Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores

 PlayStation 5
User Score
4.3

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 2566 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,021 out of 2566
  2. Mixed: 103 out of 2566
  3. Negative: 1,442 out of 2566

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  1. Homesliiced
    Apr 28, 2023
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I played the first and second and got both platinums. They were super fun. This dlc however, is overpriced and short. Not only that but the story by adding an lgb character was very disappointing. I don’t understand why some developers try so hard in pushing these ideas. I respect individuals who live as such but the majority doesn’t, so why is it in games? Visuals are great as always but very disappointing characters and script choices. I will not be supporting these developers that keep encouraging these kind of scripts.… Expand
  2. chambersix
    Apr 27, 2023
    1
    HZD was formally my all time favorite game, but this dlc demonstrates how they're willing to sacrifice a once beloved character to send a message. It's clearly pandering and shoe horned in. I'll never buy guerrilla games project again and now that I have a PC that is better than a PS5, I can ditch Sony too. Who knows who Kratos will fall for in the next installment...
  3. AvatarSane
    Apr 21, 2023
    2
    Review from someone who loves this universe very much. I am disappointed. The developers could come up with and show so many interesting and leading to the continuation, but they did... this.

    I should warn you that I'm only talking about the main story quests. Let's start with the good. The battle with Horus in the final is tense and dynamic, the gameplay is divided into several    Review from someone who loves this universe very much. I am disappointed. The developers could come up with and show so many interesting and leading to the continuation, but they did... this.

    I should warn you that I'm only talking about the main story quests. Let's start with the good. The battle with Horus in the final is tense and dynamic, the gameplay is divided into several sections, each of which is a separate arena. The nature and music is amazing. You can swin on new machine and fly high as you can. Very beautilul clouds.

    Remember the most interesting story of Frozen Wilds, where Aloy visited the Banuk tribe and found out mysterious secrets together with the locals? So forget it.

    And it's not even about deceived expectations. The second part, in principle, became simpler and more mundane and less focused on the details of Laura, although there were also enough of them, and I liked the progression of the main character on the way to the team. In Burning Shores, it's about the lack of sense in this add-on as a whole. It can even be described in a few lines: One Zenith survived and fled to Hollywood to fix his spaceship there and fly to another planet. The launch of the ship will cause pollution of these lands, so Aloy and Seyka (one of the Quen) try to stop him. Zenith activates Horus, but still loses.

    THAT'S ALL. I am not kidding. No clues to the future, no hint of the position of Hephaestus, no reasoning about the nature of Nemesis, no at least somewhat ambiguous antagonist (which was the same Faro), no clear trail that would help stop Nemesis, just a dull wandering around the islands back and forth. And it's poor written. The all situations feels like a bad rom-com. There is a siluation when our characters trying to sneak to enemy base and saying to the guards: "HEY WE MET YOUR FRIEND AND HE TOLD US WE CAN PASS!" Yeah that's bad. It is very noticeable that the screenwriter has changed and he absolutely does not know how to write at least some interesting story. In the main task of the add-on, the hand of the "brilliant" screenwriter is generally seen everywhere in the form of the thought "I live as I want, the team is not a decree for me." No depth and interestingness of the characters, just a direct hacking of the phrase from the screen: BOSSES ARE BAD, LET'S REBEL! This is very much out of the tone of the narrative of both games, and the decrease in the quality of the script is noticeable to the naked eye.

    Oh yes, there is also a love line that was forcibly inserted or what the authors allegedly tried to show us, which is perhaps the biggest pain for me. Why? Because Seyka is boring and uninteresting character but typical interaction between her and Aloy somehow born the "attraction". You know after literally the SAME situation in Ikrie or Talanah arc which you can describe the same words: brave woman warrior and almost match for Aloy lost part of the family and now trying to safe them or memory of them in battle + she doesn't accept any authority. But they decided like this was never happened and Seyka in this situation somehow love interest right now? That's why I don't believe in this story. It comes from literally NOTHING.I love this universe so much and don't mind gay characters whom i met in Horizon games. But if they wanted a romance line i prefer to choose between man, woman or no romantic interest at all for protagonist. But here they just forced one bad line. It is especially hard to believe when Aloy tells Seyka that she has become an example for her in everything. And I sit at this moment and think: why? No, seriously, when? The only thing that Seyka remembers is the incessant comments admiring every action of Aloy like "There you go! Or whining about how everyone around are bad. Or yelling and running away. Nothing more. Therefore, the scene when Aloy holds out her hand to Seyka and says that she cares about this fool feels strained, if not mocking. In Aloy's friendship with Erend or Kotallo, there is more dynamics and real care, not to mention the relationship with Beta.

