Is Horizon Forbidden West‘s Burning Shores DLC Worth Buying? A Complete Breakdown

I‘ve explored every flooded street and vine-covered rooftop of Horizon Forbidden West‘s new Burning Shores DLC expansion. After hours uncovering the drowned ruins of Los Angeles and battling terrifying new machines, I can say with confidence: this is an absolute must-buy for Horizon fans. Burning Shores delivers a meaty new chunk of excellent open world content true to everything that makes the series great.

A Satisfying New Chapter in Aloy‘s Journey

Set after Forbidden West‘s main campaign, Burning Shores sees Aloy investigate a strange signal drawing her to the ruins of Los Angeles. This massive new map immersed me in a stunningly realized coastal version of LA, with areas like Venice Beach, Hollywood Hills and RunDown Los Angeles to explore.

Right from the opening cutscene, I was hooked exploring this dynamic new region. Guerrilla Games leverages the setting incredibly well – scavenging supplies in the wreckage of the Staples Center or hunting machines around a beached aircraft carrier wreck makes for unforgettable moments.

The core narrative took me around 10-15 hours to complete. While shorter than Forbidden West‘s 30+ hour main story, the DLC still provides a sizable new chapter. I appreciated how Burning Shores touches on lingering questions from the main game regarding Nemesis and the Zeniths‘ legacy. The story even adds context to certain supporting characters that enriches the overall narrative.

Well Worth the $20 Asking Price

At $20 USD, Burning Shores is a significant investment – though comparable in scope and price to Horizon‘s previous Frozen Wilds DLC. Based on my playthrough, I believe the content justifies the cost and then some.

You‘re getting a quality expansion comparable to the excellent Frozen Wilds DLC that runs for 10-15 hours – nearly a third as long as Forbidden West itself. I rarely felt like I was doing filler – the story campaign and side activities like salvaging operations make full use of the new map and machines.

Ultimately, $20 seems reasonable for such a generous addition to an already massive open world. Fans who want even more of Horizon‘s gripping narrative and combat have plenty to sink their teeth into with Burning Shores.

Impactful New Weapons and Abilities

A highlight is the exciting new tools Burning Shores adds to your arsenal. The uncovering VIBROSPIKE launcher empowers new combat strategies, letting you pin down machines with massive iron spikes. I also loved the shredder bolts that slice off machine components.

These gear shakes up approach to encounters. Taking on a Rollerback with the VIBROSPIKE launcher is an entirely different dynamic than relying on bows alone. There‘s also new melee abilities like the Charged Bash that keep engagements fresh and challenging.

These upgrades carry over to the Forbidden West areas too – giving you new options to experiment with against familiar enemies.

How Does It Compare to Previous Horizon DLC?

Horizon: Zero Dawn‘s Frozen Wild expansion remains one of the most impressive post-launch DLCs. So how does Burning Shores stack up? Pretty favorably, in my estimation.

While Frozen Wilds offers a comparable 10 hour narrative, I‘d argue Burning Shores makes slightly better use of its real estate. The LA map feels denser and encourages more exploration, whereas Frozen Wilds was more constrained.

However, Frozen Wilds adds more overall content via side quests and challenges. Both are excellent expansions that enrich the main game in different ways. But the sheer novelty of exploring the drowned ruins of LA gives Burning Shores the edge for me.

Should You Finish Forbidden West First?

I‘d strongly recommend completing Forbidden West‘s main story before starting the DLC. While you can access it earlier, the narrative will resonate most if you know the full context of Aloy‘s journey leading up to this point.

Certain story revelations and character appearances in Burning Shores also won‘t land as effectively without that background knowledge. I‘m glad I waited to tackle the DLC until after witnessing Forbidden West‘s climax and resolution.

However, starting the DLC earlier can let you obtain powerful new weapons like the uncovering VIBROSPIKE sooner. So if you care more about gear than the story experience, an earlier start could be advantageous.

What Players and Critics Are Saying

Burning Shores has garnered an enthusiastic response so far from the Horizon community. Here‘s a sample of the reactions:

• "This is how DLC should be – meaningful, not recycled content. The new LA map might be the best one yet!" – r/Horizon on Reddit

• "I‘ll be honest, I didn‘t expect much, but Guerrilla really delivered here. A worthy successor to Frozen Wilds." – Reviewer on OpenCritic

• "The story is on par with Forbidden West‘s main quest and the combat encounters are some of the best in the series". – Player review on PlayStation Store

Critics and fans alike are praising the DLC‘s story, combat and setting. Review aggregates give it a metascore of 88 on OpenCritic and 4.8 user score on Metacritic. Safe to say Burning Shores is being very well received.

Final Verdict: An Absolute Must-Buy for Fans

As a long-time Horizon devotee who has sunk over 200 hours into the series, I couldn‘t be more pleased with Burning Shores. This expansion lives up to the impeccable quality bar set by Forbidden West.

The flooded ruins of Los Angeles are an incredible new playground offering hours of gripping story and exploration. For $20, you‘re getting a huge new map and 10-15 hours of classic Horizon narrative, combat, characters and secrets.

Burning Shores is a textbook example of how to do DLC right – a significant content addition on par with previous expansion Frozen Wilds. Any fan of Aloy‘s journey owes it to themselves to explore the half-sunken city and discover its mysteries.

I‘m already itching to dive back in for New Game+ once I wrap up all the side activities. Unless you absolutely hated Forbidden West, don‘t hesitate to pick up Burning Shores. It‘s everything great about Horizon condensed into an epic new adventure. See you in the drowned streets of LA!