Just like any good open-world action-adventure game should be, Horizon Forbidden West is absolutely jam-packed with content. While the real meat and potatoes of Horizon Forbidden West is its lengthy set of story missions, there's so much more to chew on, from minigames like Machine Strike to difficult challenges like the Melee Pits to expansive dungeon-like Cauldrons. And that's not even mentioning the game's many collectibles.
Horizon Forbidden West has no shortage of collectibles. There are six different types of collectibles in Horizon Forbidden West, and the vast majority of those have around 10 individual collectible items each, all scattered across the game's expansive open-world. But while five of these collectible types can be pinpointed on a map, there's one type of collectible that goes completely hidden, relying on sheer luck to be found - or, now that the game's been out for well over a year, a guide. These collectibles are called War Totems, and though they can be tricky to find, they're certainly worth the effort.
Horizon Forbidden West's War Totems Double as a PlayStation Easter Egg
Every major AAA first-party PlayStation game of the last decade or so has had some kind of reference to at least one fellow first-party franchise. In Ghost of Tsushima, players can find a table littered with little origami representations of iconic PlayStation series like Ratchet and Clank, Gran Turismo, God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, and Horizon Zero Dawn. In God of War Ragnarok, each PlayStation first-party franchise got its own unique Kvasir poem. And in Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, players could open up rifts to some series' dimensions, bringing characters like Sly Cooper, Jak and Daxter, and a Sawtooth Machine from Horizon into the game.
Back in February 2022 it was Horizon Forbidden West's time to return the favor. During the course of Horizon Forbidden West's lengthy runtime, players should be able to encounter a number of Easter eggs that reference other gaming franchises, both PlayStation exclusives and other series. A red fox from Ghost of Tsushima can be found, guiding Aloy to a shrine. The LSR44 Spoor from Killzone Shadow Fall can be spotted in LATOPOLIS. And in a handful of Cauldrons, The Legend of Zelda's Triforce can be spotted above some doors containing additional loot.
But by far the most rewarding Easter egg in Horizon Forbidden West is the game's War Totems. Not marked on Aloy's map at any point during the game, Horizon Forbidden West's War Totems are a set of three statues that depict characters from Santa Monica's God of War. The first War Totem players will likely stumble upon is actually technically the third and final collectible of the set, appearing in No Man's Land on the south-west shores of the Jagged Deep region. These are the Totems of Brotherhood, with one representing Sindri and the other his brother Brok, the two dwarven blacksmiths.
By heading to the Cliffwatch settlement in the far west of the game's map and making it to the Greenhouse, players should be able to find the Totem of War. As the name suggests, this totem is a little representation of the God of War himself, Kratos, complete with his Leviathan Axe and body markings. The third and final War Totem set can be found on the western coast of the Isle of Spires. Called the Totem of Youth, this statue depicts God of War's Atreus, specifically the 2018 version of the character, as his face looks fairly young. For collecting all three War Totems, Horizon Forbidden West rewards players with the Mark of War face paint, giving Aloy the iconic white and red markings that Kratos has on his own face.
Horizon Forbidden West is available on PS4 and PS5.
