“Horizon Zero Dawn” has been showered with awards from the critics and is considered one of the best games of recent years. The initially absurd mixture of Stone Age technology and high-tech robots in a mystical world has conquered the hearts of many fans – not only because the game mechanics are perfect and the main actress Aloy comes across likeable. But also because the game developer “Guerrilla Games” dared to tell his grandiose story of the downfall and resurgence of the world with courage.
Now the sequel is coming with “Forbidden West”. BILD has already been able to explore the forbidden west.
Everything is the same – and yet completely different
The game doesn’t bother with explanations and throws the player right back into the wonderful world of “Horizon”. New players quickly get to know the diverse mechanics of the game: every opponent has his own weaknesses and weaknesses, every weapon has its advantages and disadvantages. And for every style of play – from the crude melee fighter to the clever grinder – “Horizon” again offers all kinds of possibilities and challenges in the second part.
Much is new in the forbidden West. Above all, the fact that not only the main character can ride robots should surprise at firstPhoto: Sony Interactive Entertainment
UNLIMITED GAMING EXPERIENCE
Free online games
The world to be explored is huge, yet diverse and designed with a love of detail. No two locations are alike – however, experienced players will recognize where they are based on vegetation, animals and robots. The settlements are now bubbling with life, there are small side quests everywhere that have nothing to do with the main story, but still make the world appear atmospheric and deep.
In addition, Guerrilla has gently tuned and expanded the game mechanics. Heroine Aloy now has a grappling hook right from the first mission, which she can use to climb and pull objects. That sounds like only a small change – but it actually opens up new worlds in a playful way.
The fauna and the robot population of the west is also different than in Aloy’s homeland. Some of the mighty machines have only been changed slightly, others are not yet known from the first part. So there is also a lot to discover in part two.
The fight against robots remains one of the most important parts of the game and a tactically challenging task, especially with the big opponentsPhoto: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Horizon Forbidden West has a catch
So “Horizon Forbidden West” is no less impressive than the first part. A wonderful journey through a magical world, peppered with dangerous enemies, exciting puzzles and interesting personalities that you can discover in the course of the massive game (the installation is almost 100 gigabytes in size). If you hurry, you can supposedly rush through the story in just under 25 hours. But who would want that? Exploring the world completely gives you easily 100 hours of playtime.
The only catch of the second part is and remains the first part. He lived from his mystical, always surprising story, which in the course of the game developed from absurd suspicion to amazingly plausible reality. “Forbidden West” doesn’t have this ingenious plot development to offer. All the important facts are known, the story of the first part was actually hermetically sealed.
The many settlements that can be discovered in the forbidden west are now much more alive than in the predecessorPhoto: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Real fans of the first part shouldn’t mind though. Yes, the story isn’t that great anymore – but the mere fact that you can recreate robots with Aloy easily makes up for the small flaw in the seemingly fake story about a deadly plague.
Just a warning: “Forbidden West” is actually a second part. If you haven’t played the first one, you should actually start with it. The joy in the second part is all the greater.
► “Horizon Forbidden West” has been released for Playstation 5 and 4, costs around 80 euros and is suitable for ages 12 and up. The grandiose predecessor (including the BILD game of the year) is available from as little as 20 euros.