You’re standing on the edge of a rusted skyscraper in a flooded San Francisco, looking at a mechanical mammoth that wants to crush your ribs. It’s breathtaking. But then you realize you’ve been climbing the same yellow-painted rocks for forty minutes and your inventory is full of rocks you don't need. This is the duality of the experience. When people ask is Horizon Forbidden West good, they usually want a simple yes or no, but the answer is buried under layers of dense RPG mechanics and some of the most beautiful art ever put into a video game.
It's a massive game. Huge.
Honestly, Guerilla Games took the "bigger is better" mantra and ran with it until they hit the Pacific Ocean. If you loved Zero Dawn, you’re probably going to find this a masterpiece. If you found the first game a bit repetitive, well, the sequel might feel like a beautiful chore. It really depends on what you value in a digital world.
The Visual Gap and Why It Matters
Let’s be real: this is arguably the best-looking game on the PlayStation 5. Even years after its release, few titles touch the fidelity here. The way the moss grows on the ruins of Las Vegas or how the light filters through a Snapmaw’s translucent canisters is just absurd. It isn't just about "graphics" in a technical sense. It’s the art direction. The Forbidden West feels lived in. You can see the history of the "Old Ones" crumbling beneath the weight of a vibrant, aggressive nature.
But visuals don't make a game "good" on their own. They just make it easier to swallow the grind.
Aloy herself has never looked more human. The facial animations during side quests—not just the main story—are leagues ahead of the original. You can see her wince, her frustration, and her genuine exhaustion. It matters because the story is heavy. She’s trying to save a dying biosphere while juggling the politics of tribal leaders who think she’s either a god or a nuisance.
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Is Horizon Forbidden West Good for Combat Junkies?
This is where the game actually shines. The combat is tactical. If you try to play this like a standard hack-and-slash, you will die. Often.
The machines are smarter this time. They have armor plates you need to tear off, elemental weaknesses you have to exploit, and a sense of scale that makes every encounter feel like a mini-boss fight. Using the Focus to scan a Tremortusk and seeing the highlight of its thermal core is incredibly satisfying. It's basically a puzzle game where the puzzle is trying to kill you with lasers.
New Toys in the Sandbox
They added a bunch of traversal tools like the Pullcaster (a grappling hook) and the Shieldwing (a glider). They change the flow of combat and exploration significantly.
- You can now engage from the air, raining down frost arrows before gliding to a safe outcrop.
- The Valor Surges—essentially "ultimates"—give you a reason to play aggressively.
- Weapon variety has exploded. You’ve got Shredder Gauntlets that act like deadly boomerangs and Spike Throwers that feel like throwing Olympic javelins filled with TNT.
The downside? The inventory management is a nightmare. You’ll spend a significant chunk of your life looking at menus, upgrading pouches, and wondering why you need fifteen different types of bird feathers to carry more arrows. It's a "more is more" approach that occasionally feels like it’s disrespecting your time.
The Narrative Weight and the "Slog" Factor
Story-wise, it’s a direct sequel. If you haven't played the first one, you’ll be lost within ten minutes. The stakes are higher, the sci-fi elements get way weirder (think immortal space-faring billionaires), and the cast of supporting characters is much stronger. Characters like Kotallo and Alva bring a lot of heart to a story that could otherwise feel a bit cold and clinical.
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However, the pacing can be... weird.
The game has a habit of "talking" at you. Aloy has a tendency to narrate every single puzzle solution before you’ve even had a chance to look at the room. "Maybe I should use my Focus," she’ll say, roughly 0.4 seconds after you enter a cave. It’s annoying. It robs the player of that "aha!" moment. It's a strange design choice for a game that encourages exploration.
Comparing It to the Competition
When we talk about whether is Horizon Forbidden West good, we have to look at the 2022 release window. It came out right next to Elden Ring. That hurt its reputation for a while because Elden Ring was all about mystery and lack of hand-holding, while Horizon is the king of hand-holding.
But here is the thing: Horizon is a much more polished, cinematic experience. It’s a "prestige" game. It feels like playing a $200 million blockbuster movie. The world-building is dense, the lore is fascinating if you take the time to read the data points, and the ending sets up a third game in a way that is genuinely exciting.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Map
People see the icons on the map and freak out. They think they have to do everything. You don't.
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The "goodness" of this game scales with how much you're willing to ignore the fluff. The Melee Pits? Kind of clunky. The racing trials? Take 'em or leave 'em. But the Cauldrons? Those are essential. They are subterranean, sci-fi dungeons that look like something out of The Matrix and culminate in massive boss fights. If you only do the main quest and the Cauldrons, the game is a tight, 30-hour thrill ride. If you try to 100% it, you might start hating it by hour eighty.
Actionable Steps for New Players
If you're on the fence or just starting out, here is how to actually enjoy your time in the Forbidden West:
- Turn off the HUD elements. The world is too pretty to be covered in waypoints and compass markers. Set it to "Dynamic" so the UI only pops up when you need it.
- Prioritize the "Seeds of the Past" and "The Sea of Sands" quests. These unlock the best environments and some game-changing gear.
- Don't ignore the Shredder Gauntlets. They have a learning curve because you have to catch the disc three times to trigger an explosion, but once you master it, they are the most resource-efficient weapons in the game.
- Experiment with Difficulty. The "Custom" difficulty settings are amazing. You can make the enemies hit hard but keep the "Easy Loot" option on so you don't have to meticulously shoot off every single component to get the upgrade parts you need. It saves hours of grinding.
Ultimately, Horizon Forbidden West is an incredible achievement that suffers slightly from its own ambition. It is a dense, beautiful, and sometimes exhausting game that rewards patience and tactical thinking. It isn't just "good"—it's a benchmark for what modern hardware can do when pushed to the limit, provided you don't mind a bit of map clutter along the way.
To get the most out of your playthrough, focus on the Tallnecks first to clear the fog. This reveals the topography and makes navigating the verticality of the West much less frustrating. Once the map is open, stick to the side quests marked with green icons—these are the "errands" that actually have meaningful narrative payoffs rather than just fetch-quest filler.