    Previously, everyone could decide for himself with whom he wanted or did not want to see Aloy, and her disinterest in romantic relationships only gave a peculiar character to the character. Not to mention, during the creation of Zero Dawn, the developers said: "Aloy is a woman on a mission and she has no time to think about such things." Obviously, the producer's hand gave a sign to correct this situation at the time of the crisis and earn easy money on cheap hype. The players themselves want to choose, because there are quite a lot of attractive and charming men and women in the world of Horizon. But they just screwed all fans and made a only chose. A bad one. Only a bitter resentment that another character with a gradual development beloved by the fans of the game was sharply sacrificed to the social agenda. That's all I wanted to say.    … Expand
  4. azzakazam
    Apr 22, 2023
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Was very disappointed with this. I feel like every character is an empty shell walking in an inauthentic world. Sekya is a new supporting character and portrayed to be likeable but I personally found her to be obnoxious, quippy and arrogant - like many other female characters created within the past 10 years (very prevalent in the MCU).

    For new content, there is not much to see here, there's only one brand new machine and the 4 others are just additions to ones we've seen before.

    The main villain is generic and boring. We only see him for a brief moment at the end and all we really know up until that point is "Bad man. Doing bad things. Must stop him".

    In terms of romancing, this seemed very strange and rushed to me. Aloy never showed any previous signs that she was every interested in a relationship with anyone, regardless of sex. The option to romance Sekya seemed rushed, out of character and unnecessary. If romance, even briefly had been mentioned before it wouldn't be so jarring.

    I'm just done with this franchise. Everything seems so inauthentic. This isn't a living breathing world, it's nice graphics with characters that wear silly costumes because that's they're programming. Even the way they talk it just sounds like a 21st Century Millennial! If you want a believable world that'll hold your attention, I suggest The Witcher 3.    … Expand
  5. Captiosus
    Apr 22, 2023
    7
    Pros:
    + More Horizon FW.
    + Improved foliage and cloud graphics. + New machine type. + New weapons and Quen armor. + Elite Weaves and Coils open up more options for legendary armors/weapons. Cons: - Short. 10 hours to 100% completion on New Game+ (Hard difficulty). - The antagonist was groan-worthy at best. - New valor surges and a lot of the added skills are pretty meh. - The    Pros:
    + More Horizon FW.
    + Improved foliage and cloud graphics.
    + New machine type.
    + New weapons and Quen armor.
    + Elite Weaves and Coils open up more options for legendary armors/weapons.

    Cons:
    - Short. 10 hours to 100% completion on New Game+ (Hard difficulty).
    - The antagonist was groan-worthy at best.
    - New valor surges and a lot of the added skills are pretty meh.
    - The hyped up added Zenith weapon is really weak compared to upgraded legendary weapons.
    - Too many collections padding out the playtime, not enough world building side quests.
    - Very little about Los Angeles really stood out.
    - No Tallneck for the region.
    - The Waterwing was pointless. Its functionality was needed for ONE quest, after that it was just a gimmick.
    - The skiff and the geysers were neat additions but pointless since we could fly over everything.
    - The DLC added a lot of graphical issues: Texture and shadow pop-in, texture glitches, lighting oddities.
    - Most of the music was recycled from the base game.
    - Erend, Zo, Alva, and Kotello were removed from their post-game locations and replaced with text "notes".
    - The relationship angle was hurried and felt forced. I don't care about the lesbian angle at all, but after two games of brushing off romantic interests, Aloy develops romantic feelings for someone she just meets and spends a couple days with? Simply because she reminds her of herself? It's bad writing, that's my problem with it.

