Horizon Forbidden West

 PlayStation 5
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 10308 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7,816 out of 10308
  2. Mixed: 729 out of 10308
  3. Negative: 1,763 out of 10308
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  1. Casey5934
    Feb 26, 2022
    9
    The game is gorgeous, it plays well, and the character development is amazing. A few minor framerate glitches here and there, about 4 in 40+ hours of play, for me. The story can "start slow" for some, but I didn't feel that way.
  2. Aurora2907
    Feb 26, 2022
    9
    Hey guys!! Ein tolles Game, ganz ehrlich!! Ich kenne beide Teile und muss euch ganz ehrlich sagen, Guerilla hat es toll hinbekommen, hat auch versucht, ein paar neue geile Gadgets einzubauen und ganz ehrlich, ich höre nicht auf solche Hass Kommentare und Ratings, bitte macht euch eure eigene Meinung! Gute Graphik, geiles Spiel, tolle Countries! Nur das Kämpfen könnte noch ein bisschenHey guys!! Ein tolles Game, ganz ehrlich!! Ich kenne beide Teile und muss euch ganz ehrlich sagen, Guerilla hat es toll hinbekommen, hat auch versucht, ein paar neue geile Gadgets einzubauen und ganz ehrlich, ich höre nicht auf solche Hass Kommentare und Ratings, bitte macht euch eure eigene Meinung! Gute Graphik, geiles Spiel, tolle Countries! Nur das Kämpfen könnte noch ein bisschen realistischer sein.… Expand
  3. Teufelsrochen
    Feb 19, 2022
    10
    Was für ein top-Game geile Grafik/gute Story .
    Ich bin vom spieleerlebnis voll begeistert.
  4. Lostdestiny
    Feb 26, 2022
    10
    Jogo lindo! História super envolvente! Muito feliz em poder jogar esse game no PS5. Quem está em dúvida quanto a compra, pode comprar. Vale cada centavo!
  5. Bartek_Miko
    Feb 26, 2022
    10
    Briliant! Huge map, plenty to do, beautiful views, a lot of machines, armors and weapons... 10+/10
  6. MisterMartins
    Feb 24, 2022
    10
    Incredible game, incredible story. Game of the year 2022 unless God of War Ragnarok can top this.
  7. kilroymurdoch
    Feb 26, 2022
    10
    Fantastic game. Takes a while to build into the masterpiece it is, taking everything from the first game and amplifying it in meaningful new ways. Polished to the hilt from graphics to voice acting, MoCap story and gameplay. Couldn't put down the controller! An emotionally rewarding with Aloy in a fascinating and complete world! Thanks to the team at Guerilla games
  8. sarcasm83
    Feb 26, 2022
    9
    Truely improved on so many levels, I haven't been able to put the game down ever since it released.
    Biggest improvement is how they've managed to make their NPC's so expressive that it's much easier to connect to them and remember them. The facial expressions are genuinely believable and relatable, during the main storyline ASWELL as some random side quests.
    I think this improvement in    Truely improved on so many levels, I haven't been able to put the game down ever since it released.
    Biggest improvement is how they've managed to make their NPC's so expressive that it's much easier to connect to them and remember them. The facial expressions are genuinely believable and relatable, during the main storyline ASWELL as some random side quests.

    I think this improvement in facial expressions is also one of the biggest reasons why Aloy's looks have somewhat changed; If we look at Hannah Hoekstra (original 3D model) and Ashley Burch (Voice actress, motion capture), Ashley has much rounder cheeks and much higher rising cheekbones when laughing for example. To make the facial expression motion capture work on the level it is at in this new game, I'm fairly sure they had to tweak the facial structure and proportions closer to Ashley's.

    I also thought Aloy looked off and off-putting in some of the pre-release trailers, but in my honest opinion, she looks nice in the game. Especially as I've played as her and relate to her, she's a fantastic character and I love how she has absolutely no patience for nonsense when the stakes are so high.

    The frustrations of a person who knows much more than the tribal level citizens have been well depicted, without overdoing it.

