chrispy294
BACKER
Log Status
Completed
Playing
Backlog
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Rating
Time Played
73h 53m
Days in Journal
2 days
Last played
October 16, 2022
First played
July 28, 2022
Platforms Played
Library Ownership
Wow this took me longer than I expected. I got completely sucked into yet another Horizon game, and like last time, I'm pretty blown away.
Let's get the obvious out of the way. This game is gorgeous! From a technical perspective, it's an absolute marvel on PS5 and looked great while running at a solid 60fps. This is all amplified by art and design that is exquisite. The different tribal costume and makeup designs were already great, but the new additions of the Tenakth clans and others I won't spoil only ramp it up further. The machines continue to be a spectacle as well, providing old favorites and some breathtaking new ones. Overall, there was never a moment where I didn't like what I was looking at.
Continuing on with other production aspects, the sound was great as well. The music was phenomenal, sticking out to me much more than the first game. The sound design really knocked it out of the park, especially with the machines. Each one, old and new, had its own unique "vocabulary" of noises that made them distinct. The voice cast nailed it as well. Ashley Birch continues to shine as Aloy, Lance Reddick returns as the scheming Sylens, and big name newcomers Angela Bassett and Carrie-Anne Moss nail their roles.
And boy, were these machines fun to fight as well. This game really took everything that worked in Horizon 1 and amplified it up to 11. The machines are even more fun to fight, there are more weapon types, more status effects you can apply, and WAY more activities. Some of these, like the Hunter Trials, are still a bit lackluster, but others were fun. I had a great time going through all the different questlines for all the different stories and rewards.
One thing I noticed especially was the enhancement to puzzles and platforming. Plenty of locations and quests both optional and main required some interesting platforming and problem solving with all sorts of new skills to complete. I really enjoyed how they evolved a lot of these throughout the whole campaign. This does highlight one of my issues though, and that is with the mechanics of platforming itself. It just doesn't work sometimes. Aloy will miss jumps for no reason, glitch through handholds, fall out of nowhere, refuse to jump to a new handhold that's right there, or glitch into the terrain. Thankfully, this doesn't happen too much, but when it does, it's extremely noticeable.
The abilities too, while a great addition once you had them, had an adverse effect on the world design. Guerrilla decided to ape Metroidvania titles by blocking off certain activities, loot, and quests until you have the right ability. Only issue is, this game is open world, so having to backtrack just to get some crystals or a lootbox always felt kind of silly. Not to mention, the activities and quests they blocked off ended up just clashing with the flow of how I tackled the world. I liked to make my way through the world to get to the next quest, and it was always disappointing to find another roadblock I'd have to come back for. That being said, the abilities themselves were mostly great. For every Firegleam crystal clearer (which really was just a new way to open doors, boring) there was the breathing mask for unlimited air underwater like what was seen in the prerelease material. There are a couple others I won't spoil, but you definitely get some cool things added to your kit.
Finally, I want to touch on the story which I thought was masterfully done. Only nitpick would be the dialogue could be a bit clunky, especially from Varl, but otherwise I was hooked. The way it completely blew this universe wide open was exhilarating, and the character work was so much better than before. Aside from Aloy and Sylens, I didn't really remember any of the characters from Horizon: Zero Dawn. I highly doubt this will be the case this time, as the supporting cast is not only more integrated into the story, but fleshed out further too. Without spoiling too much, you get a base partway through the game that allows you to interact with your allies regularly Mass Effect-style. The writing for these conversations was awesome, and I really came to love these characters. It helped make some of the later twists and turns hit all the harder.
Horizon: Forbidden West is another excellent open world game from Guerrilla Games. I was absolutely hooked as I delved once more into this wonderful world for over 70 hours. If you're a fan of open world games, especially the first Horizon, you owe it to yourself to play this entry.
Let's get the obvious out of the way. This game is gorgeous! From a technical perspective, it's an absolute marvel on PS5 and looked great while running at a solid 60fps. This is all amplified by art and design that is exquisite. The different tribal costume and makeup designs were already great, but the new additions of the Tenakth clans and others I won't spoil only ramp it up further. The machines continue to be a spectacle as well, providing old favorites and some breathtaking new ones. Overall, there was never a moment where I didn't like what I was looking at.
Continuing on with other production aspects, the sound was great as well. The music was phenomenal, sticking out to me much more than the first game. The sound design really knocked it out of the park, especially with the machines. Each one, old and new, had its own unique "vocabulary" of noises that made them distinct. The voice cast nailed it as well. Ashley Birch continues to shine as Aloy, Lance Reddick returns as the scheming Sylens, and big name newcomers Angela Bassett and Carrie-Anne Moss nail their roles.
And boy, were these machines fun to fight as well. This game really took everything that worked in Horizon 1 and amplified it up to 11. The machines are even more fun to fight, there are more weapon types, more status effects you can apply, and WAY more activities. Some of these, like the Hunter Trials, are still a bit lackluster, but others were fun. I had a great time going through all the different questlines for all the different stories and rewards.
One thing I noticed especially was the enhancement to puzzles and platforming. Plenty of locations and quests both optional and main required some interesting platforming and problem solving with all sorts of new skills to complete. I really enjoyed how they evolved a lot of these throughout the whole campaign. This does highlight one of my issues though, and that is with the mechanics of platforming itself. It just doesn't work sometimes. Aloy will miss jumps for no reason, glitch through handholds, fall out of nowhere, refuse to jump to a new handhold that's right there, or glitch into the terrain. Thankfully, this doesn't happen too much, but when it does, it's extremely noticeable.
The abilities too, while a great addition once you had them, had an adverse effect on the world design. Guerrilla decided to ape Metroidvania titles by blocking off certain activities, loot, and quests until you have the right ability. Only issue is, this game is open world, so having to backtrack just to get some crystals or a lootbox always felt kind of silly. Not to mention, the activities and quests they blocked off ended up just clashing with the flow of how I tackled the world. I liked to make my way through the world to get to the next quest, and it was always disappointing to find another roadblock I'd have to come back for. That being said, the abilities themselves were mostly great. For every Firegleam crystal clearer (which really was just a new way to open doors, boring) there was the breathing mask for unlimited air underwater like what was seen in the prerelease material. There are a couple others I won't spoil, but you definitely get some cool things added to your kit.
Finally, I want to touch on the story which I thought was masterfully done. Only nitpick would be the dialogue could be a bit clunky, especially from Varl, but otherwise I was hooked. The way it completely blew this universe wide open was exhilarating, and the character work was so much better than before. Aside from Aloy and Sylens, I didn't really remember any of the characters from Horizon: Zero Dawn. I highly doubt this will be the case this time, as the supporting cast is not only more integrated into the story, but fleshed out further too. Without spoiling too much, you get a base partway through the game that allows you to interact with your allies regularly Mass Effect-style. The writing for these conversations was awesome, and I really came to love these characters. It helped make some of the later twists and turns hit all the harder.
Horizon: Forbidden West is another excellent open world game from Guerrilla Games. I was absolutely hooked as I delved once more into this wonderful world for over 70 hours. If you're a fan of open world games, especially the first Horizon, you owe it to yourself to play this entry.