    Overall, felt it was step below the base game and a major step below The Frozen Wilds DLC for original Horizon Zero Dawn. Unlikely I'll ever play this again as I've already exhausted everything there is to see and do.    … Expand
  6. abslt
    Apr 24, 2023
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Compared to other works, I felt that the Horizon series was very unkind in not allowing players to decide on the delicate part of romance, despite giving them choices in various aspects. I feel that Guerrilla miscalculated the episode of Aloy's romance and the feelings of the player who had been with her for a long time. Additionally, such an important story should not have been done in DLC. If they wanted to depict this, it should have been done in the third game.

    It is very reasonable that some people do not feel satisfied after seeing such a sudden ending.

    If they had shown the process of developing relationships with various characters that they had encountered so far and allowed players to choose how to respond, I would have wanted the ending of this game to be left to the player. Even if they did not leave it to the player, I wanted them to leave a little more margin more carefully.

    Also, I think that many people felt uneasy about the fact that while Aloy was almost in a state of love at first sight, she suddenly confessed her feelings in the ending without feeling any affection from Seyka.

    Of course, it's not like I absolutely hated the idea of Aloy being paired with a certain character, or that I needed the story to unfold exactly as I had imagined, or that I disliked the idea of Aloy being a homosexual. Not at all. It's just that if there were more nuanced options available, I think I could have been more satisfied.

    It wasn't like Horizon to have such an uncharacteristically shallow portrayal, despite the careful psychological depictions that had been built up thus far. It felt like Guerrilla made Aloy play a role in the story they wanted to tell, rather than letting her character naturally develop a romantic interest.

    Either way, it's heartbreaking to feel such disappointment in a beloved game due to the lack of consideration and shallowness displayed in this aspect of the Horizon series. It's a significant loss for me personally to be unable to enjoy walking in such a beautifully evolved world due to the disappointment.    … Expand
  7. MacQuible
    Apr 22, 2023
    9
    Good DLC with a fair price for what you get. The Gameplay is good. The Views are great. The Music is great. The Story is absolutely okay with pushing the character development of aloy further. This is totaly in line with her developments in part 2. PS: Most ppl who rate this dlc low never played it. Never made their own experience. Dont be like them. Make your own experience and your own Decision.
  8. Andreeesg
    Apr 22, 2023
    0
    the first game is pretty boring, but it has a cool story. The second game is average in everything, now this DLC is terrible in everything
  9. Aloy_4hrs_dlc
    Apr 20, 2023
    1
    There is only about 4hrs gameplay for the main story content. Side quests are repetitive. Game play is as weak as the main game. Story is snoozing and predictable. Just wait for the dlc free on PSN or have a major discount in PC one year late. You won't miss anything. April definitely have better choices game than this dlc.
  10. Cyshox
    Apr 21, 2023
    2
    The content is somewhat decent but everything feels like a generic afterthought that could have been implemented in the base game if it wasn't cross-gen. Sony is dropping the ball lately.
  11. StingerWolf
    Apr 21, 2023
    0
    Well another one bites the dust. The first game was rather nice, I have liked it very much. Not so the second game, which had almost the same concept, but with horrible story and bland characters. The dlc tops this and brings in even politics and propaganda, trying to compensate for the quality and content with it is absolutely lacking. For anyone who doesn't understand: keeping theWell another one bites the dust. The first game was rather nice, I have liked it very much. Not so the second game, which had almost the same concept, but with horrible story and bland characters. The dlc tops this and brings in even politics and propaganda, trying to compensate for the quality and content with it is absolutely lacking. For anyone who doesn't understand: keeping the political agenda does not fill the void of a well done game. It would have been nice if the dlc learns from the mistakes of the main game, but sadly, it didn't.… Expand
  12. GSh773
    Apr 22, 2023
    2
    Visually look awesome, but what about storytelling? Aloy lesbian! What are you doing Sony & Guerilla really? Stop doing it with your characters. That’s awful plot, you create a wonderful world, and absolutely awful minor characters. Bad really bad. I love this franchise, and I don’t want to see how you’ll destroy it. and now I’m start thinking about 3 part, and it scares me.
  13. gamakazil
    Apr 25, 2023
    0
    A Crushing Disappointment - 0/10

    As a passionate fan of Horizon Zero Dawn, its sequel Horizon Forbidden West, and the talented studio behind these incredible games, it is with a heavy heart that I must express my profound disappointment with the latest DLC, Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores. The world of Horizon is vast, beautiful, and full of intrigue, and in the past, it has    A Crushing Disappointment - 0/10

    As a passionate fan of Horizon Zero Dawn, its sequel Horizon Forbidden West, and the talented studio behind these incredible games, it is with a heavy heart that I must express my profound disappointment with the latest DLC, Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores.