    I'm also positively surprised how the plot has managed to still maintain my interest so well, 45 hours in now. I was worried that the first game already "spilled the beans" on the big plot twist and that it'd be hard to make the second one as interesting, but they've managed to pull it off really well.

    I personally haven't been put off by the noisy/shimmering qualities of some foliage. I do notice it's there if I focus on it, but it hasn't been a bother at all. Didn't notice it before it was talked online. (Dunno if my Samsung Q70 QLED's just displaying it differently from some OLEDs or so)
    The game looks absolutely gorgeous and the amount of screenshots I've already taken with photo mode is through the roof.

    My biggest gripes are;

    -Some of the bigger enemies, like Rockbreaker are annoying to fight against, as in general you either fight them from far, sniping them and whittling them down from a cliff OR you get close. First one gets boring after repetition and the second one can be frustrating, as the enemies have lunge attacks where they jump from under ground or the distance and Aloy's dodge roll doesn't cover the distance that the attack is wide. So even if you roll at a perfect time, the hitbox still punishes you.
    But that aside, I feel like the difficulty has been at a good place, first at normal and then bumping it a little higher as I got better and more skills/weapons.

    - Aloy talking too much. Especially bothersome when there's some sort of a puzzle and before you even get to think about it, Aloy narrates "to herself" what she should do. I'd much rather have the time to look around and piece it together myself, even if it's a simple puzzle to begin with. Also the repeated lines about her stash and some instances where if you get close to something that she comments on, then back away a little and come immediately back, you get the same line again.

    - Tutorial hints even after 40+ hours into the game where the game says you can scan machines with Focus or "Hold square to glide" etc. even once I have even turned contextual tips off.

    Still, an incredibly well put together package that was easily the price I paid; 49 euros for a PS4 physical that I then upgraded to PS5 digital free.

    Really a shame that some people sabotage the game with 0/10 scores. I understand not liking it as much, but 0/10 is just dishonest every time, there's nothing more to it.

    Very much recommended especially for everyone who enjoyed the first one.    … Expand
  9. BlueDoomz
    Feb 26, 2022
    5
    Horizon Forbidden West blew my mind for it's complex and detailed open world! It improves massive from it's previous game from graphics, water effects, character fidelity, machine types, cutscenes, new mounts, new weapons and so on.
  10. Alphaprim3
    Feb 26, 2022
    10
    HZD is my all time favorite game & Forbidden West is living up to all my expectations! The graphics are top notch & the story is even better this time!
  11. Stahlrutsche
    Feb 26, 2022
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Played this for 30 hours, didn't finish yet. I will, but so far it was a mediocre experience. Playing on Hard Difficulty, via the Custom Setting.

    The whole experience feels gated. After finishing the tutorial, I started exploring ASAP, The first three landmarks I explored revealed blocked paths (two on the map, one in a sidequest). Two of those opened up after I finished a Level 24 Quest, for the other one I have yet to find a solution. Talk about demotivating your customer. Leaving the Nora Heartlands in Part One, you could go where you want, doing what you want, your path and exploration only blocked by story- relevant sites. Forbidden West keeps up with the gating. You can only travel most of the map after visiting the first and second areas, and exploration- related abilities are gated behind story missions.

    I encountered tons of bugs, mostly graphics- wise. Non story- NPCs clipping through story relevant- characters in cutscenes (enountered in the first village), Bugging AI's in larger machines, rendering them totally passive. Disappearing machine bodies of flying machines after I killed them while airborne, because the game couldn't decide where to place the body. Worst are control related issues, I suffered random cases of stick drift while aiming at machines from slopes or uneven terrain. My controller works fine, tested in copies of other games, and problems persists even after resetting bluetooth and controller software.

    The last factor makes sniping unbearably difficult in crucial situations, like severing body parts of machines with quest related rewards in it, that would otherwise disintegrate when killing the machine. I solved this issue partially by setting my difficulty to "Custom" and enabling "Easy Loot", which reduces the grindiness of the game by a lot. Btw way, loot, if you want to upgrade, expect a lot of grinding, This game wanrts to be at least Monster Hunter in a light form. Also here, gating or bugs. I got that one legendary armor I want to upgrade. I am looking for a machine site. Can't find it. Use Youtube. Still can't find despite guides with maps. Seems like that machine site spawns only after I have progressed far enough in the story. Just for protocol, I beat that machine in the tutorial as a boss.

