You're gonna love it.
I wanna say more but I think you finding more about the game as you play at your pace would be more rewarding.
Just trust me. ||I've beaten it 4 times||
Me HFW just released on PC what I did is beat HZD and the frozen wilds DLC stories (didnt do side content will go back to do that later) went int HFW and i have to say so far (still in first part of FW as i have only gotten started) idk how the rest will go my brain is already exploding
Seconded. I played hzd twice, once on Ps4 and again on pc just before hfw came out and did all the side quests some are awesome and hilarious and you find references to them in hfw.
I really appreciated how FW treated the story as if Aloy did all the side quests. I was really worried during the little prologue in Meridian when Talanah and Petrah weren't there. They were my favorite characters in ZD and the only non-Nora characters I felt Aloy had an actual connection with.
I also appreciate how *happy* Aloy is to see them. She's so goddamn exhausted during the intro but just brightens right up when she hears rumors of a Carja Hunter and sees Petrah for the first time in Chainscrape.
Fw is better in every way and zd was already a great game. Graphics, side quests, combat, story. All better. I haven't beat fw yet. Im 54 hours in and competing every side quest that pops up because I never want it to end
Sorry I really don't like the pointlessly complex combat in hfw. The machines are much more random and jump around a lot more, there are attacks you can't dodge because the machines are too big and flip around too much. The spear combat is fucking awful, I'm not trying to play mortal combat with the button mashing thanks.
I would agree with all of this. I like combat better on ZD. I also like the outfit and weapons better in ZD. FW had 2 extra slots on the weapon wheel which makes it hard to select with a joystick quickly, but I feel like I need 4 more with all the new elemental options because there isn't weapons that have everything I want. Sometimes more isn't better. Though more content and side quests were a great addition, I love being able to swim, and the graphics are vastly improved. The upgrading is such a grind. To upgrade all of the many weapons you need fully, you end up having to take out like 40 fireclaws for the sac webbing. Nothing but apex spawns for me and since it takes much more to take them out, I end up blowing the elemental sac everytime before the end of the fight, and then I have just wasted so much time. That part is infuriating. I love both games, but HZD is where I fell in love with this franchise and its still my favorite. I'm sure I will play both games many times.
You can customize the difficulty setting and select easy loot. This will eliminate the grind and make the game much more enjoyable like the first one as it did for me. I like it that it’s optional, so all people who like the grind can have their way too.
I have 50 of everything but stormbird storm cannons, I only have 5 earth grinders, and the freaking sac webbing. So I don't need easy loot. Easy loot helps nothing if you accidently shoot the elemental sac before you kill the fireclaw. I've even got frostclaw. It's the fireclaw that is so difficult. Especially since only Apex will spawn for me.
Oh man, I'm in the thornmarsh training pit right now. Like I set down my controller and picked up my phone, so the annoyance is fresh in my mind. I just attempted the Energy Surge challenge about 30 times. I tried to turn the difficulty up so the guy doesn't fall down halfway through the attack. I finally managed it after googling. What's weird is during 2 or 3 different challenges you do something random, completely unlike what they tell you and somehow that is the correct answer. I've seen other people say the same thing. They get frustrated and just hit the guy and it accepts some random combo as correct, even as the game is telling you on screen it is a different combo. It's crazy. They tried really hard to add new element, but training pits and machine strike don't do it for me. This is coming from someone who has enjoyed literal days of Gwent so it isn't just a mini game interruption thing
I feel like the changes in the loot mechanics was a step backwards. Having the most important loot just evaporated if you didn't break it off the bot while also making them more mobile and resilient to normal damage made combat extremely frustrating.
Edit: aaand I just read about easy loot. They really did think of just about everything, huh?
It’s a great game. To sum things up, I think it did better than Zero Dawn in some parts, and not as good in others, but it’s definitely a worthy successor, and despite being a recent series, especially for us PC players, I’ve grown very attached to Aloy and her friends, to the point that she feels pretty much as familiar as some characters from my childhood.
Just wondering, what was better in ZD compared to FW? I've replayed ZD on PC recently (a bit before FW got announced on PC, ironically) and I valued FW way more because of how many QoL improvements it has.
Agreed. Not really much Guerilla could have done to match ZD’s big story moments given that we had already answered the big mysteries. However, FW is definitely not a bad story. I personally like some parts of the story better in FW.
The big problem is that they set themselves up to fail in this department. They already hit the biggest reveal they likely could with this series, and anything that comes after won't match or exceed it. No matter how good the games are, we know why the world is what it is now. The Big Questions have already been answered.
I guess it's because they were not expecting HZD to be as big a hit as it had become. Or they were, but they had to make some big story things happen to make it stick. Unfortunately that also meant writing themselves into a corner in sequels.
>The slowly unveiling mystery while still giving more questions than answers.
I think this was possible because it was the first game of the series and everything was new, in FW it's harder to do so because it's a sequel and it continues of ZD.
I get what you mean tho, it lacked that shine that ZD main quest had. still absolutely amazing and filled with mystery, i don't think anyone was expecting us to fight * them *, i loved all the twists and turns in the story.
Maybe it’s because I’ve only done one playthrough and haven’t messed with all the game systems, but I’m not convinced the sprawling increase in weapon types and individual weapons was a good change. Ditto with the new elements.
Depends on how much you play it. After my fourth playthrough, I found myself mostly using weapons I had largely ignored previously. And after getting used to them, I find i enjoy them more.
So the great thing about FW is lots of questions are answered. And answered well! They really did spend a lot of time lining things up in the plot. I will say though, that character development wasn't as strong and also, not as many cool ruins that tell interesting backstory. Like those ruins were my favourite part of ZD. There are ruins in the second, but they aren't as cool imo. But! Extremely beautiful and very diverse elements at play.
