The first entry in Guerilla Games' RPG series was a hit, but its follow-up Horizon Forbidden West still managed to surpass its predecessor in so many ways. From expanding the different regions that gamers could explore to presenting a more ambitious and epic narrative to unravel, Horizon Forbidden West was a step up from not only Horizon Zero Dawn but also similar RPGs that served as its competitors. Fans were blown away by the scale and scenery of the title, but it was some of Horizon Forbidden West's less obvious charms that impressed the most.
It's a common trend for sequels to adopt the mantra of 'bigger and better' when it comes to improving on their previous installments, but this doesn't always translate to enhanced experiences. While looking at the bigger picture and making changes to gameplay, narrative, and settings definitely makes a difference, it can be the smaller aspects that showcase just how far a game has come or to what level the developer has been paying attention. Horizon Forbidden West was awe-inspiring in many ways, but it's the level of detail it and other games like it such as Red Dead Redemption 2 put into the design that often provides that wow factor.
Horizon Forbidden West's Level Of Detail
One of the first things that hit players when they start to make their way through Horizon Forbidden West's expanded world is just how gorgeous it is. Moving the action to a variety of different biomes and regions compared to Horizon Zero Dawn really opened up the world of the game and let gamers experience many new sides to the post-apocalyptic society. However, while the settings and landscapes might make for more obvious visually impressive aspects, it was some of the subtler elements that helped to show how sophisticated Horizon Forbidden West's design really was.
The character models were incredibly detailed, with lifelike facial expressions that really helped to sell the emotion of a scene or encounter. Admittedly, Horizon Forbidden West did contain some fairly distracting bugs and glitches – particularly when it came to eye lines – but if these could be ignored then the upgrades from Horizon Zero Dawn were immediately obvious. The visible scar on Aloy's neck from her childhood trauma, footprints in the snow that would gradually disappear if it was snowing, and even the Nora hunter's slight hand tremble as she draws her bow – these all helped players get completely immersed in the incredible world the developer had created.
Giving Red Dead Redemption 2 A Run For Its Money
When it comes to titles that take a painstakingly detailed approach to their visuals and the mechanics of their ambitious in-game worlds, Red Dead Redemption 2 has got to be up there as one of the greatest. From its hauntingly beautiful landscapes to its surprisingly realistic characters, Rockstar's title completely blew players out of the water. Not many games have managed to achieve the same impressive level of depth since, but Horizon Forbidden West has certainly proved it's on a comparable footing. Red Dead Redemption 2 was full to the brim of magnificent little additions, like the level of detail in Arthur Morgan's eyes that reflect the changing light levels, and Horizon Forbidden West has followed suit with its own impressive list of elements.
The smaller details that games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Horizon Forbidden West include can often go overlooked, but they add to the overall atmosphere of a game, and when they are noticed, it presents each title as an even more impressive product than players might have first realized. Both Horizon Forbidden West and Red Dead Redemption 2 bombarded players with one awe-inspiring sight after another, but while these vistas and set pieces will certainly stay with fans after they've finished the game, sometimes it's the smaller details that are the most memorable simply because they're the most unexpected. The light reflecting off a character's eye, the tremble in a hand as they pull a string taut – these seemingly insignificant details just go to show how sophisticated video games are becoming.
Horizon Forbidden West is available now for PS4 and PS5.