    You will be picking up stuff. A lot. This is forced upon you by a mediocre inventory managment system. Your main source of healing are berries, a full heal takes as much as 4 of them, you pick them up in single batches. Your pouches are limited. Everything you pick up exceeding your pouch capacity will be magically teleported to your stash. It doesn't feel like a quality of life- improvement, but yet another wall you have to juggle while playing.

    The skill system is blooated, there are several skill trees, unlocking passives, active abilities (that you can only use with certain types of weapons, related to the tree), and acitve "Valor" Skills. You can have a dozen of those abilities, but due to controller limitations, you have to switch the manually via the weapon wheel, making it feel clunky.

    Remember how people said Part One had to few weapons? Well, fear no more! You can buy a bucketload of weapons, all different, but not offering the flexibility the weapons in Zero Dawn had. You wanna shoot three different types of Ammmunition with your bow, like in part one? No problem, you just have to equip two different bows of the same kind, because most of the weapons only offer one or two types of Ammunition. Well, until you start unlocking Very Rare weapons about 20 hours into the game. I remember times having equiped two Sharpshooter Bows and three War Bows to have access to all types of damage and ammunition I needed. You have only five quicklots on your wheel.

    You need to upgrade your equipment badly, at least on the higher difficulties, unless you want to get two-shot by mobs, which are swarming you relentlessly. Elaborate Critical Strike- animations are nice, but since you have no I-Frames, a well-placed Critical Strike on a machine is often more than enough time for it's buddies to tear you apart. The machines feel more unfair this time around. Zero Dawn had its camera issues, and combat sometimes felt unfair after you had been killed from off-screen three times in a row. This one tops it. The machines in Forbidden West mostly use elemental AOE-Attacks at range. you have no option for long dodges (well, maybe I have overlooked it in some skill tree), and your I-Frames are so limited, that it feels like frame perfect perfect dodges are needed. For me, a frustrating experience, bouncing off of enemies attacks like in pinball. Oh, and the machines are fast. I may be getting old, but a lot of attacks are barely telegraphed.

    We got a german word for this, "Verschlimmbesserung", "improving" something until it becomes worse than, in this case, Part One. I fear for Part 3.    … Expand
  12. Dukedell6
    Feb 26, 2022
    10
    This new installment to Horizon brought it. New machines, new combat system and a awesome story. This is what I expected from Guerrilla Games when the title was announced. Explore the world and learn as you take this game on. You can build your character as you like whether you one to take things head on or bolster your stealth attacking. There’s lot to uncover in the game and I think aThis new installment to Horizon brought it. New machines, new combat system and a awesome story. This is what I expected from Guerrilla Games when the title was announced. Explore the world and learn as you take this game on. You can build your character as you like whether you one to take things head on or bolster your stealth attacking. There’s lot to uncover in the game and I think a lot of people will enjoy it as well!… Expand
  13. Mohamedhatem
    Feb 26, 2022
    10
    Nice game... i love it... im play it every day without any boring.. thanks for this game
  14. Sylphi78
    Feb 26, 2022
    10
    Love this game even more then part 1. Hope for further dlc or part 3. the story of aloy isn’t at his end.