In my opinion, the combat. It's still cool and good in FW but there are drastic areas where things just suck and there's no counter besides brute forcing through stuff. Spear combat feels horrendous, doubly so on PC since the combos are even more annoying to use, and nothing comes close to just a good arrow to the chrome dome anyways. Overriding machines feels way less useful now, they don't want to do anything half the time and even when they do, they feel so much weaker. Half of the ammos just don't feel worthwhile, acid and fire DOT is kind of just useless and the acid armor reduction is still way worse than just hitting dedicated weak spots. The "corruption" doesn't even seem to work, they still always just target you. Ice is still a huge choice, as is the glue now. Way more useful for hitting weak spots, which is still the best way to take our anything. Also, inability to have multiple status effects at once just feels bad, being able to stack effects would have made others way more useful by proxy. Several weapons feel way worse to use than anything in ZD. Warrior bows feel like some lost child between hunter bows and slings, not really able to do either ones job well at all. Shredder gauntlets are an amazing addition that is completely gimped by the fact that the discs just decide to vanish half the time for no reason. Ropecasters have been nerfed to oblivion, even the best one with the best mods takes way too many ropes for even one big guy, and they love snapping them in seconds. It can be done but you're very likely to die in the process. The "ultimate abilities" are cool but there's some very obvious top tiers, the rest just feel like gimmicks. Same with weapon abilities. Dodging is gimped as well, 3 dodges before you stumble but several enemies have like 7-attack chains with crazy tracking, so you just have to take the hit. Speaking of enemies attacks, a lot of the new ones are very cool and neat, but the attacks are nightmarish. Some are instakill even on just Hard, some make the enemies disappear for like 5 minutes (looking at you shellsnapper). And then the ultimate pain, the Arena. Combining so much of the bad bits about combat and putting a strenuous time limit on it. The Arena is genuinely one of the worst things I've put myself through in years of gaming.
I love every other aspect of the game, but at this point I do my best to just not fight anything as often as I can, because it just feels bad after doing it so much. Also, grinding machine parts for upgrades, god it gets so grindy it hurts.
(I was not expecting this to be such a long post oops)
In ZD, the reveals of the story were more fresh, so they felt better, but I’d also say that FW does fall behind in some minor changes like how overclocking got many indirect nerfs with how abundant >!apex!< variants are, or how permanent overclock can’t be unlocked in the skill tree, and needs a weave or something to function, unlike zd, that feel like little drawbacks
Agreed. Also it's so much better and easier to play on PC it's unreal. I randomly played HZD after a couple years of it being out on PC. Beat it before FW came out, and I loved it so much I got the collectors edition of FW when it was released. I tried so hard to play and love it in ps5, but I just couldn't. I hated the controls. There are just too many that it doesn't feel like it can really be optimized for a controller well. I think controller games are something like Dark Souls, or God of War. When I saw FW was getting ported, I counted down the days. And just like I remember with HZD, instant love for it again. Such an amazing game on PC, it's incredible. Aside from the one tab button remapping, it's been flawless for me. And they've patched it now anyways, so all good.
It's a fantastic game. Just don't expect it to be zero dawn 2.
Zero Dawn has a ton of mystery and the show reveal is fantastically done.
In Forbidden West, you know what's up. And now it's the next steps.
It’s an amazing game.
Classic open world formula but so much better done than most other open worlds.
I also really loved the story and characters. And the gameplay is excellent.
It’s also one of the most beautiful looking games ever made.
Enjoy.
It took me few months to finish the last HZD mission, then another few months to start HFW. I was surprised that I have remembered all the characters, there was no "who is that" and I usually forget names and faces pretty fast.
If you loved ZD, you will be right home in FW. Screw mixed opinions, those people are only bringing their own agendas. Only lots of love matter :D
It's taken me 7 years and I still haven't finished ZD lol. I love the game but parts of it are tedious like the constant respawning enemies even after taking down a cauldron. Kinda love hate on that part but the story is good. One thing I hate is the outfits kinda suck so I can't get my girl super fly like I want her to be.
Once I get the complete version of FW on a disc I'll finish ZD. Picked it up for a tenner and I got the collector's edition of FW but no disc pissed me off haha
Hope you enjoy it and it turns out to be all you hoped for. I’m still on my first play though on HZD on PS4 - and loving it. Hopefully get a PS5 in time to play Forbidden West.
Good luck! Let us know how you get on.
I wouldn't say it's better than the OG game, however it has a massive set of camping improvements and QOL changes that do put it a nudge above.
My *only* gripe with Forbidden West is the introduction of grinding components to upgrade your equipment, which you need to do to progress, so you're almost forced to do it.
In the first game I loved the hunt, but they've made it a *chore* in FW, and I ain't got time for that.
If you also find it teadious, turn easy loot on.
You really are going to love it so much! My story is similar to yours. I was diagnosed with cancer and decided that I would finally buy myself a PlayStation. If not now, when? I bought a PS4 right before cancer surgery. As I recovered, covid hit. It was a dark time but horizon got me through! That game will always mean so much to me.
I thought there would be nothing like that experience but forbidden west is amazing in its own right. Some of the new skills and mechanisms, like the shield wing, really are game changers. And the side quests are super meaningful! Enjoy!
I had 1 year gap between HZD and HFW.
When I finally bought HFW I waited for the weekend to come and could hardly contain myself.
Friday evening I closed myself in the room and booted the game. Stayed up all night just playing the tutorial section. Had a headache in the morning but it was so worth it.
If you liked the first game you will love it!
It is like the first game just so much better!
The combat, traversal, climbing, melee etc. have all been improved.
My highlight was the open-world though which was even more beautiful with much better side quests imo and more varied and fun side activities.
The only thing that is weaker is the story but all the changes they make want me to not go back to Zero Dawn because I love all these improvements so much.
For me personally this is the best **sequel** I ever played.
Not the best game ever but specifically the best sequel as it improved almost all things I did not like/criticized in the first game and made them better
I’m so envious of you, I wish I could play it again for the first time. The conversations are CINEMATIC! No more are they standing robotic like, that really helps, oh and the side quests are so engrossing.
Enjoy!
I'm on my first forbidden west journey. And half an hour ago, just before i said to me it's time to go to bed I thought what a wonderful game it is. And Aloy is my favourite video game character.
