Is Horizon Forbidden West Worth Playing in 2025? A Detailed Review
Hey friend, if you‘re on the fence about whether to play Horizon Forbidden West, I‘m here to give you my full, honest review after over 80 hours with the game. As a huge fan of Zero Dawn, I can confidently say Forbidden West is an absolute triumph and arguably one of the best open world games of this generation. Let‘s dig into everything Guerrilla Games got right (and a few things they could improve) in Horizon‘s epic sequel.
A Stunning Visual Showcase with a Seamless Open World
The first thing that stands out about Forbidden West is just how jaw-droppingly gorgeous it looks, especially on PlayStation 5. The lighting, textures, and attention to detail are just mind-blowing and set a new visual benchmark for open world games. Smart implementation of the PS5‘s ultra-fast SSD means you can explore its vast world with virtually zero loading times or texture pop-in.
The world itself is astoundingly huge and varied – I logged over 50 hours before completing the main story and still hadn‘t uncovered the entire map. Gorgeous set pieces like the redwood forests and tropical beaches constantly inspire wonder. Horizon‘s dystopian version of future America truly feels alive. According to Guerrilla, Forbidden West‘s map is about 1.5x larger than Zero Dawn‘s already massive open world.
Gripping Narrative with Memorable Characters and Quests
While the excellent gameplay was the highlight of Zero Dawn, Forbidden West‘s narrative represents a huge step forward thanks to its exciting story, great writing, and memorable characters. The overarching mystery behind the deadly "blight" plaguing the land proves compelling right up to the climactic finale. Expert voice acting and motion capture bring Aloy and her allies to life.
Side quests are plentiful, varied, and filled with quirky characters, like the charming but drug-obsessed Colin who Aloy helps enter rehab. Even minor side quests like clearing bandit camps tell interesting micro-stories. Where many open world games have forgettable fetch quests, Forbidden West‘s mission design is consistently superb. There are around 75 side quests totaling nearly 40 hours of content.
Satisfying Progression and Customization
Forbidden West is packed with rewarding RPG systems that drive progression and make you feel invested in Aloy‘s growth. The skill trees reward you with meaningful combat abilities and quality-of-life upgrades. Weapons and outfits can be upgraded by gathering machine parts, with the workbench allowing for deeper crafting mechanics.
I also really enjoyed finding and equipping the best outfits to optimize my playstyle – the stealth-focused Nora Silent Hunter perfectly complements my preference for ranged combat. There‘s a staggering amount of customization options – over 20 outfits, 50 weapon types, and dozens of skills to unlock.
Thrilling, Strategic Combat
Battling Horizon‘s ferocious machines remains incredibly fun and tactical. Each species has unique weak points and attacks that force you to constantly adjust your approach, especially when facing deadlier boss-type enemies. The addition of Valor Surges – powerful temporary buffs – also adds more depth to combat.
Aloy‘s expanded arsenal, including a badass Shieldwing glider, gives you more options for how to approach encounters. Melee fighting is improved with customizable combos and the brutally effective spike thrower. There‘s so much flexibility in how you build your character, whether as a hunter, warrior, or stealth expert. Fighting epic battles against towering Tremortusks ranks among the most intense action sequences in any open world game.
How Forbidden West Improves Upon Zero Dawn
As a sequel, Forbidden West takes everything that made Zero Dawn great and dialed it up to 11. The world is bigger and more packed with activities. Side content and exploration are vastly improved with little filler. Moving around the world feels more dynamic with the glider and pullcaster grappling hook. The workbench and new weapon techniques add more depth to combat and progression.
Most importantly, the story succeeds in expanding the Horizon universe in exciting ways. Learning more about the ancient Far Zenith colony and uncovering Aloy‘s origins is fascinating. New antagonists like Regalla give the narrative greater urgency and stakes compared to HADES. Forbidden West feels like both an iteration and evolution of Guerrilla‘s formula.
Where Forbidden West Falls Short
As much as I adore Forbidden West, even brilliant games are rarely flawless. While the gameplay diversity is excellent, melee combat feels a bit clunky and underdeveloped compared to the refined ranged battles. Some of the menial collection side activities to upgrade gear get repetitive. I‘d have liked to see more meaningful faction reputation and player choice systems incorporated into quests to take advantage of Aloy‘s role as a tribal outcast.
Performance issues unfortunately plagued the launch version, especially on base PS4 hardware. Roaming such a huge open world can reveal cracks in the rendering engine. Thankfully, patches have since smoothed out the frame rate. Load times don‘t take advantage of the PS5‘s SSD quite as much as showcases like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Still, these are minor complaints rather than dealbreakers.
Verdict: An Absolute Masterpiece and My Game of the Year
Weighing all factors, I believe Horizon Forbidden West stands tall among the very best open world games ever made. Guerrilla crafted a technical showpiece that is positively dripping with passion and polish. The combat, progression, and exploration loop is incredibly addictive even after over 80 hours. I already can‘t wait to start New Game+ and return to its jaw-dropping world.
Whether you‘re a fan of the original or completely new to Horizon, I think Forbidden West is a must-play title and one of the strongest PlayStation exclusives yet. It deserves to be spoken in the same breath as masterpieces like The Witcher 3 and Elden Ring. Thank you for reading this very thorough review! Let me know if you have any other questions.