    The world of Horizon is vast, beautiful, and full of intrigue, and in the past, it has been a true pleasure to embark on countless adventures with Aloy. Unfortunately, Burning Shores takes a sharp and jarring departure from the elements that made the franchise so captivating. Instead, the DLC panders to current popular trends, seemingly desperate to tick checkboxes rather than delivering a compelling and immersive experience.

    The most glaring issue with Burning Shores is the complete lack of choice, which breaks the immersion that had been so lovingly crafted in the main games. The decisions we make as Aloy and the impact they have on the world around us have always been a key aspect of the Horizon experience. By stripping this away, the DLC feels like a hollow shell of what the franchise once was.

    I cannot help but feel a sense of loss for the hundreds of hours I invested in the first and second games, along with their respective DLCs. The time, mind, and soul I dedicated to this incredible universe now feel wasted, as the newest addition to the series betrays the very essence of what made it so engaging.

    As someone who deeply cares about the studio and the world they have created, I am left wanting nothing more than to reclaim the time I spent on Burning Shores. I hope that the developers will learn from this misstep and return to the captivating storytelling and immersive gameplay that earned them a dedicated fanbase in the first place.    … Expand
  14. marmotmx
    Apr 24, 2023
    10
    Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores is a great material that returns us in a spectacular way to the world of Horizon, a brief but entertaining look to the evolution of the title on the works for the next delivery. An incredibly polished combat, more dynamic options, bigger and deadlier machines and a pretty satisfying boss battle all interwoven in a moving and engaging story.
  15. Bash87
    Apr 24, 2023
    0
    Very bad story not expecting this from horizon games. I was expecting more from Sony
  16. GameforGamers
    Apr 21, 2023
    0
    This DLC is absolutely terrible and not worth anyone's time. The story is poorly written, Even if you have enjoyed the main game, this DLC will make you hate it. Avoid it at all costs, as it is not worth the money
  17. Mohamed_Bala
    Apr 26, 2023
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I can't believe they did this to horizon forbidden west most waited dlc . This game doesn't deserve this. We don't want to see this type of things ever again we just want to play games… Expand
  18. iasim
    Apr 22, 2023
    0
    Sooo bad this add-on is just terrible I recommend everyone not to purchase it.
  19. Kaka_Rawezh
    Apr 22, 2023
    0
    game is not a place for Political problems we are not supporting any kinda Political problems in game industry
  20. peyman24
    Apr 23, 2023
    1
    The game has nothing new, maybe its only purpose is an ideology for the first character of the game, but the game itself is completely repetitive and boring, repetitive and boring missions, boring stereotypes.
  21. Jrosa56
    Apr 21, 2023
    0
    Game is absolute trash! The writing is just atrocious. Graphics doesn’t make a game great.
  22. rampantrabbit
    Apr 22, 2023
    1
    Sick of 'the message' interfering with everything, now my gaming.
    DLC is lacklustre and don't see why this was PS5 only, not much added???
    One that can be happily skipped, they have lost the magic of the first game.
  23. indorilnerevar
    Apr 22, 2023
    3
    Visuals 10/10, content to world size ratio 3/10, unneeded romance arc feeling rushed and forced 0/10. I'd say 3 is a fair average.
  24. ArmorOfFaith
    Apr 22, 2023
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is an authentic review from a long time fan of the series. I remember pre-ordering the game back when the first game was announced. I was excited because it looked right up my alley, exciting new character and location/story, I was excited after finishing the first game because it was so, so good. Then, the sequel came out years after that. Again, same level of excitement. When I finished it, I was mostly happy with everything, there were some LBGT content but thankfully Aloy was not apart of that much. But then this DLC came out. I pre ordered it months back then a day or two before the release, I find out that GG decided to make her a lesbian. I got attacked on twitter for making such comments and how upsetting it is to me that you guys would rather ruin a character then make a compelling story line. Or at least, let the compelling story line be the main focus. But instead, at the VERY end of the game we get a "choice" if you want to call it that. This choice did not give us the ability to fully say no, only to "put it off" I and many others say Aloy as a character