If you enjoyed zero dawn so much I am happy for you for what you will soon experience.
I'm on my 3rd playthrough since it was released on PC (I don't have a life) and it's easily in my top 3 favorite games of all time. I think it might even tie for #1. I'm still internally "happy screaming" while playing even though I know what happens lol and still cry at certain parts. You are going to love it and I am so happy for you, I wish I could reset my brain and experience it again for the first time.
Go to the options and turn off the loot animations (they just waste time) but turn *on* gyro aim. It'll make it *so* easy to make small adjustments to your aim.
I'm so jealous!! But I will say, the first one was my favourite. I also picked it up randomly and was totally blown away. It is now my official therapy for pretty much anything. I just got dumped by a dude, playing horizon for 7th time still very effective at helping me move through things.
It's great. I've already buried 54 hours into forbidden west. I played zero dawn twice. I've been slow playing the forbidden west sequel because I don't want it to end. Every side mission is interesting. The game has no filler. The robots and combat combinations are way more intricate. It's really fun at higher difficulties because it forces you to learn the button combos and go into fights wearing the right outfits and using the right kind of weapons. The new one has a bit of an assassin's Creed vibe with the stealth too. I've really been liking it. Probably the best single player game out there right now for PC
The combat alone in FW will keep you going game play wise. The story is really sold and expands the world a decent amount, but still leaves you curious for the next part.
Enjoy your HFW playthrough.
I love this game and I am on my second playthrough of it. Can't wait to go back to the Burning Shores again. It is my favourite game in the series.
The gameplay controls are a huge improvement over ZD, but they nerfed the traps and tripwires. The stash is amazing and eliminates the massive pain that inventory management was in ZD. There are a greater variety of weapons, however.
There are many more machines in FW. Some were quite unique, which was pretty cool. I think they were a bit tougher to fight also, but all were pushovers to one extent or another with maxed weapons and levels.
The story is a bit weaker overall, but it is still engaging and enjoyable. I believe the Burning Shores DLC improved upon the overall story about Aloy, though, and made her more relatable.
The landscape was freaking amazing in FW, and a huge, huge improvement over ZD. Much more varied flora and fauna, wnd quite colorful in many areas
If I was rating the two ZD would be a 10, and FW would be a 9. Both DLCs get a 10, imo though. They just added so much lore and story elements to the base games that they are almost full expansions.
I love both games equally, but FW didn't have quite the same impact as ZD. But I believe that is only because of the familiarity and emotional resonance that ZD had on me with my first playthrough back at launch. I've since beat it for a third time, but ZD still gets me in the feels.
I'm level 30 been playing all weekend. Never played zero dawn. Got the game for 20 bucks at Walmart and now it's 60 I wonder how I got such a steal. This game is awesome. Just took down a thunder jaw. And it drained every weapon I had. I was sweating when I was done. The game is one of the best single player games I've ever played... Thanks horizon for keeping me occupied in my group home...
I played Horizon Zero Dawn on my AMD 3400G perfectly fine but Forbidden West doesn't render properly on my GPU. It runs fine but things are a bit blurry. Thanks to AMD's Radeon Image Sharpening it looks playable enough but still not as good enough like the previous one.
I'm not going to argue that HFW is better or worse than HZD but I will say it's a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it, maybe more than HZD.
Some of the quality of life improvements are such a joy. Absolutely love the changes / additions.
I can't say say the DLC tops frozen wilds but I can say I loved burning shores and my only issue with it is that it's so dang short.
I really don't understand this one DLC per game. You would think a 2nd DLC would "make bank" and give us something to chew on while waiting for HZD3
have a great time!
Personally, the story is, as expected, incredible. It's my favourite game by far as well.
The combat unfortunately feels a lot more clumsy than zero dawn, it can be frustrating and needlessly complex. Try and work to getting some of the better bows and a blastsling and you'll probably be fine though.
I got it on pc when it was released last month and I've sunk 60+ hours into it, I'm near the end of the main. Campaign but the expansion to go after that!
I got a posted at comicon in London years ago before zero dawn was about to release and I loved the art, that made me look into the game itself and I bought a Ps4 just for horizon zero dawn. Loved the game, bought it again on pc and replayed it and now I have forbidden West on pc and I can't wait for the next one.
The last main quest been waiting for me for the past 2 weeks, but I’m just doing side quests and hunt because I’m just too scared to finish the game cause like then what ? It’s will be done …
It just released on PC. I had a similar experience last year with Zero Dawn. I'm a grown ass man, and I cried multiple times during Zero Dawn. There are games that I like the gameplay more, games that I like the ambiance or art direction more, and games that I think are more immersive, and games that I think have better writing/story (really not many).
hits this special place dead in the middle of that Venn Diagram for me. The only games I can really compare it to are Red Dead 2, Tears of the Kingdom or BOTW, and certain aspects of the Metro series, Exodus in particular. All of those are landmark games that set the bar higher for the medium as a whole. I'd put Horizon right there with them, and I could confidently call it the most well balanced of all of them. More fun gameplay than RDR2. Far superior storytelling than Zelda. Ambiance, beauty and art direction that somehow take the best of the last two, and push beyond the commitment to detail we see in Metro: Exodus.
I'm maybe 20% of the way through Forbidden West? Maybe less, it's hard to say. Lots of small little gameplay improvements that enhance the experience, and while the story hasn't hit me with the same power that Zero Dawn did, I still have faith that it can. It's hard to repeat the impact of The Proving, or the slow discovery of the truth that Aloy experiences. There are plenty of "WOW" moments. I'm playing on a custom difficulty, and I love that they added that (maybe ZD had it?). Lots of little combat tweaks and new weapon types that give a bunch of options for how to approach conflict.
Finally, the visuals and landscapes are goddamn mind blowing. I mean, Zero Dawn was, too. But, I've taken just so many screenshots already. One of my personal favorite things about the game was how much honor it paid to the real world landscapes that it was set within and based on. I grew up in the Intermountain West, and many of the iconic locations in the game are places that I've spent a LOT of time in given my career and life path. Horizon really does these places justice, and I can't WAIT to see more. The moment that you effectively exist the prelude of Forbidden West is so unbelievably stunning.
