You're standing on a cliff in the Daunt, looking at a Bristleback, and honestly, you're probably about to waste three hours. Most people treat a Horizon Forbidden West walkthrough like a checklist. They think they need to clear every question mark before hitting the Embassy. Don't do that. You’ll burn out before you even see the title card.
The "Forbidden West" doesn't actually start until you're roughly five to eight hours in. Everything before that is a prologue dressed up as a sandbox. Guerilla Games designed the Daunt to teach you the basics, but the real meat of the game—the stuff that actually makes Aloy feel like a superhero—is locked behind the Base.
If you want to survive the Tenakth lands without pulling your hair out, you need to change how you look at the map. It's not about completion. It's about momentum.
The "Rush to the Base" Strategy
Seriously. Stop picking flowers for a second and listen.
The biggest mistake I see in any Horizon Forbidden West walkthrough is the obsession with side quests in Chainscrape. Yes, helping the miners is cool for world-building. But you know what’s better? Having a Shieldwing. You don't get the paraglider (Shieldwing) until you finish "The Embassy." Without it, every mountain is a chore. Every fall is a death sentence.
Once you get through the Embassy and reach No Man’s Land, your goal should be the mission "The Eye of the Earth." This is where you unlock the Base. Why does this matter? Because the Base is the hub that unlocks the three main regional arcs: AETHER, POSEIDON, and DEMETER.
Crucially, this is also when you start getting the "Special Gear." We’re talking about the Igniter for Firegleam, the Vine Cutter for those annoying metal flowers, and the Diving Mask. If you spend 20 hours exploring the start of the map without these, you’re just going to have to backtrack over every single inch of ground later. It’s a massive time sink.
Why the Diving Mask Changes Everything
In the original game, water was basically lava. You jumped in, you swam slowly, you jumped out. In the sequel, specifically during the "Sea of Sands" questline in Las Vegas, you get the Diving Mask.
It grants infinite oxygen.
This isn't just a gadget; it's a genre shift. Suddenly, those sunken ruins aren't puzzles you have to rush through while gasping for air. They become haunting, beautiful playgrounds. If you're following a strict Horizon Forbidden West walkthrough, prioritize the POSEIDON quest (Sea of Sands) first among the three sub-functions. It’s arguably the best level design in the entire game, and the reward is the most functional tool in your kit.
Combat is Not Zero Dawn 2.0
People complain that the combat feels "heavier" or "clunkier" than the first game. It’s not. It’s just deeper, and the game punishes you for playing it like a generic third-person shooter.
In Zero Dawn, you could basically spam triple-notched hardpoint arrows and win every fight. In Forbidden West, the machines have much higher elemental resistance. You have to use the Hunter Bow for tearing off components, sure, but you need to embrace the Shredder Gauntlets and Spike Throwers.
The Shredder Gauntlet is weird. You throw it, it hits, it comes back. You catch it. You throw it again. On the fourth catch, the next hit triggers an explosion. It feels like playing fetch with a bomb. It’s high-risk, but for tearing off a Tremortusk’s tusks? Nothing beats it.
Focus on the Weak Points, Literally
If you’re stuck on a boss, you’re probably not using the "Tag" feature in your Focus. Don't just scan the machine. Scroll through the components and tag the ones that give you "Key Upgrades."
Here is a hard truth: if you destroy a component instead of tearing it off, you might lose the loot you need for your next bow upgrade. This is the "Monster Hunter-ification" of Horizon. If you need a Slitherfang Earthgrinder, you must rip it off while the snake is still alive. If the snake dies and the part is still attached, it vanishes. Poof. Gone.
Skill Trees: Don't Be a Generalist
The skill trees in this game are massive. It’s tempting to put one point in everything.
Don't.
Pick a lane. For most players, the Survivor and Hunter trees are the essentials. The "Valor Surges" are the new ultimate abilities, and "Toughened" (in the Survivor tree) is basically a "don't die" button. It gives you health regeneration and damage resistance. When you're fighting two Shell-Snappers at once and the screen is a mess of ice and dirt, you’ll be glad you invested there.
