Horizon Forbidden West: Top Tips for Mastering the Game

Key Highlights

• Explore a vast and visually stunning open world, from lush jungles to vibrant underwater corridors in the Horizon Forbidden West.
• Master an improved combat system by targeting specific machine parts to exploit weaknesses and even use their weapons against them.
• Understand the six distinct skill trees to customize Aloy’s abilities, focusing on skills that offer tangible improvements to your preferred playstyle.
• This sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn expands on the rich lore, introducing new tribes and mysterious new threats on PlayStation consoles and PC.
• The game offers deep accessibility options, including customizable difficulty and haptic feedback, making the experience enjoyable for all players.
• Unlock powerful gear and bonus content by completing the many side quests, which add significant depth to the world of Horizon.

Introduction

Welcome back to the incredible world of Horizon! Picking up six months after the events of Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West throws you right back into Aloy’s journey as she travels to a majestic and dangerous new frontier. A mysterious plague is ravaging the land, and it’s up to you to guide Aloy westward to find answers and save the world once again. This sequel is a technical marvel, improving upon its predecessor in nearly every way and offering a captivating adventure for both returning fans and newcomers.

Essential Strategies for Beginners

Jumping into the Horizon Forbidden West is an exciting experience, and the game does an excellent job of trusting you to learn the ropes. Unlike Zero Dawn, the introduction is much faster, giving you access to a wide array of tools early in your gameplay.

To get the most out of your initial hours, it’s wise to focus on a few key areas. Prioritizing certain skills and weapons will give you a significant edge as you begin to explore this dangerous open world. So, what are the most important skills to unlock early? Let’s get you prepared for the journey ahead.

Understanding Aloy’s Skills and Upgrades

Your journey with Aloy is deeply personal, and the game’s six skill trees allow you to shape her abilities to match your playstyle. While it’s tempting to dabble in everything, some trees feel more impactful in the early game. Focusing your skill points on the Ranged Combat, Stealth, and Melee trees will likely give you the most immediate advantages in the Forbidden West.

Unlike some RPGs where upgrades feel like tiny percentage boosts, each skill point spent in Forbidden West feels like a meaningful improvement. You’ll unlock powerful new weapon techniques and passive abilities that tangibly change how you approach battles. A great addition is the Valor Surges—special abilities that can turn the tide of a difficult fight, like an AoE shockwave that devastates nearby enemies.

Experimenting is key, but don’t feel overwhelmed. The skills you learn will give Aloy entirely new capabilities on your console or PC. You’ll find that investing in these core combat areas first will build a strong foundation before you branch out into more specialized skills like trapping or overriding machines.

Best Early Game Weapons and Gear Choices

One of the best improvements in Horizon Forbidden West is that you are equipped with a varied arsenal almost from the start. This makes the early combat encounters far more engaging and strategic. You’ll have access to familiar weapons from the first game alongside powerful new tools designed for tackling the challenges of this dangerous frontier.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different weapon types and their associated ammo. For example, the new Spike Throwers are fantastic for dealing massive damage from a distance. The key is to use your Focus to scan machines and identify their elemental weaknesses. This allows you to select the right tool for the job, whether it’s inflicting acid damage to melt armor or using shock arrows to stun a target.

Some of the best gear, such as the powerful Carja Behemoth Elite outfit, can be obtained by completing specific quests or as bonus content. As you begin, focus on acquiring a versatile loadout. A good starting point includes:

• Hunter Bow: Versatile and reliable for precision shots.
• Sharpshot Bow: Great for long-range sniping and tearing off components.
• Spike Thrower: Perfect for high-impact explosive damage.
• Tripcaster: Useful for setting traps and controlling the battlefield.

Advanced Combat Techniques for Horizon Forbidden West

Once you’ve got the basics down, you can start exploring the deeper layers of Forbidden West‘s combat. The action is fast-paced and feels like a mix between hunting massive beasts and strategically dismembering robotic threats. Each fight is a puzzle, requiring you to target specific parts to disable attacks or expose weak points.

This strategic approach is what makes the advanced combat so rewarding. On PlayStation consoles, the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback adds another layer of immersion, letting you feel the tension of Aloy’s bowstring. To succeed against tougher foes, you’ll need to master elemental attacks and develop specific tactics for each machine.

Mastering the Use of Elemental Attacks

Elemental attacks are your best friend in the dangerous frontier of the Forbidden West. Simply shooting at a machine’s body will often feel like you’re chipping away at a wall of metal. However, hitting a machine with an element it’s weak to can trigger powerful chain reactions, deal damage over time, or create openings for a devastating follow-up attack.

Always use your Focus to scan an enemy before a fight. This will reveal its elemental weaknesses and resistances, which is crucial information for planning your assault. For example, dousing a machine in Purgewater can disable its elemental attacks, leaving it much less of a threat. Mastering these interactions is essential for taking on the mysterious new threats you’ll encounter, especially in areas like the Burning Shores.

Below is a quick guide to some common elemental effects and what they do.

Element	Effect on Machines
Fire	Deals damage over time and can cause machines to panic.
Frost	Makes armor brittle, increasing impact damage significantly.
Shock	Stuns machines, leaving them open to critical hits.
Acid	Melts armor, dealing damage over time and exposing weak points.
Purgewater	Disables enemy elemental attacks and increases their vulnerability to other elements.