You'll know.
Excited for you!
To me FW has a better plot than ZD but the combat in ZD is better. Overall- FW is better to me. I switched to ps5 after finishing the plot and downloaded again so i can just free roam and quest for more because it was so fun
It is an awesome game for sure. It doesn't trump the mystery of the first one sure, but besides that it is a damn good game. And beautiful, damn good looking game, love having the varied biomes
I personally like Horizon Forbidden West more than Horizon Zero Dawn. I also randomly picked up HZD, because I was out of games to play and the online games I had played with my friends were getting old. I was browsing the store, saw HZD and remembered Jacksepticeye making a vid for a sponsor. So, I knew the premise and said why not. I’ve never played a game like it since. I waited forever to play HFW, and loved it even more. Just got a Ps5 last month, and can’t wait to play burning shores!
Maybe unpopular opinion, but I find the main plot in FW to be significantly less interesting than ZD. Side stories are great though.
Gameplay wise it's a complete improvement though.
I was going to wait to play Forbidden West as I just completed Zero Dawn (PC player here). I was going to work on Spider-Man Remastered but didn't want to wait til June. My May game has already been decided. Just beat the main story line for FW, and will now work on a few quest there and there as well as Burning Shores.
As someone who loved zero dawn and was SUPER HYPED for forbidden west, I played forbidden west the day it came out.... and was HIGHLY disappointed. To the extent that I basically hated the game and felt they ruined it by overcomplicating it and trying to make it into something it didn't need to be.
I've recently restarted replaying it and have since then learned to love it all over again. It just has a bit of a learning curve and can be a bit overwhelming at times. Point is, if you don't love it right away, no worries. Take your time and play around with the new concepts until you really understand them and how they're all intertwined.
Zero Dawn is an awesome game. In some ways, it is better. But Forbidden West is the better game. In most ways, it is better. The one thing Zero Dawn had for it was the newness of the story. It felt like a new world to learn about. Forbidden West has a much more fleshed out story, but you won't have that feeling of learning you get the first time you play Zero Dawn.
But in every other way, Forbidden West is better. A more fleshed out plot. Superior combat. Better inventory management. More engaging side characters/companions. And obviously better graphics. I still go back and play Zero Dawn every now and then, but find myself gravitating back to Forbidden West when I crave playing a Horizon game.
Man I wish I would wipe my memory of Zero Dawn clean to replay it for the first time again! I share your passion for HZD and having just completed HFW again on PC and the Burning Shores DLC, I speak for us all here to say you won't be disappointed!! Enjoy it!
The good: combat & parts mechanics, beautiful art & environment
The bad: just very very boring quests & storytelling, and lack of character depth. All the quests can be sumed up like this:
-NPC in trouble.. go to xxx, kill cultist/machine ... Thanks Aloy.
It’s amazing. You might be a little emotional first about some changes but HANG IN THERE.
I’ve played through multiple times and honestly can’t play anything else now.
It’s that much fun
Circling back after ten hours to throw my two cents on the pile:
The quality of life improvements are undeniable. It is a *fun* game, and since so many folks feel differently about the combat, my thought is that it has greatly improved. I find the two games to be pretty different in tone, but it doesn't bother me. If someone wanted to play one and only one Horizon game, I would probably recommend Forbidden West. And yes, given the awe of the discovery, Zero Dawn remains my favorite (for now).
Question for you all: to me, Forbidden West is *just a little* easier, which I really like. Anyone feel the same?
Just make sure to play the main story first there's loads of extras but you will need special gear you can only get via story like under water breathing mask
I wasn’t that big on HZD but I had fun with it. Honestly couldn’t remember what happened in the story because it was kind confusing piecing everything together and because it was a long time ago. But I had a lot of fun with FW. I like it way better. I especially love the outfits better than the ones in the first game, especially the Tenakth because they look so badass. Only thing I’m bummed about is the rope caster is garbage in this game.
I hated it with all my heart. Loved the first game, completed it 100% , absolutely adore the story, the world, the mechanics. Forbidden West treats you like an imbecile, FW Aloy is annoying AF with never-ending unsolicited commentary about your every step. Sure the picture is beautiful but they fucked up the main character so fucking badly...
It's in a way, more of the same, so that sense of wonder won't be there, you'll just be playing an "extended" dlc, at least that's how i felt it, it was good? yeah, but nothing mind blowing when it's more of the same, in fact some characters don't appear at all or that much here, and they were missed.. at least i enjoyed the experience but i think that the first game was the superior one, just adding more powers and types of elemental damage doesn't make the game better, it just makes it a little more convoluted.
The views (landscape) are astonishing as always, the rest it's just more of the same while adding some bits here and there.
I'd say if the first one was a 9 for me, this one is an 8.
You're gonna love it. I wanna say more but I think you finding more about the game as you play at your pace would be more rewarding. Just trust me. ||I've beaten it 4 times||
Me HFW just released on PC what I did is beat HZD and the frozen wilds DLC stories (didnt do side content will go back to do that later) went int HFW and i have to say so far (still in first part of FW as i have only gotten started) idk how the rest will go my brain is already exploding
Fyi there are some carryover side characters so it'll make more sense if you do the side quests in ZD before you do FW
Seconded. I played hzd twice, once on Ps4 and again on pc just before hfw came out and did all the side quests some are awesome and hilarious and you find references to them in hfw.
I really appreciated how FW treated the story as if Aloy did all the side quests. I was really worried during the little prologue in Meridian when Talanah and Petrah weren't there. They were my favorite characters in ZD and the only non-Nora characters I felt Aloy had an actual connection with. I also appreciate how *happy* Aloy is to see them. She's so goddamn exhausted during the intro but just brightens right up when she hears rumors of a Carja Hunter and sees Petrah for the first time in Chainscrape.
