You’re trekking through the Tenakth Clan Lands, minding your own business, when you hear it. Screaming. Desperation. It’s coming from a massive, sun-drenched canyon that’s rapidly turning into a watery grave. That’s the start of The Deluge Forbidden West, a side quest that basically forces you to play parkour while the world literally washes away beneath your feet.
Honestly? It's intense.
Most side quests in Horizon Forbidden West follow a predictable pattern: talk to an NPC, track some footprints, kill a machine. The Deluge isn't like that. It feels urgent because it is. You’re not just looking for a lost heirloom here; you're trying to save a village of Bleeding Mark residents who are currently drowning because of a massive mudslide and flood. If you’ve ever felt like Aloy is a bit too overpowered, this mission humbles you real quick by making the environment itself your biggest enemy.
What Actually Happens in The Deluge Forbidden West
The quest triggers when you reach the northern part of the map, specifically near the settlement of Bleeding Mark. You’ll find a survivor named Natikka who is essentially having a breakdown because half her people are trapped in various parts of a flooded canyon. The scale of the disaster is honestly impressive for a game world. It’s not just a few puddles. Huge wooden structures are splintered, the water is a muddy, churning mess, and the sound design makes you feel the weight of the debris.
You've got three main groups to rescue.
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First, there are the survivors trapped in the mine. This part of The Deluge Forbidden West is all about using your Pullcaster and your brain. You can’t just swim in and grab them. The entrance is blocked by heavy debris that requires a specific sequence of physics-based puzzles to clear. You’ll be jumping between half-submerged cranes and trying to find a way to vent the water. It’s a great example of Guerrilla Games using the environment to tell a story without a single line of dialogue. You see the discarded tools and the way the mud has settled, and you realize just how fast this disaster hit these people.
Then you have the people trapped on the high cliffs. This is where your platforming skills get tested. You’ll need to navigate slippery rock faces and crumbling Tenakth architecture. One wrong jump doesn't just mean a restart; it feels like you're failing the people watching you from the ledges.
The Logistics of the Rescue
Let's talk about the Snapmaws. Because of course there are Snapmaws.
Nothing makes a rescue mission harder than giant mechanical crocodiles circling the people you're trying to save. In The Deluge Forbidden West, the combat feels different because the terrain is so restricted. You’re often fighting from small platforms or half-submerged rooftops. You can't just dodge-roll infinitely because you’ll fall into the water, and while Aloy is a great swimmer, she’s a sitting duck for a Snapmaw in the deep stuff.
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Pro tip: use your Ropecaster. I know, a lot of people ignore the Ropecaster in favor of high-damage bows, but here it’s a lifesaver. Pinning a Snapmaw down while you reposition on a narrow beam is basically the only way to stay sane. Also, check your surroundings for environmental traps. The developers hid a few "accidental" ways to deal damage to the machines using the debris from the flood.
The final part of the quest involves a massive metal tower. It’s leaning at an angle that makes my stomach turn just looking at it. This is the "boss fight" of the quest, but the boss is gravity. You have to climb this rickety, groaning structure to reach the last group of survivors, including the leader of the settlement. The metal groans. Pieces fall off. It’s a scripted sequence, sure, but it’s done with so much weight that it feels incredibly dangerous.
Why This Quest Sticks With You
A lot of games struggle with "urgency." They tell you the world is ending, but then let you go pick flowers for ten hours. The Deluge Forbidden West manages to maintain its tension because the environment is permanently altered while you’re there. You can see the water levels. You see the survivors shivering on the rocks.
It also adds some much-needed depth to the Tenakth. Often, they are portrayed as these indestructible, war-hungry warriors. In this quest, they are vulnerable. They are scared. Seeing a fierce Tenakth warrior reduced to clinging to a wooden beam for dear life makes them feel human in a way the main quest doesn't always manage. It’s about the community, not just the combat.
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Natikka’s story is also surprisingly moving. She isn't a warrior queen; she’s a person who lost her home and is trying to keep it together. Her dialogue isn't some grand epic speech. It’s frantic and real. When you finally get everyone out, there’s no massive parade. There’s just a group of exhausted, muddy people trying to figure out what happens next. That kind of grounded storytelling is why Forbidden West is such a step up from the first game.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
If you're stuck on the mine section—which most people are—stop trying to swim through the main grate. You can’t. Look up and to the left. There’s a crane that looks like it’s just background art, but you can actually move it with the Pullcaster.
Another thing: don't rush the climbing sections on the tower. The game uses "yellow paint" to guide you, but the flood debris can make the pathing look a bit wonky. If a jump looks impossible, it probably is. Look for a beam you can pull down or a crate you can move. The physics engine in this game is surprisingly robust, and The Deluge Forbidden West utilizes every bit of it.
- Check your Focus frequently. In the muddy water, it’s easy to miss a handhold or a grapple point.
- Prioritize the Snapmaws. Don't try to ignore them. They will knock you off your platforms.
- Watch the debris. Some platforms are "temporary" and will collapse if you stand on them too long.
- Listen to the NPCs. They often yell hints about where the next path is when you’re stuck.
Actionable Steps for Completing the Quest
- Gear Up for Frost and Acid: The Snapmaws in this area are vulnerable to these elements. Having a decent Hunter Bow with Frost arrows will make the combat sections significantly shorter, which is what you want when you're standing on a tiny piece of wood.
- Scan the Crane: In the flooded mine area, use your Focus to find the structural weak points on the crane. You’ll need to pull a heavy counterweight to clear the path.
- The Tower Climb: When you reach the leaning tower, stay on the outside as much as possible. The internal stairs are mostly gone. Look for the colorful Tenakth banners; they usually mark the intended path.
- Talk to Natikka at the End: Don't just fast-travel away once the quest log updates. The conversation at the end provides the emotional payoff and actually gives some decent XP and a reward that helps with mid-game crafting.
- Scavenge the Area: Once the water "settles" (mechanically speaking), check the rooftops. There are several Supply Scraps that contain rare machine parts you'd normally have to hunt high-level machines for. It’s a nice "thank you" from the devs for saving the village.
By the time you finish this quest, your hands might be a little sweaty. That's fine. It’s easily one of the most memorable moments in the game because it trades the epic "save the world" stakes for something much more intimate and terrifying. It reminds you that in the world of Horizon, the machines aren't the only thing that can kill you—the planet itself is still pretty ticked off.
Grab your Pullcaster, keep an eye on the water level, and try not to get eaten. You've got this.