    Lovely and detailed grafic could be hours under water or whatch the beauty of nature around aloy. All antifeministic haters her- go and cry alone in your bed
  15. Marcorrr
    Feb 26, 2022
    10
    Perfecto excepto que hay un poco de niebla, 0 Bugs y cinemáticas 10/10. Versión ps4
  16. Tylerkin93
    Feb 26, 2022
    7
    The more I play Horizon Forbidden West the more I’m baffled by the 9’s & 10’s it was given. It’s 7, maybe an 8. The character movement, especially when jumping feels incredibly dated & clunky. Compare the way Aloy jumps to Tomb Raider on PS1 & Uncharted, tell me the movement isn’t Closer to that of Lara Croft. The story is so mind numbingly dull, as are the characters, that I’ve startedThe more I play Horizon Forbidden West the more I’m baffled by the 9’s & 10’s it was given. It’s 7, maybe an 8. The character movement, especially when jumping feels incredibly dated & clunky. Compare the way Aloy jumps to Tomb Raider on PS1 & Uncharted, tell me the movement isn’t Closer to that of Lara Croft. The story is so mind numbingly dull, as are the characters, that I’ve started listening to music while playing. The side quests are repetitive & formulaic (which I don’t have a problem with) but was praised for not being. Far Cry gets criticised for towers yet Horizon is praised for tallnecks. I enjoy the towers & tallnecks but where is the consistency in reviewing games? The combat is a frustration more than anything. Dodging is pointless against some machines so it seems you have no defence. When you get them into status effects it doesn’t really seem to have much impact on them so swapping ammo doesn’t really mean much. Having to constantly stop and craft new ammo is as monotonous as it gets. I’m fast travelling at every possible opportunity because going from point A to point B isn’t enjoyable. Compare that to Dying Light 2 which I’ve just finished and running all over the place was fun & rewarding. If Ubisoft released this game the media would have given it 7.5 I can guarantee you that.… Expand
  17. Bonstick
    Feb 26, 2022
    10
    Игра очень крутая, сюжет на высоте, графика мое почтение, русская озвучка очень классная. В игре есть маленькие минусы но это мелочи. Игра для покупки 100%.
  18. Glitches
    Feb 26, 2022
    9
    I honestly can’t get enough of this game, the graphics are gorgeous and the story kept me engaged side quests are not repetitive and always have something unique. Great game can’t wait for more horizon.
  19. KDMCollectables
    Feb 26, 2022
    10
    Not 10, more a 9 or 9.1 but have to give 10 as seriously, some people are rating this as '0' i mean, you really have to be a special kind of person to do that lol

    It's a visual masterpiece, the core gameplay is brilliant, so far the plot is interesting and engaging. We are so spoilt as gamers, perhaps, to now be expecting this regularly. Massive leaps forward in the gameplay, the    Not 10, more a 9 or 9.1 but have to give 10 as seriously, some people are rating this as '0' i mean, you really have to be a special kind of person to do that lol

    It's a visual masterpiece, the core gameplay is brilliant, so far the plot is interesting and engaging. We are so spoilt as gamers, perhaps, to now be expecting this regularly.

    Massive leaps forward in the gameplay, the visuals and overall performance of the game. Diversity of enemies and battles has increased, plot/story is as gripping as previous. Interesting, diverse characters and a real sense this is a plausible future, so immersion levels are next level.

    Just an incredible feet of creativity.    … Expand
  20. Alexman2022
    Feb 26, 2022
    10
    [NON-SPOILER]

    Horizon Horizon.... Where do I even begin! I have been patiently waiting for this game to come out ever since it was announced. First things first, when they said "newer and deadlier" machines, they weren't lying! Instead of just whacking machines like in the first game, theres actually alot more skill involved to hit their weakpoints and a strong focus on elemental    [NON-SPOILER]

    Horizon Horizon.... Where do I even begin! I have been patiently waiting for this game to come out ever since it was announced. First things first, when they said "newer and deadlier" machines, they weren't lying! Instead of just whacking machines like in the first game, theres actually alot more skill involved to hit their weakpoints and a strong focus on elemental weaknesses. Dodging is your friend more than ever in this game. The amount of times I get 1 tapped by a machine was crazy. New machines have creative moves and even the old machines from Zero Dawn got move upgrades. That's not to say the game was overly hard. On normal, it provided the best challenge that really made me focus to beat the machines and bosses and finish the missions(Get it? Focus? I'll see my self out xD). In terms of the story, THIS is how a sequel should be made! You meet old friends and make many new ones along the way, the character development is super good and you really connect with the characters. The story is a perfect continuation from Zero dawn and some of the lore you discover is really mind altering. The world is huge with so much to do and to explore and looks amazing even on PS4, I still do not know how they did it! The skill system is awesome with over 150+ unlockable skills and I found myself using most of them to make my quests easier.