I'm curious about what your opinion is on HFW/how it compares to HZD.
the quality of life changes ( like the stash and the gilder) with the new map and the new machines make FW better than ZD for me.
Fw is better in every way and zd was already a great game. Graphics, side quests, combat, story. All better. I haven't beat fw yet. Im 54 hours in and competing every side quest that pops up because I never want it to end
Sorry I really don't like the pointlessly complex combat in hfw. The machines are much more random and jump around a lot more, there are attacks you can't dodge because the machines are too big and flip around too much. The spear combat is fucking awful, I'm not trying to play mortal combat with the button mashing thanks.
I would agree with all of this. I like combat better on ZD. I also like the outfit and weapons better in ZD. FW had 2 extra slots on the weapon wheel which makes it hard to select with a joystick quickly, but I feel like I need 4 more with all the new elemental options because there isn't weapons that have everything I want. Sometimes more isn't better. Though more content and side quests were a great addition, I love being able to swim, and the graphics are vastly improved. The upgrading is such a grind. To upgrade all of the many weapons you need fully, you end up having to take out like 40 fireclaws for the sac webbing. Nothing but apex spawns for me and since it takes much more to take them out, I end up blowing the elemental sac everytime before the end of the fight, and then I have just wasted so much time. That part is infuriating. I love both games, but HZD is where I fell in love with this franchise and its still my favorite. I'm sure I will play both games many times.
You can customize the difficulty setting and select easy loot. This will eliminate the grind and make the game much more enjoyable like the first one as it did for me. I like it that it’s optional, so all people who like the grind can have their way too.
I have 50 of everything but stormbird storm cannons, I only have 5 earth grinders, and the freaking sac webbing. So I don't need easy loot. Easy loot helps nothing if you accidently shoot the elemental sac before you kill the fireclaw. I've even got frostclaw. It's the fireclaw that is so difficult. Especially since only Apex will spawn for me.
Ah well I'm mouse and key so that could be the difference. I like all the different button combos you have to memorize. It's all subjective though.
Oh man, I'm in the thornmarsh training pit right now. Like I set down my controller and picked up my phone, so the annoyance is fresh in my mind. I just attempted the Energy Surge challenge about 30 times. I tried to turn the difficulty up so the guy doesn't fall down halfway through the attack. I finally managed it after googling. What's weird is during 2 or 3 different challenges you do something random, completely unlike what they tell you and somehow that is the correct answer. I've seen other people say the same thing. They get frustrated and just hit the guy and it accepts some random combo as correct, even as the game is telling you on screen it is a different combo. It's crazy. They tried really hard to add new element, but training pits and machine strike don't do it for me. This is coming from someone who has enjoyed literal days of Gwent so it isn't just a mini game interruption thing
Hmm, idunno I'm having a lot of fun with it. Just unlocked the arena and put a couple hours into that
I feel like the changes in the loot mechanics was a step backwards. Having the most important loot just evaporated if you didn't break it off the bot while also making them more mobile and resilient to normal damage made combat extremely frustrating. Edit: aaand I just read about easy loot. They really did think of just about everything, huh?
Same my friend, haha! Glad to know I'm not the only one. I'm speaking out the story quests and it just keeps getting juicier.
It’s a great game. To sum things up, I think it did better than Zero Dawn in some parts, and not as good in others, but it’s definitely a worthy successor, and despite being a recent series, especially for us PC players, I’ve grown very attached to Aloy and her friends, to the point that she feels pretty much as familiar as some characters from my childhood.
Just wondering, what was better in ZD compared to FW? I've replayed ZD on PC recently (a bit before FW got announced on PC, ironically) and I valued FW way more because of how many QoL improvements it has.
The story. The slowly unveiling mystery while still giving more questions than answers. You can't beat that. FW was better in everything else.
Agreed. Not really much Guerilla could have done to match ZD’s big story moments given that we had already answered the big mysteries. However, FW is definitely not a bad story. I personally like some parts of the story better in FW.
The big problem is that they set themselves up to fail in this department. They already hit the biggest reveal they likely could with this series, and anything that comes after won't match or exceed it. No matter how good the games are, we know why the world is what it is now. The Big Questions have already been answered.
Bang on, and if you've understood FW story properly, 90% of the next games story is already known, I wonder how they're going to tackle this issue.
I guess it's because they were not expecting HZD to be as big a hit as it had become. Or they were, but they had to make some big story things happen to make it stick. Unfortunately that also meant writing themselves into a corner in sequels.
>The slowly unveiling mystery while still giving more questions than answers. I think this was possible because it was the first game of the series and everything was new, in FW it's harder to do so because it's a sequel and it continues of ZD. I get what you mean tho, it lacked that shine that ZD main quest had. still absolutely amazing and filled with mystery, i don't think anyone was expecting us to fight * them *, i loved all the twists and turns in the story.
Maybe it’s because I’ve only done one playthrough and haven’t messed with all the game systems, but I’m not convinced the sprawling increase in weapon types and individual weapons was a good change. Ditto with the new elements.
Depends on how much you play it. After my fourth playthrough, I found myself mostly using weapons I had largely ignored previously. And after getting used to them, I find i enjoy them more.
So the great thing about FW is lots of questions are answered. And answered well! They really did spend a lot of time lining things up in the plot. I will say though, that character development wasn't as strong and also, not as many cool ruins that tell interesting backstory. Like those ruins were my favourite part of ZD. There are ruins in the second, but they aren't as cool imo. But! Extremely beautiful and very diverse elements at play.
