characters from the side quests in the previous game also continue to appear in "Horizon Forbidden West".

Of course, if you haven't played the previous game, you won't be left behind in the story. The game is also equipped with a character catalog to ensure that players who start the game from this title will not be left out.

Enhanced story presentation from the previous title

One of the issues in the previous title was the story presentation, such as conversations between characters. In the previous game, the story was rather simple, with only a close-up of the character's face switching between each conversation (this has been improved in the DLC).

In this work, the characters move significantly with each conversation, and the camera cuts to different positions, greatly enhancing the presentation. Because of the emphasis on story in this title, the conversation scenes, which tend to be long, do not bore the player.

The dialogue in this game is fully voiced, but players can skip the voices after reading the subtitles and seamlessly move on to the next line of dialogue. These minor comforts are also attractive.

I can't go into details about the storyline because it would be a spoiler, but it continues the high quality science fiction storyline from the previous work.

In addition, the relationship between the various tribes, which was a bit underexplained in the previous work, is more clearly described. The relationships between the various tribes, which have a simple yet complex hierarchical structure, such as the feud between the Kaja and the Oceram, the diplomatic negotiations between the East and the West, and the conflict between the tribes of the West, make the world of this work more vivid and realistic.

The search for relics of the past and the arena where players battle powerful enemies.

There are also numerous activities. In particular, collapsed buildings scattered around the map can be explored to obtain items and other items.

The exploration has a strong mystery-solving element, and I enjoyed a wide range of play that goes beyond just fighting mechanical beasts. For those who want to fight, I recommend the arena. Fight to the death against a variety of powerful enemies!

Haptic feedback and adaptive triggers that work effectively

PS5 also has great haptic feedback and adaptive triggers that allow you to enjoy the feel through the controls. Other games may turn these features off, but this title has elaborate vibrations that amplify the realism of the game, such as the vibration of a mechanical beast walking on the ground or the weight of a bow being pulled.

Haptic feedback also enhances the realism of movie scenes.

Haptic feedback and adaptive triggers are used to great effect by "ASTRO's PLAYROOM," which is installed on PS5 from the start, and I have not had the opportunity to experience "ASTRO's PLAYROOM" level experience in other game titles, but "Horizon Forbidden West" was as effective as the "ASTRO's PLAYROOM" experience, although I have not had the opportunity to experience an "ASTRO's PLAYROOM" level experience with other game titles.

I can recommend "Horizon Forbidden West" to everyone, an early PS5 masterpiece.

So far, I have discussed the appeal of "Horizon Forbidden West" mainly by comparing it with its predecessor. Again, players who liked the previous title "Horizon Zero Dawn" will be 100% satisfied with this masterpiece.

As for those who have not played the previous title, I, as a fan of the previous title, would urge them to enjoy the previous title before playing this one, but the character profiles and other important information in the previous title are very good, so you won't be able to understand the story unless you have played the previous title. However, since there is a character guide and good supplementary information on the previous work, it is not likely to be the case.

In addition, the framework of the story is mainly based on the tribes in the west that did not appear in the previous work, so as the game progresses, a world that is different from the world of the previous work and unique to this work will be depicted.

However, the previous game is also a masterpiece with a high level of completion, and if you play only the main story and major side quests, you can complete the game in about 50 hours, so we encourage you to continue playing from the previous game.

Horizon Forbidden West" is a masterpiece that I can recommend to everyone and will be a benchmark title in the early days of PS5. I can confidently recommend it to anyone who is interested.

• Horizon Forbidden West
• Compatibility: PS5/PS4
• Genre: Open world action RPG
• Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Developed by Guerrilla. Horizon Forbidden West is a registered trademark or trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. Horizon Forbidden West is a registered trademark or trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC.