Horizon Forbidden West

Horizon Forbidden West, an action role-playing game from Guerrilla Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment, arrived in 2022 as the follow-up to Horizon Zero Dawn. Its story picks up in a post-apocalyptic Western United States, still reeling from an extinction event triggered by a rogue machine swarm. Players take on the role of Aloy, who travels into the Forbidden West to uncover the origin of a deadly plague that destroys everything it touches.

Development started in 2018, with the team eventually growing to over 300 full-time employees and a budget of roughly US$212 million—making it one of the most expensive games ever made. The studio aimed to keep the core strengths of the original while expanding exploration and combat to suit different playstyles. More resources went into cinematics and character-driven side quests. Ashly Burch and Lance Reddick reprised their roles as Aloy and Sylens, joined by Angela Bassett and Carrie-Anne Moss. The game ran on Guerrilla’s own Decima engine, the same one used for Zero Dawn. Announced in June 2020, it launched for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on 18 February 2022.

Critics gave the game generally positive reviews, praising its visuals, combat, quest design, and cast performances, though some found the story and Aloy’s characterization lacking. Most agreed Forbidden West was bigger and more polished than its predecessor, but more of an evolution than a revolution. By April 2023, it had sold over 8.4 million copies. It earned nominations for Game of the Year at both The Game Awards 2022 and the 26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. An expansion, Burning Shores, came out for PlayStation 5 in April 2023. The base game and expansion were bundled as Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition for PS5 in October 2023, and ported to Windows by Nixxes Software in March 2024. A sequel is currently in development.

**Gameplay** Horizon Forbidden West is a third-person action role-playing game set in a world full of dangerous, animal-like machines. Aloy, a hunter, uses bows and arrows as her main weapons. New additions include the Shredder Gauntlet, which fires serrated discs good for stripping armor and components. She can also set traps and tripwires, and tether enemies to the ground to immobilize them. Different weapons offer specialized ammo types—acid ammo can melt armor, while shock ammo stuns foes.