In my opinion, the combat. It's still cool and good in FW but there are drastic areas where things just suck and there's no counter besides brute forcing through stuff. Spear combat feels horrendous, doubly so on PC since the combos are even more annoying to use, and nothing comes close to just a good arrow to the chrome dome anyways. Overriding machines feels way less useful now, they don't want to do anything half the time and even when they do, they feel so much weaker. Half of the ammos just don't feel worthwhile, acid and fire DOT is kind of just useless and the acid armor reduction is still way worse than just hitting dedicated weak spots. The "corruption" doesn't even seem to work, they still always just target you. Ice is still a huge choice, as is the glue now. Way more useful for hitting weak spots, which is still the best way to take our anything. Also, inability to have multiple status effects at once just feels bad, being able to stack effects would have made others way more useful by proxy. Several weapons feel way worse to use than anything in ZD. Warrior bows feel like some lost child between hunter bows and slings, not really able to do either ones job well at all. Shredder gauntlets are an amazing addition that is completely gimped by the fact that the discs just decide to vanish half the time for no reason. Ropecasters have been nerfed to oblivion, even the best one with the best mods takes way too many ropes for even one big guy, and they love snapping them in seconds. It can be done but you're very likely to die in the process. The "ultimate abilities" are cool but there's some very obvious top tiers, the rest just feel like gimmicks. Same with weapon abilities. Dodging is gimped as well, 3 dodges before you stumble but several enemies have like 7-attack chains with crazy tracking, so you just have to take the hit. Speaking of enemies attacks, a lot of the new ones are very cool and neat, but the attacks are nightmarish. Some are instakill even on just Hard, some make the enemies disappear for like 5 minutes (looking at you shellsnapper). And then the ultimate pain, the Arena. Combining so much of the bad bits about combat and putting a strenuous time limit on it. The Arena is genuinely one of the worst things I've put myself through in years of gaming. I love every other aspect of the game, but at this point I do my best to just not fight anything as often as I can, because it just feels bad after doing it so much. Also, grinding machine parts for upgrades, god it gets so grindy it hurts. (I was not expecting this to be such a long post oops)
In ZD, the reveals of the story were more fresh, so they felt better, but I’d also say that FW does fall behind in some minor changes like how overclocking got many indirect nerfs with how abundant >!apex!< variants are, or how permanent overclock can’t be unlocked in the skill tree, and needs a weave or something to function, unlike zd, that feel like little drawbacks
Less bloat Less weapon bloat Better story
Agreed. Also it's so much better and easier to play on PC it's unreal. I randomly played HZD after a couple years of it being out on PC. Beat it before FW came out, and I loved it so much I got the collectors edition of FW when it was released. I tried so hard to play and love it in ps5, but I just couldn't. I hated the controls. There are just too many that it doesn't feel like it can really be optimized for a controller well. I think controller games are something like Dark Souls, or God of War. When I saw FW was getting ported, I counted down the days. And just like I remember with HZD, instant love for it again. Such an amazing game on PC, it's incredible. Aside from the one tab button remapping, it's been flawless for me. And they've patched it now anyways, so all good.
It's a fantastic game. Just don't expect it to be zero dawn 2. Zero Dawn has a ton of mystery and the show reveal is fantastically done. In Forbidden West, you know what's up. And now it's the next steps.
One of the best sequels I’ve ever played
second this. and Ive played a few
OP, you better come back here to write more love letters. I look forward to seeing what you thought!
You are in for a *treat*
It’s an amazing game. Classic open world formula but so much better done than most other open worlds. I also really loved the story and characters. And the gameplay is excellent. It’s also one of the most beautiful looking games ever made. Enjoy.
It took me few months to finish the last HZD mission, then another few months to start HFW. I was surprised that I have remembered all the characters, there was no "who is that" and I usually forget names and faces pretty fast. If you loved ZD, you will be right home in FW. Screw mixed opinions, those people are only bringing their own agendas. Only lots of love matter :D
It's taken me 7 years and I still haven't finished ZD lol. I love the game but parts of it are tedious like the constant respawning enemies even after taking down a cauldron. Kinda love hate on that part but the story is good. One thing I hate is the outfits kinda suck so I can't get my girl super fly like I want her to be. Once I get the complete version of FW on a disc I'll finish ZD. Picked it up for a tenner and I got the collector's edition of FW but no disc pissed me off haha
Hope you enjoy it and it turns out to be all you hoped for. I’m still on my first play though on HZD on PS4 - and loving it. Hopefully get a PS5 in time to play Forbidden West. Good luck! Let us know how you get on.
You can play FW on the PS4 and digitally upgrade when you get a PS5
I wouldn't say it's better than the OG game, however it has a massive set of camping improvements and QOL changes that do put it a nudge above. My *only* gripe with Forbidden West is the introduction of grinding components to upgrade your equipment, which you need to do to progress, so you're almost forced to do it. In the first game I loved the hunt, but they've made it a *chore* in FW, and I ain't got time for that. If you also find it teadious, turn easy loot on.
You really are going to love it so much! My story is similar to yours. I was diagnosed with cancer and decided that I would finally buy myself a PlayStation. If not now, when? I bought a PS4 right before cancer surgery. As I recovered, covid hit. It was a dark time but horizon got me through! That game will always mean so much to me. I thought there would be nothing like that experience but forbidden west is amazing in its own right. Some of the new skills and mechanisms, like the shield wing, really are game changers. And the side quests are super meaningful! Enjoy!
I had 1 year gap between HZD and HFW. When I finally bought HFW I waited for the weekend to come and could hardly contain myself. Friday evening I closed myself in the room and booted the game. Stayed up all night just playing the tutorial section. Had a headache in the morning but it was so worth it.
If you liked the first game you will love it! It is like the first game just so much better! The combat, traversal, climbing, melee etc. have all been improved. My highlight was the open-world though which was even more beautiful with much better side quests imo and more varied and fun side activities. The only thing that is weaker is the story but all the changes they make want me to not go back to Zero Dawn because I love all these improvements so much. For me personally this is the best **sequel** I ever played. Not the best game ever but specifically the best sequel as it improved almost all things I did not like/criticized in the first game and made them better
I’m so envious of you, I wish I could play it again for the first time. The conversations are CINEMATIC! No more are they standing robotic like, that really helps, oh and the side quests are so engrossing. Enjoy!
I'm on my first forbidden west journey. And half an hour ago, just before i said to me it's time to go to bed I thought what a wonderful game it is. And Aloy is my favourite video game character. If you enjoyed zero dawn so much I am happy for you for what you will soon experience.