Tactics for Defeating Tough Machines

With 43 different types of machines in this video game, you’ll find that each one requires a unique approach. Early game enemies like the Burrower are fun to fight, but later encounters with giant, T-Rex-style machines feel like epic boss battles. The key to victory is observation and strategy, not just brute force.

One of the most effective tactics is to use stealth to your advantage. Start encounters by setting traps and using your Sharpshot Bow to pick off key components from a distance. Many machines have powerful weapons mounted on their backs, like missile launchers. You can shoot these off and then use them against your foe, which is both effective and incredibly satisfying. The game’s smooth animations make this process feel fluid and rewarding.

Here are a few tactics to keep in mind when facing a tough machine:

• Scan and Tag: Always use Aloy‘s Focus to scan the machine and tag its critical components and weak spots.
• Disable Weapons First: Prioritize shooting heavy weapons off machines to reduce their offensive capabilities.
• Use the Environment: Lure machines into traps or use natural cover to avoid their attacks.
• Stay Mobile: Constantly move around the battlefield to dodge attacks and find better angles.
• Know When to Retreat: Don’t be afraid to pull back, heal, and craft more ammo before re-engaging.

Exploration and Map Navigation Tips

The world of Horizon is the true star of Horizon Forbidden West. The game is a visual masterpiece, filled with breathtaking vistas, dense jungles, and stunning underwater environments. While your main quest will guide you through these distant lands, the real magic lies in the sense of discovery you feel when you venture off the beaten path.

This is a much bigger game than its predecessor, packed with quests and secrets to uncover. While some activities might feel familiar to open-world fans, the rewards for exploration are well worth the effort. Are there any must-visit locations or secret quests? Absolutely, and finding them is part of the fun. Let’s look at how to get the most out of your travels.

Unlocking Hidden Areas and Collectibles

The map in Horizon Forbidden West is littered with opportunities for discovery, but the best rewards are often tucked away in places you might not think to look. You might be scratching your head trying to find a collectible on a cliff, only to discover a hidden cave entrance nearby containing lore, treasure, and crafting materials. These moments of discovery are what make exploring so joyful.

Many of the game’s collectibles aren’t just for completionists; they provide valuable context to the world’s history and offer material benefits for upgrading your gear. Relic Ruins, for example, are self-contained puzzle areas that reward you with unique items upon completion. Don’t be afraid to wander; curiosity is almost always rewarded.

The numerous secret quests and side activities are also essential. These often lead you to entirely new locations and dungeons, adding so much to the world’s lore that you won’t want to miss them. This is especially true in the Burning Shores expansion, which is filled with more hidden areas to find.

Maximizing Fast Travel and Resource Gathering

While wandering the open world is a joy, you’ll also want to be efficient with your time. Unlocking fast travel points by discovering and lighting campfires is essential for quickly moving across the massive map. Another key navigation tip is to climb Tallnecks whenever you find one. These towering machines act as mobile viewpoints, and overriding them will clear the fog of war from your map, revealing points of interest.

Efficient resource gathering is tied directly to managing your inventory. One of the game’s best quality-of-life features is the ability to tag specific machine parts that you need for an upgrade. Aloy’s Focus will then highlight these parts in a different color, making it much easier to farm for crucial components without endless grinding.

To make your exploration and gathering as smooth as possible, keep these tips in mind:

• Visit Your Stash: Regularly visit a settlement to deposit excess resources into your stash. This keeps your personal inventory clear for new items.
• Climb Every Tallneck: Revealing the map is a top priority for efficient navigation.
• Tag Components: Before hunting, create a job for a weapon or armor upgrade to easily track the resources you need.
• Do Side Quests: They often reward you with rare materials and valuable gear, saving you a lot of gathering time.

Conclusion

Horizon Forbidden West is an exhilarating journey that offers players a rich world to explore and conquer. Throughout this guide, we’ve highlighted essential strategies and tips that can enhance your gameplay experience, from mastering Aloy’s skills to navigating the vast landscape. By applying these techniques, you’ll not only improve your combat efficiency but also uncover hidden treasures within the game. Remember, every encounter and challenge is an opportunity to learn and grow as a player. Embrace the adventure, keep refining your strategies, and immerse yourself in the stunning world of Horizon Forbidden West.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most important skills to unlock early?

For the best start in Forbidden West, focus your early skills on the Ranged Combat, Stealth, and Melee trees. These provide the most immediate and impactful upgrades to Aloy‘s core gameplay on your PlayStation or PC, giving you a strong advantage in combat and exploration from the very beginning.

How do I efficiently manage inventory and resources?

To manage your inventory in the vast open world of Forbidden West, frequently send excess items to your stash at settlements. For resource gathering, use Aloy‘s Focus to create jobs for upgrades. This highlights needed components on machines, making hunting far more efficient and targeted.

Are there any must-visit locations or secret quests?

Yes, many of the side quests are must-plays, as they provide great rewards and expand the lore of the world of Horizon. You should also seek out Relic Ruins and explore off the beaten path in the distant lands. The Burning Shores expansion, in particular, is packed with secret quests and hidden locations.