    Now onto the things that aren't so amazing, mounts. They added new mounts to override to get around the map. While most of them are fine, the normal horse-like mounts are still clunky and the mechanics are underpolished. Also, the melee system could use some work, the amount of times it took me to finish the practice combos to pass that quest irritated me. There are bugs here and there but they weren't anything game-breaking. As we speak, Gerilla have released a 1.5gb patch to fix some of the issues and more will be fixed with time. There's probably more I missed in terms of the game but I am to busy processing the story.

    If you are new to/ havent played Horizon, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you do. Horizon has one of the best/unique stories I have ever played and I am excited to see what comes next!    … Expand
  21. ObelicS
    Feb 26, 2022
    9
    Amazing, gorgeous world that feels alive on every step. Main story and side mission complements each other in great way.
    The most beautifully designed world and enemies. An interesting battle and a system of advancement. Well balanced game weight on all levels.
  22. Jakratos
    Feb 20, 2022
    10
    One of the best open world of all time, impressive graphics, dynamic combat and action,and beautiful stories
  23. shiarae
    Feb 26, 2022
    10
    This sequel is strong. I've played 30hours and constantly I find myself discovering new amazing quests and places to visit. Graphics are amazing. I do not understand these reviews, they seem so pointless. Higly recommend this game if you liked Zero Dawn.
  24. dacca
    Feb 25, 2022
    9
    Uma evolução perfeita de um jogo que já era bom. Gráficos jamais vistos em nenhum outro jogo, narrativa e história muito boas.
  25. William4545
    Feb 25, 2022
    8
    An amazing sequal to horizon zero dawn! The story was amazing and was not what I was expecting. The gameplay mechanics include new techniques and drastically improves on the original. The open world is beautiful and enormous, there is so much to do after the campaign. Definitely makes the list for my top 10 favourite games!
  26. Meeky13
    Feb 25, 2022
    10
    Amazing game, I can't believe some of the idiots I have read on here the game is 95% fine bug-wise with the odd clipping here and there but nothing major! the story, graphics, gameplay, the sound is all god-tier!
  27. Boomtown
    Feb 25, 2022
    10
    One of the greatest "sequels" ever made .. the leap from the first game is huge and better in every way!
  28. RodSal
    Feb 25, 2022
    10
    Epic open world game.
    Amazing story.
    Best secondary missions since The Witcher 3.
  29. lonestar62
    Feb 25, 2022
    10
    This blows the first game out of the water, and that says a lot! The new features were very thoughtfully implemented and well done. The story is excellent, the voice acting is phenomenal, and the characters are very well developed. There are some bugs but nothing game breaking at all.
  30. Arasaka07
    Feb 25, 2022
    10
    an amazing masterpiece with its world, story, experience, it is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining games and one of the best science fiction content ever.
Page:

Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best PlayStation 5 Game of 2022
2
#2 Most Discussed PlayStation 5 Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 127 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 119 out of 127
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 127
  3. Negative: 0 out of 127
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 30, 2024
    100
    Horizon has enchanted me again. After a slow start, a graphically beautiful, sophisticated sequel comes, polished in every aspect, and underscored by a great soundtrack on top of that. The sequel was simply a success. Everything that worked before works even slightly better now. [Issue#317]
  2. T3
    Aug 11, 2022
    80
    Horizon Forbidden West is Guerrilla's best game to date, taking Aloy to new heights with a blockbuster release that meets the high standards set by PlayStation in recent years. While it's totally worth fans jumping in on day one, it's perhaps better to wait a few weeks until all the bugs are ironed out.
    Read full review
  3. MeuPlayStation
    May 11, 2022
    96
    Horizon Forbidden West is exactly what everyone thought it would be: an amazing game. It has an open world with plenty of things to do and places to explore, fights against some really well-developed machines and stunning visuals. The feeling is that the second game of the series improves on what was already great, and it feels rewarding and fun to play. It is another single-player masterpiece from Sony.
    Read full review
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