‘Horizon Forbidden West’ Review: A Cross-Gen Marvel

Reviewed on base model PlayStation 4

"Horizon Forbidden West" basically has everything set up against it, as it is following an already-excellent game in "Zero Dawn." But with how it managed to take what its predecessor had and expand on them in every way, I believe it is safe to say that Guerilla Games' new open-world title is in the conversation for the best gaming sequels of all time.

Last-Gen Hardware Don't Matter

If you're a bit scared that "Forbidden West" is not going to look amazing on last-gen hardware, well, put those fears to rest. Guerilla made sure that this game will not leave PS4 owners in the dust. As a result of their efforts, "Forbidden West" is a decidedly next-gen looking game on last-gen hardware: a feat I never even imagined possible. I don't recall any other game on PS4 that looks as beautiful as this - perhaps "Ghost Of Tsushima" might be, but "Forbidden West" is more or less in a league of its own.

Despite running on hardware that's already almost a decade old, "Horizon Forbidden West" ran well enough on the base PS4 at a steady frame rate and quality. There were a few quirks though as a result of the old hardware: assets will sometimes not load up quick enough, especially in a cutscene. There was an instance where ascene showed Aloy climbing up nothing, then the entire rock face rendered one second later.

All in all, the game's beauty is simply mesmerizing. Multiple times I just stopped to look at the incredible vistas and vast landscapes filled with intimidating, deadly machines-a stark contrast to the alluring beauty of this post-apocalyptic paradise.

Strong Narrative Start, But Poor Finish

"Horizon Forbidden West's" story can be described in one word: underwhelming. And in more ways than one, too.

I felt like that ending, specifically, was a bit out of the way and didn't make much sense. Most of the time, that's okay, but I do think that they might have gone overboard with the sci-fi explanations that give light to what really happened during the first game's story.

Nevertheless, there are still many pros. I am particularly fond of Aloy's character progression from "Zero Dawn"," for one. She is now more mature and in command of herself, with a confidence born of the abilities she acquired and experience she's earned during the course of the first game. People still keep underestimating her - to their own peril - as she keeps on proving them wrong. Now that's how you make a strong female character in games. They don't need to be superheroes; they just need willpower so strong it is enough to be a force of nature on its own.

As for the rest of the game's characters, they didn't really do much. Seeing old friends like Erend, Varl, Talanah, was good, don't get me wrong. But their presence didn't matter. They just didn't. That was a massive letdown, as I was expecting something like the Battle of Kaer Morhen from Witcher 3 - where the number of allies you bring along could dictate the outcome of your mission.

It's a good-enough sci-fi story, all things considered. It's just not as groundbreaking as I expected it to be.

Play However You Want-Period

To say that the gameplay in "Horizon Forbidden West" improved on "Zero Dawn" by leagues is a massive understatement. That's because Guerilla Games went pedal to the metal on this thing.

The biggest change for this game was the pre-customization. It goes far beyond just choosing the difficulty level, and allows you to completely change how the game works based on your preference. This makes the game extremely accessible to anyone who wants to play, and I commend the devs for that.

For the combat: a total of six skill trees are now present from the original four from "Zero Dawn." This allows players to really build Aloy up to their personal specifications. Do you want to be Artemis incarnate and be the greatest archer in the land? You can do that. Would you like to be sneaky and skilled at catching enemies unaware? You can do that too. Or maybe you'd like to be an unkillable, unstoppable melee specialist. You can do that as well.

For all the great things "Forbidden West" has done with the gameplay, though, it is not without its problems. The biggest problem it still has that's weirdly still not fixed? The mounted controls. GODAWFUL is the word I'd use to describe this. I never liked the mounted controls in "Zero Dawn" either, but the way this game handled it actually made me miss how I rode around during the first game. It is that bad.

A 'New' Land That Still Feels Awfully Familiar

As an open world game, "Forbidden West" is not immune to the problems that have plagued other open world games for years now. The basic side content from "Zero Dawn" returns: machine hunts, hunting grounds, bandit camps to clear, and cauldrons for overriding machines. But all of these are just generic open world tripe that can be ignored because aside from giving you XP and materials to craft weapons and armor, you don't really need them. The story-driven side quests are the only ones worth their salt.

'Horizon Forbidden West' Review Verdict

I wholeheartedly believe that "Horizon Forbidden West" deserves its place among the best video game sequels of all time. The only thing stopping it from getting a perfect score is the presence of generic open-world filler, and an underwhelming story with a weak finish.

SCORE: 8.5/10

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Written by RJ Pierce