Spoilers for Horizon Forbidden West AheadCompared to the first game, Horizon Forbidden West is more extensive, from more activities and side quests to more machine variants and weapons. In addition to these activities, there are staples from the first game that return in Horizon Forbidden West, like cauldrons to expand the number of machines to override or Tallnecks to reveal points of interest on the map. However, not all the activities contribute to the main story and are meant for world-building. For example, while Forbidden West's Melee Pits allow players to practice close-quarters combat, it is also used to allude to the training regiment of the various factions in-game.
Another activity is the tabletop game Machine Strike which requires collecting miniature machine figurines found in Forbidden West to battle with other characters. It may seem like a weirdly meta-activity, considering that the miniatures are actual threats in-game, but for the narrative, it's something for the characters to cope with the world. Another activity is Horizon Forbidden West's salvage contracts that require specific machine parts to be turned in to contractors and run parallel to the main story's events. While each activity manages to build on the world of Forbidden West and give players something to do, considering how the game ended, it's probably best these activities are changed.
The Ending of Horizon Forbidden West
Toward the middle of the game, one of the main antagonists in Horizon Forbidden West is the Far Zenith, a human faction that runs parallel to Project Zero Dawn. However, instead of conserving and restoring humanity after the machine apocalypse known as the Faro Plague, Far Zenith sought to establish a new human colony in the far reaches of space. For the most part, the colonists were successful, gaining massive technological advancements like personal energy shields and even immortality. As a consequence of their advances and living for millennia came stagnation, with some colonists experimenting with digital immortality, allowing them to upload their minds into any form, organic or machine.
Nemesis, a failed digital amalgamation of the Far Zenith minds, was a byproduct of these experiments. Ultimately, the experiment was abandoned; however, unbeknownst to the colonist, Nemesis became self-aware and then wiped out the colony using Far Zenith technology. As a result, the surviving colonists fled to Earth, where they would subsequently conflict with Aloy and her allies. By the end of Horizon Forbidden West, the main evil AI HADES is stopped, and the Far Zeniths are defeated. However, it's revealed that Earth was merely a pit stop for the colonists and that Nemesis was heading to Earth.
Why the Sequel to Horizon Forbidden West Needs to Be More Serious
Considering the ending of Horizon Forbidden West, activities like tabletop board games or helping characters hunt machine salvage wouldn't complement the sequel. In Forbidden West, and to some extent, Horizon Zero Dawn, the activities were meant for world-building and filling the spaces between gameplay moments; they would feel out of place considering another machine apocalypse on the horizon. Moreover, changing the activities could open the opportunity to have side quests that match the narrative tone in the sequel, providing a dynamic gameplay experience and possibly a focus on immersion. While Aloy may have some advantages in Horizon Forbidden West the Far Zeniths did not, the activities and side quests should underline some disadvantages rather than being distractions from the story.
Horizon Forbidden West does a lot right as a sequel, with one of the most significant differences from the first game being its size, as it offers a larger world full of activities. However, that comes at the cost of narrative payoff, with some parts in the game feeling out of place and some obvious missed opportunities being present, like excluding Stanley Chen, one of the good Far Zenith colonists. Reducing the amount of lighthearted side content in the sequel would allow for a more focused and immersive narrative and a more consistent experience. Only time will tell whether the sequel to Horizon Forbidden West feels different, but in this case, less could turn out to be more.
Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PS4 and PS5.
