Horizon: Forbidden Westis doing well universally across the board in reviews. That is not hard to imagine as the first game was also a darling in the press in 2017. The biggest question is does this game make huge strides as a sequel or does it feel more like a half step?
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As good asHorizon: Forbidden Westis it can sort of feel like an in-between sequel. Almost every aspect has been improved from the original but it’s also nothing drastically different. Those expecting a true evolution won’t find it here. There are some other things to nitpick as well but overall open-world action RPG fans should be pleased with the game.
8Best: Flexible Combat
Horizon: Forbidden Westoffers players many unique ways to tackle combat. They can sneak past enemies, dealing deadly stealth kills. They can go all out, using all types of ammowith every bowthey have at their disposal. They can also become the ultimate melee warrior.
Technically not much has changed between the first game and this sequel. However, deep down, everything has been refined to make this a solids action RPG with play styles to fit all types of gamers.The skill treehelps out a lot too.
7Worst: Save Issues
Most players expect a lot of freedoms in their modern open-world games. For example, being ableto save anywhereis very convenient. However, manual saves can only be done at campsites, or fires within villages. The game also limits players to only five manual saves max.
Thankfully the autosave functions in the game are more than efficient. However, as good asHorizon: Forbidden Westis, there are still glitches. Glitches that may force players to reload old saves. That’s why saving manually is so important.
6Best: The Quest System
The side quests in the first game were fine, butthe side questsare one of the most noticeable improvements in this sequel. Every single one from NPC requests to simply take down rebel camps will lead to something interesting in the world.
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Doing side quests is the best way to level up fast so there is that incentive as well. The only downside to taking on these quests is time.Horizon: Forbidden Westis absolutely massive and there is only so much time in the day. That’s a good problem to have for gamers though.
5Worst: Aloy
Aloy can be a bit hard to get along with as the main character. Most of her personality wavers from angry to annoyed. She gets better as the game goes along. A big part of the story is her having to accept she can’t do everything on her own. By the end, she does open up more.
Still, that’s about a full game and half, counting the first title, of her being distant. It’s a weird juxtaposition to see Aloy next to a lot of the more colorful cast including Alva and Erend.
4Best: Graphics
The game is atrue marvel to behold. Even the sticks look good. What’s better yet is being able to capture these moments of beauty with Photo Mode. In a game that should take players near 100 hours to master, that time may increase with all the pausing they may take for photos.
From characters to the landscapes,Horizon: Forbidden Westis a showpiece for the PS5. To look as good as it does and run with barely any load times is amazing. The game even looks and runs well enough on PS4.
3Worst: Traversal Problems
It can be a bit hard to know where to go sometimes while climbing. Hitting the Focus should highlight paths of yellow but it isn’t always clear. Why one seemingly impassible mountain can be climbed while others can’t is a true mystery.
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Moreover, one of the worst things that have carried over from the original is the fast travel bags. Players can warp around freely at fires but they need these bags every other time. The items are cheap to buy at least but they shouldn’t be a thing, to begin with. Players can at least be happy withthe Shieldwing gliderand mounts to help with less confusing traversal early on.
2Best: Monster Designs
The graphics and world design can be praised all day. However, what deserves a separate line of applause arethe robotic beasts. There are some carryovers from the original like the T-Rex-inspired Thunderjaws. However, their behavior has been altered a bit to make them more terrifying.
Better yet the new creatures are a sight to see. One of the first giant, boss-like encounters Aloy will face is robotic cobras called Slitherfangs. If players don’t like snakes in real life then they should get ready to be petrified.
1Worst: Slaying Animals For Pouches
Horizon: Forbidden Westtakes place in a dark world on the literal brink of extinction. However, is it possible to get an open-world game without the death of animals for pouches? Why can’t Aloy make pouches for her arrows out of the many robot beasts that litter the land instead?
Hearing the death rattle of a raccoon or pelican for the hundredth time can start to feel taxing on the player. Some may start to feel bad for the robots as well, especially ones they befriend.
Horizon: Forbidden Westwas released on May 16, 2025, and is available onPS4andPS5.