On the other hand, the Infiltrator tree is great for the early game, but stealth becomes much harder once you hit the endgame machines like the Slaughterspine. Those things have sensors that see through bushes. You can't hide from a radioactive robot dinosaur forever. Eventually, you have to stand and fight.
Dealing with the Grind
The upgrade system is the most controversial part of the game. To get a Legendary weapon to Level 5, you might need to kill six Fireclaws. Not just kill them—kill them without blowing up their "Sac Webbing."
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This is where the game gets "expert level." To keep the Sac Webbing intact, you can't hit the Fireclaw in the chest. You have to kill a giant, flaming grizzly bear by only hitting its butt and legs. It’s tedious.
If this sounds miserable, here is a pro tip: go into the settings. Turn on Easy Loot.
There’s no shame in it. Easy Loot makes it so that when a machine dies, all its detachable parts are lootable from the carcass. It removes the "surgical" requirement of the combat. If you're here for the story and the exploration and you don't want to spend four hours farming a single robot, this setting is your best friend.
The Narrative Pivot points
Without spoiling the ending, there are certain missions that change the world state.
"The Wings of the Ten" is the big one. This mission gives you the Sunwing mount. You can fly.
Suddenly, the entire map opens up. Those Tallnecks you couldn't figure out how to climb? Just fly onto their heads. The mountains that took ten minutes to parkour up? Thirty seconds of flying.
Most people wait too long to finish the main story. They try to do every side mission before the final quest. I’d actually argue you should finish the main story sooner so you can spend your "cleanup" time flying around the map. The game feels completely different when you're airborne.
Making the Most of the Tribes
You'll meet the Utaru, the Tenakth, and the Quen. Each has a "capital" city.
- Plainsong (Utaru): Great for early-game armor.
- The Memorial Grove (Tenakth): This is where you get the heavy-hitting weapons.
- Legacy’s Landfall (Quen): Endgame gear and the start of the Burning Shores DLC content.
The Tenakth are split into three clans: Sky, Desert, and Lowland. Their side quests aren't just filler; they actually impact who shows up to help you in the final battle. While it’s not as "consequence-heavy" as something like Mass Effect, seeing a character you saved 40 hours ago show up with a cannon is pretty satisfying.
The Arena and Pit Challenges
If you want the best bows in the game (like the Death-Seeker's Shadow), you have to do the Arena. It's located right behind the Memorial Grove.
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It's hard. Like, "throw your controller" hard.
The challenges force you to use specific loadouts. It’s the game’s way of forcing you to learn those Shredder Gauntlets I mentioned earlier. If you’re struggling, remember that you can lower the difficulty just for the Arena and still get the medals. The rewards don't change based on difficulty. Grab the legendary Hunter Bow and the legendary Sharpshot Bow as soon as you can. They make the final third of the game significantly smoother.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Journey
If you're starting or currently mid-way through your trek across the West, here is your immediate to-do list:
First, stop doing every side quest in the Daunt. Finish "The Embassy" and get out of the starting area. The game doesn't truly open its systems to you until you reach the second major zone.
Second, prioritize the "Sea of Sands" main quest once the map opens up. The Diving Mask is a permanent unlock that removes the frustration of oxygen bars and allows you to explore the stunning underwater ruins of Las Vegas.
Third, go into your settings and decide how you feel about the grind. If you find yourself frustrated by accidentally destroying machine parts you need for upgrades, toggle "Easy Loot" on. It makes the progression feel much more like the first game.
Finally, don't ignore the Melee Pits. While the combat is mostly about bows, learning the "Resonator Blast" combo is vital for human enemies. You charge your spear, hit an enemy to leave a glowing energy mark, and then shoot that mark with an arrow for massive damage. It’s the only way to make melee feel viable against shielded opponents.
Forget the icons. Follow the path to the Base, get your tools, and then—and only then—start exploring the ruins of the old world. The West is a lot more fun when you actually have the gear to survive it.