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As with any sequel, Horizon Forbidden West offers a host of new weapons and mechanics for Aloy to equip, many of which serve as improvements over the previous game’s systems. But there are a few things every player should do immediately to have the best possible time while traveling through the Forbidden West.
10 Look Through The Skill Trees
Horizon Forbidden West sports some noticeable upgrades from Horizon Zero Dawn, including a revamped skill system that provides more in-depth character customization. Each skill tree is named after a specific character class like Warrior or Hunter, and the skills within support this particular playstyle.
The trees feature different types of upgrades as well, from passive benefits to various systems to weapon abilities that offer enhanced ways of engaging with enemies. One of the best things players can do when first starting out is to take the time to look through each skill tree and find the skills that suit how they want to play.
9 Play With Photo Mode
Horizon Forbidden West is one of the most visually stunning games to ever exist, and its photo mode allows players to take as many gorgeous and ridiculous pictures as they want. There are a lot of different settings to dig into with the photo mode, so it’s worthwhile to spend some time experimenting with the different editing features.
There are some standard controls like adjusting the camera and altering the color, but there are also some more detailed-oriented systems that can help create the best possible photo. Players can adjust the time of day, the specific camera lens, and even reposition Aloy using a variety of poses and facial expressions.
8 Scan Machines
Aloy’s Focus device allows her to layer a heads-up display over her surroundings, providing crucial information on everything from the people she meets to the machines she hunts. Scanning these machines is a pivotal part of Horizon Forbidden West’s progression loop and is vital to earning the game’s one missable trophy.
Once scanned, enemies can be tagged for easy tracking. Players can even highlight specific parts on the machines, which makes it easier to detach valuable resources or take out powerful weapons. All info on scanned machines gets stored in the Notebook section of the menu, allowing for easy access outside of battle.
7 Upgrade Gear
Horizon Forbidden West introduces a ton of new progression options for Aloy, including the ability to enhance her weapons and armor using machine parts. These pieces of gear now come with intrinsic buffs to Aloy’s skills, and upgrading the gear increases the potency of these buffs.
While Aloy does get more health every time she levels up, her defensive and offensive capabilities don’t automatically grow at each new level. The only way to increase her power and resistance is to find stronger gear or upgrade what’s already available. The strongest pieces of equipment won’t appear until much later in the game, so it’s worthwhile to invest in upgrading Aloy’s starting set.
6 Scavenge Resources
Crafting is one of the most frequently used systems in Horizon Forbidden West, much like in the first game. Every weapon type uses a different form of ammo, and the ability to craft arrows, bolts, bombs, and spikes on the fly is crucial to taking down the game’s toughest enemies.
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Take the time to pick up the various resources needed to craft this ammunition, as there’s really no limit on how much of any particular item Aloy can store. There’s no downside to having an abundance of something, and stocking up now can mean the difference between claiming victory and suffering a humiliating defeat.
5 Override A Mount
Horizon Forbidden West is massive, spanning countless miles of beautiful vistas and picturesque landscapes. While Aloy is definitely an incredible athlete, she moves a little too slow to get around the game’s colossal world on foot. That’s where overriding a machine to serve as a mount comes in.
Most of the machines in Horizon Forbidden West can be overridden to fight alongside Aloy, but a select few can also serve as a trusty steed to ferry her from place to place. The Charger is the first of these machines Aloy will be able to override, so it should be high on every player’s list of priorities to go out and snag one.
4 Explore The Daunt
Many games set their tutorial area up as a simple location that players can quickly tear through once they’ve figured out how that game works. Horizon Forbidden West goes in the opposite direction, establishing the game’s opening area as a full-fledged part of the larger map.
There are quite a few different side quests, merchants with new gear available, hidden locations with rare collectibles, and even a few walled-off passages that players can’t unlock until later in the game. There’s plenty to do in the Daunt, and every player should take the time to explore it thoroughly before heading out into the Forbidden West.
3 Buy New Weapons
While the starting Hunter Bow is a reliable and intuitive tool for any starting hunter, it won’t do much good against the tougher machines Aloy will encounter on her journey. Once Aloy has resolved the work stoppage in the town of Chainscrape, the weapons merchant there will have a few different weapons to offer.
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Each weapon has its own offensive capabilities, and having a variety on hand can make taking down larger machines significantly easier. Elemental bows can ignite canisters on machines to create large, high-damage explosions, while other weapons like slings and tripcasters can quickly trigger a machine’s elemental limit.
2 Choose Resolution Or Performance Mode
When playing on the PlayStation 5, Horizon Forbidden West has two different modes that affect how the game is played. Performance mode runs the game at a dazzling 60 frames-per-second at a reduced resolution, while Resolution mode shines in stunning 4K at 30 frames-per-second.
Both modes have their advantages and disadvantages, so it comes down to the player’s preference on how they want to play the game. The modes can be switched at any time without having to restart the game, but it’s worthwhile to figure out early which one feels better.
1 Hunt Wildlife
Horizon Forbidden West is stuffed with a variety of traps, resources, potions, and types of ammo, but Aloy can only hold so many of each item before she runs out of space. There are inventory upgrades she can craft, but those recipes require animal parts to complete.
Hunting animals is fairly easy, but finding them can be a bit more challenging. It can get downright frustrating when that animal doesn’t have the needed part. Taking the time to hunt a variety of different wildlife creatures to stock up on animal parts will make upgrading those inventory pouches much easier down the line.
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