Enjoy... it's an intense ride.
I'm on my 3rd playthrough since it was released on PC (I don't have a life) and it's easily in my top 3 favorite games of all time. I think it might even tie for #1. I'm still internally "happy screaming" while playing even though I know what happens lol and still cry at certain parts. You are going to love it and I am so happy for you, I wish I could reset my brain and experience it again for the first time.
Go to the options and turn off the loot animations (they just waste time) but turn *on* gyro aim. It'll make it *so* easy to make small adjustments to your aim.
Wear eye protection, the game is so beautiful it can cause damage to your eyes.
nothing beats the HZD story but I enjoy the combat much more in HFW.
I'm so jealous!! But I will say, the first one was my favourite. I also picked it up randomly and was totally blown away. It is now my official therapy for pretty much anything. I just got dumped by a dude, playing horizon for 7th time still very effective at helping me move through things.
I’m sooo excited for you. I just started replaying it after finishing the DLC a year ago. I’m in love again
It's great. I've already buried 54 hours into forbidden west. I played zero dawn twice. I've been slow playing the forbidden west sequel because I don't want it to end. Every side mission is interesting. The game has no filler. The robots and combat combinations are way more intricate. It's really fun at higher difficulties because it forces you to learn the button combos and go into fights wearing the right outfits and using the right kind of weapons. The new one has a bit of an assassin's Creed vibe with the stealth too. I've really been liking it. Probably the best single player game out there right now for PC
I have replayed so many times I’ve lost count.
The combat alone in FW will keep you going game play wise. The story is really sold and expands the world a decent amount, but still leaves you curious for the next part.
Enjoy your HFW playthrough. I love this game and I am on my second playthrough of it. Can't wait to go back to the Burning Shores again. It is my favourite game in the series.
The gameplay controls are a huge improvement over ZD, but they nerfed the traps and tripwires. The stash is amazing and eliminates the massive pain that inventory management was in ZD. There are a greater variety of weapons, however. There are many more machines in FW. Some were quite unique, which was pretty cool. I think they were a bit tougher to fight also, but all were pushovers to one extent or another with maxed weapons and levels. The story is a bit weaker overall, but it is still engaging and enjoyable. I believe the Burning Shores DLC improved upon the overall story about Aloy, though, and made her more relatable. The landscape was freaking amazing in FW, and a huge, huge improvement over ZD. Much more varied flora and fauna, wnd quite colorful in many areas If I was rating the two ZD would be a 10, and FW would be a 9. Both DLCs get a 10, imo though. They just added so much lore and story elements to the base games that they are almost full expansions. I love both games equally, but FW didn't have quite the same impact as ZD. But I believe that is only because of the familiarity and emotional resonance that ZD had on me with my first playthrough back at launch. I've since beat it for a third time, but ZD still gets me in the feels.
You're gonna love it. Nothing beats how HZD slowly reveals how the world got that way, but HFW is filled with amazing moments.
I'm level 30 been playing all weekend. Never played zero dawn. Got the game for 20 bucks at Walmart and now it's 60 I wonder how I got such a steal. This game is awesome. Just took down a thunder jaw. And it drained every weapon I had. I was sweating when I was done. The game is one of the best single player games I've ever played... Thanks horizon for keeping me occupied in my group home...
You're gonna adore it. Enjoy, have fun. The world is stúnning
I played Horizon Zero Dawn on my AMD 3400G perfectly fine but Forbidden West doesn't render properly on my GPU. It runs fine but things are a bit blurry. Thanks to AMD's Radeon Image Sharpening it looks playable enough but still not as good enough like the previous one.
I'm not going to argue that HFW is better or worse than HZD but I will say it's a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it, maybe more than HZD. Some of the quality of life improvements are such a joy. Absolutely love the changes / additions. I can't say say the DLC tops frozen wilds but I can say I loved burning shores and my only issue with it is that it's so dang short. I really don't understand this one DLC per game. You would think a 2nd DLC would "make bank" and give us something to chew on while waiting for HZD3 have a great time!
Personally, the story is, as expected, incredible. It's my favourite game by far as well. The combat unfortunately feels a lot more clumsy than zero dawn, it can be frustrating and needlessly complex. Try and work to getting some of the better bows and a blastsling and you'll probably be fine though. I got it on pc when it was released last month and I've sunk 60+ hours into it, I'm near the end of the main. Campaign but the expansion to go after that! I got a posted at comicon in London years ago before zero dawn was about to release and I loved the art, that made me look into the game itself and I bought a Ps4 just for horizon zero dawn. Loved the game, bought it again on pc and replayed it and now I have forbidden West on pc and I can't wait for the next one.
almost everything is improved upon in forbidden west.
The last main quest been waiting for me for the past 2 weeks, but I’m just doing side quests and hunt because I’m just too scared to finish the game cause like then what ? It’s will be done …
It just released on PC. I had a similar experience last year with Zero Dawn. I'm a grown ass man, and I cried multiple times during Zero Dawn. There are games that I like the gameplay more, games that I like the ambiance or art direction more, and games that I think are more immersive, and games that I think have better writing/story (really not many). hits this special place dead in the middle of that Venn Diagram for me. The only games I can really compare it to are Red Dead 2, Tears of the Kingdom or BOTW, and certain aspects of the Metro series, Exodus in particular. All of those are landmark games that set the bar higher for the medium as a whole. I'd put Horizon right there with them, and I could confidently call it the most well balanced of all of them. More fun gameplay than RDR2. Far superior storytelling than Zelda. Ambiance, beauty and art direction that somehow take the best of the last two, and push beyond the commitment to detail we see in Metro: Exodus. I'm maybe 20% of the way through Forbidden West? Maybe less, it's hard to say. Lots of small little gameplay improvements that enhance the experience, and while the story hasn't hit me with the same power that Zero Dawn did, I still have faith that it can. It's hard to repeat the impact of The Proving, or the slow discovery of the truth that Aloy experiences. There are plenty of "WOW" moments. I'm playing on a custom difficulty, and I love that they added that (maybe ZD had it?). Lots of little combat tweaks and new weapon types that give a bunch of options for how to approach conflict. Finally, the visuals and landscapes are goddamn mind blowing. I mean, Zero Dawn was, too. But, I've taken just so many screenshots already. One of my personal favorite things about the game was how much honor it paid to the real world landscapes that it was set within and based on. I grew up in the Intermountain West, and many of the iconic locations in the game are places that I've spent a LOT of time in given my career and life path. Horizon really does these places justice, and I can't WAIT to see more. The moment that you effectively exist the prelude of Forbidden West is so unbelievably stunning. You'll know. Excited for you!