who had no time for relationships, and especially a lesbian one. In general, this has been severely pushed in MANY entertainment these days, in such a way that it is indeed classified as brainwashing. But for those on the opposite side of the discussion, they wont believe or say it is a brainwashing tactic. This really breaks my heart, a once very loved series of mine and now I am torn and I don't know if I will ever buy anything from this game again. I had thought, Okay.. Fine, there were some gay/cross dressing characters sprinkled here and there in the game, but they wouldn't go so far as to do this to Aloy right? Sadly, I was wrong. This is disappointing. The only credit I will give, is the graphics, the scenery and only small parts of the story were decent and some exploration.. but even with that, the map is rather small comparing it to other games. This isn't just a "review bomb" it is an honest and raw review and sadly, deserved. I really hope GG will read these reviews in a non-biased manner and take into account EVERYONE who plays the game, whether they be gay or straight and really make a decent game in the future. Thank you.… Expand
  25. TonyJr
    Apr 22, 2023
    3
    This 3 I am giving only because of the brilliant open world and awesome graphics need to do better on the story department felt rushed
  26. soyateo
    Apr 23, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I give 10 to the DLC I loved the truth being very honest some bugs that could be fixed but the duration and the story I loved it.… Expand
  27. Ammarthehero
    Apr 22, 2023
    0
    The DLC doesn’t add to the main story a thing , not great story A new dlc for agenda , and we don’t want that anymore
  28. Rsb20
    Apr 22, 2023
    0
    Hey Sony PlayStation, this is enough. You must see a solution to the issue of the agenda. We are in a world of entertainment, not in a world full of deviant and misguided ideas. We are in a world of playing simply and rejoicing. We need a quick solution so that the PlayStation brand does not end
  29. Nunes86
    Apr 22, 2023
    1
    Praticamente jogaram no lixo a personalidade da Aloy durante os 2 jogos anteriores, os diálogos da Aloy são forçados ela praticamente o tempo todo demonstrando um interesse amoroso por uma pessoa que ela acabou de conhecer, praticamente não teve máquinas novas que desafiaram o jogador exceto pelo Boss final, tem pop-up nos carregamentos de tela, Aloy continua sem uma habilidade de defesa,Praticamente jogaram no lixo a personalidade da Aloy durante os 2 jogos anteriores, os diálogos da Aloy são forçados ela praticamente o tempo todo demonstrando um interesse amoroso por uma pessoa que ela acabou de conhecer, praticamente não teve máquinas novas que desafiaram o jogador exceto pelo Boss final, tem pop-up nos carregamentos de tela, Aloy continua sem uma habilidade de defesa, quando vai ao solo parece que tira um cochilo, a DLC não agrega quase nada a história central do oeste proibido, enfim não vale o preço cheio. Sony japonesa deveria supervisionar oque suas filiais fazem com suas franquias, não imagino a Nintendo fazendo com o Mário oque a Sony fez com a Aloy. Mais uma franquia cooptada pelo lobby do amor.… Expand
  30. ZZXAB
    Apr 22, 2023
    0
    I am disappointed and no longer excited for any upcoming content of the game.
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Awards & Rankings

48
#48 Best PlayStation 5 Game of 2023
5
#5 Most Discussed PlayStation 5 Game of 2023

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 73 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 66 out of 73
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 73
  3. Negative: 0 out of 73
  1. Movies Games and Tech
    Jul 31, 2024
    80
    Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores is visually the best game I have ever played, and in terms of gameplay, it is enjoyable for me, although it may not be for everyone. But the story is the biggest weakness of the game, and I don’t think the story will be great in Someone’s opinion and it may just be the difference between those who say it’s mid and those who say it’s bad. But in different ways, this game completely shows off the power of the 9th generation console.
    Read full review
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 23, 2024
    80
    Burning Shores is definitely worth a visit. The story builds nicely, the side quests have nice depth, and Aloy and Seyka may end up forming something more than just a friendship. The question is whether a little more content could have been added. After all, it's all stuff we've seen before. [Issue#327]
  3. PLAY
    Sep 17, 2023
    70
    Seyka is a welcome addition to Aloy’s allies. However the DLC shows no intention of escaping the science fantasy nonsense the base game mired itself in. [Issue#28, p.88]
See all critic reviews »