You’ve probably spent eighty hours already. You’ve climbed the Tallnecks, override-taming everything in sight, and watched the credits roll on Aloy’s second big adventure. But then that "New Game Plus" option sits there on the main menu, staring you down. Most people think Horizon Forbidden West New Game Plus is just a victory lap where you get to bully low-level Scrappers with a legendary Bow. It’s not. Well, it is, but there's a lot more nuance to why you’d actually bother sinking another forty hours into the Forbidden West.
Honestly, the real reason to jump back in isn’t just nostalgia. It’s the gear. Guerrilla Games didn’t just give us a "harder mode" and call it a day. They locked some of the most broken, powerful weapons in the game behind this second playthrough. If you’re a completionist, you basically have no choice. You need those Champion’s Tokens.
What Actually Changes in Horizon Forbidden West New Game Plus?
Let’s be real: the base game can be a bit of a slog if you’re trying to 100% it on your first go. The map is massive. There are too many icons. In Horizon Forbidden West New Game Plus, the pacing feels tighter because you already have the tools. You keep your gear. Your levels stay. All those Sunwings and diving masks? They stay in your inventory, though some quest-specific overrides might be temporarily gated by story beats.
The biggest draw is the difficulty spike. If you aren't playing on Ultra Hard, are you even playing? This isn't just "enemies have more health." The AI gets aggressive. They don't wait their turn to hit you. A single elemental explosion can end your run. It forces you to actually use the mechanics you probably ignored the first time around, like smoke bombs or specific trap placements.
Wait, I should mention the "Champion's Tokens." This is the new currency. You get them for completing literally anything—main quests, side activities, even those annoying errands. You spend these at specialized vendors to get the goods. We’re talking about eight new weapons that make the legendary gear from the Arena look like toys.
The Gear Everyone Is Chasing
You’re looking for the Tears of the Land-God. It’s a Hunter Bow that basically turns Aloy into a machine-shredding goddess. Then there’s the Rain of Sparks, a Short Bow that's basically a shotgun for elemental buildup. If you’re into the heavy-hitting stuff, the Iriv’s Downfall Sharpshot Bow is the absolute peak of damage in the game. You cannot get these in a standard New Game run. You have to earn them through the NG+ grind.
But it’s not just about the numbers on the screen. There are new face paints. New dyes. It sounds cosmetic, but when you’ve spent 100 hours looking at the same Tenakth armor, a fresh coat of paint actually matters.
Is Ultra Hard Actually Fun or Just Annoying?
This is where the community splits. Some people love the sweat. Others just want to feel powerful. On Ultra Hard, you can't see enemy health bars. That’s the real kicker. You’re fighting a Slaughterspine in the dark, and you have no idea if it’s at 10% health or 90%. It changes the psychological flow of the fight. You become more observant. You look for the visual sparks, the limping animations, the armor plating falling off.
The economy is also harsher. Everything costs more. If you didn't hoard resources in your first playthrough, you’re going to be farming for hours just to buy basic wire. Pro tip: do not start NG+ on Ultra Hard unless you have at least 5,000 shards and a massive stockpile of Volatile Sludge. You will regret it otherwise.
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Why the Story Hits Different the Second Time
Aloy is... a lot. In the beginning of Forbidden West, she’s prickly. She’s pushing everyone away. Knowing where the story goes with Beta and the Zeniths makes those early conversations with Varl and Erend feel much heavier. You see the cracks in her armor sooner.
Also, you can skip the prologue. Thank God. No one wants to do that tutorial area again. You can jump straight into the Embassy and get to the actual "West" part of the game.
How to Prepare for the Jump
Don't just hit the button. If you haven't finished the Burning Shores DLC (assuming you're on PS5 or PC), do that first. The gear from the DLC, like the Gravesinger’s Lament, is arguably better than some NG+ rewards. You want the best possible loadout before the difficulty jump.
- Upgrade your pouches. It’s boring, but hunting squirrels and owls for pouch upgrades is way harder when a Thunderjaw is trying to step on you in the background.
- Farm the Arena. Get the legendary armors like the Nora Thunder Warrior. You’ll need the damage reduction.
- Stockpile Cores. Large Machine Cores are the bottleneck for almost every high-end upgrade. Get them now while you can still see health bars.
The Misconception About "True" Completion
A lot of players think they’ve "beaten" the game when they hit 100% on the map. But the game’s trophy list for the New Game Plus update is separate. To truly max out the game, you need to buy every single NG+ weapon and finish the story on Ultra Hard. It’s a badge of honor in the Horizon community.
Is it a grind? Yes. But it’s a focused grind. You aren't wandering aimlessly anymore; you’re an apex predator hunting specific parts to craft the ultimate version of Aloy. The transition from being a scrappy survivor to a literal machine-god is what makes Horizon Forbidden West New Game Plus worth the time.
The combat system in this game is incredibly deep, yet most people just spam regular arrows in their first run. NG+ forces you to learn the "dance." You’ll start using the Ropecaster to ground Flyers, then swapping to a Boltblaster with sustained fire, then finishing with a Resonator Blast. It’s rhythmic. It’s satisfying in a way that the first playthrough rarely captures because you were too busy trying to figure out where to go.
Actionable Next Steps for the Forbidden West
If you’re ready to dive back in, start by checking your "Special Gear" tab. Ensure you have the Shieldwing, the Diving Mask, and the Igniter—these won't be taken away, but their utility in early-game shortcuts is massive.
- Visit the Base one last time in your current save to craft any remaining high-tier ammunition.
- Lower the difficulty to Story mode for thirty minutes and just farm the Arena for medals if you haven't maxed out your base-game legendary weapons yet. It's not cheating; it's efficiency.
- Manual Save. Seriously. Do not rely on the auto-save when transitioning to NG+.
- Identify your "Main" Bow. Pick one weapon you will commit to upgrading first with your Champion’s Tokens. The "Tears of the Land-God" is usually the smartest first pick for general utility.
Once you’ve done that, head to the Zenith base or the main hub, interact with the New Game Plus point, and prepare for a much more aggressive version of the machines you think you know. The Forbidden West is a different beast when it’s fighting back with everything it has.