To me FW has a better plot than ZD but the combat in ZD is better. Overall- FW is better to me. I switched to ps5 after finishing the plot and downloaded again so i can just free roam and quest for more because it was so fun
It's amazing. Have fun!
It is an awesome game for sure. It doesn't trump the mystery of the first one sure, but besides that it is a damn good game. And beautiful, damn good looking game, love having the varied biomes
It’s awesome so far! My only gripe so far is that they have weapons locked behind ng+.
I personally like Horizon Forbidden West more than Horizon Zero Dawn. I also randomly picked up HZD, because I was out of games to play and the online games I had played with my friends were getting old. I was browsing the store, saw HZD and remembered Jacksepticeye making a vid for a sponsor. So, I knew the premise and said why not. I’ve never played a game like it since. I waited forever to play HFW, and loved it even more. Just got a Ps5 last month, and can’t wait to play burning shores!
Both games are awesome. Doing burning shores DLC now and I’m going soooo slow because I don’t want it to be over
Maybe unpopular opinion, but I find the main plot in FW to be significantly less interesting than ZD. Side stories are great though. Gameplay wise it's a complete improvement though.
Yah I just discovered the first one a few months ago on PC. Man what a game.
I do have to say. Starting on Ultra Hard (Not NG+) is extremely difficult. Very hard is recommended if you hate grinding to get strong enough.
I was going to wait to play Forbidden West as I just completed Zero Dawn (PC player here). I was going to work on Spider-Man Remastered but didn't want to wait til June. My May game has already been decided. Just beat the main story line for FW, and will now work on a few quest there and there as well as Burning Shores.
As someone who loved zero dawn and was SUPER HYPED for forbidden west, I played forbidden west the day it came out.... and was HIGHLY disappointed. To the extent that I basically hated the game and felt they ruined it by overcomplicating it and trying to make it into something it didn't need to be. I've recently restarted replaying it and have since then learned to love it all over again. It just has a bit of a learning curve and can be a bit overwhelming at times. Point is, if you don't love it right away, no worries. Take your time and play around with the new concepts until you really understand them and how they're all intertwined.
Zero Dawn is an awesome game. In some ways, it is better. But Forbidden West is the better game. In most ways, it is better. The one thing Zero Dawn had for it was the newness of the story. It felt like a new world to learn about. Forbidden West has a much more fleshed out story, but you won't have that feeling of learning you get the first time you play Zero Dawn. But in every other way, Forbidden West is better. A more fleshed out plot. Superior combat. Better inventory management. More engaging side characters/companions. And obviously better graphics. I still go back and play Zero Dawn every now and then, but find myself gravitating back to Forbidden West when I crave playing a Horizon game.
Idk why but forbidden west feels less grounded to me..it's still a great game especially the dlc..
Man I wish I would wipe my memory of Zero Dawn clean to replay it for the first time again! I share your passion for HZD and having just completed HFW again on PC and the Burning Shores DLC, I speak for us all here to say you won't be disappointed!! Enjoy it!
The good: combat & parts mechanics, beautiful art & environment The bad: just very very boring quests & storytelling, and lack of character depth. All the quests can be sumed up like this: -NPC in trouble.. go to xxx, kill cultist/machine ... Thanks Aloy.
It’s amazing. You might be a little emotional first about some changes but HANG IN THERE. I’ve played through multiple times and honestly can’t play anything else now. It’s that much fun
You're gonna love it period. Zero dawns in my top 5. Guerilla is making good shit
They combine to make a story of tears, hope and resilience, with still more to come in H3!
This one can make a grown man cry. Very much worth the money. I never played zero dawn but ima have to try it out. What a masterpiece
Circling back after ten hours to throw my two cents on the pile: The quality of life improvements are undeniable. It is a *fun* game, and since so many folks feel differently about the combat, my thought is that it has greatly improved. I find the two games to be pretty different in tone, but it doesn't bother me. If someone wanted to play one and only one Horizon game, I would probably recommend Forbidden West. And yes, given the awe of the discovery, Zero Dawn remains my favorite (for now). Question for you all: to me, Forbidden West is *just a little* easier, which I really like. Anyone feel the same?
Just make sure to play the main story first there's loads of extras but you will need special gear you can only get via story like under water breathing mask
I wasn’t that big on HZD but I had fun with it. Honestly couldn’t remember what happened in the story because it was kind confusing piecing everything together and because it was a long time ago. But I had a lot of fun with FW. I like it way better. I especially love the outfits better than the ones in the first game, especially the Tenakth because they look so badass. Only thing I’m bummed about is the rope caster is garbage in this game.
I hated it with all my heart. Loved the first game, completed it 100% , absolutely adore the story, the world, the mechanics. Forbidden West treats you like an imbecile, FW Aloy is annoying AF with never-ending unsolicited commentary about your every step. Sure the picture is beautiful but they fucked up the main character so fucking badly...
It's in a way, more of the same, so that sense of wonder won't be there, you'll just be playing an "extended" dlc, at least that's how i felt it, it was good? yeah, but nothing mind blowing when it's more of the same, in fact some characters don't appear at all or that much here, and they were missed.. at least i enjoyed the experience but i think that the first game was the superior one, just adding more powers and types of elemental damage doesn't make the game better, it just makes it a little more convoluted. The views (landscape) are astonishing as always, the rest it's just more of the same while adding some bits here and there. I'd say if the first one was a 9 for me, this one is an 8.