Horizon Forbidden West
Horizon Forbidden West is a PlayStation 5 adventure game developed by Guerrilla Games. It centers on story, case, or mission progress, character and object interaction, and objective or clue progression, with controls and information arranged around the DualSense twin sticks, triggers, directional pad, and face buttons, with touchpad, motion input, adaptive triggers, and detailed haptics where the game uses them.
- AI score · out of 10
- 8.7 / 10
About this game
Horizon Forbidden West is a PlayStation 5 adventure game centered on story, case, or mission progress, character and object interaction, and objective or clue progression. Locations, objectives, and clues gradually open the main chapters, with progress divided into stages, tasks, matches, or growth milestones that make immediate goals understandable. Its value depends on whether these rules continue to create judgment and room for mastery rather than on length, sales, or series recognition. Short campaigns are judged by repeat-challenge value, while longer ones are judged by variety, pacing, and recovery after failure. Theme, character expression, and environmental clues need to support exploration together, while SSD streaming, 4K and HDR output, 3D audio, performance or quality modes, and high-density interfaces need to preserve feedback and information clarity together. The genre-specific limitation is that guidance, objective triggers, camera behavior, or dense text can create search and comprehension costs. Platform conditions also include install size, SSD space, patch version, DualSense battery life, visual mode and frame rate, online dependencies, PS VR2 requirements, and cross-generation version differences affect the current release. This description covers only this platform release and does not import features or conveniences from remasters, emulators, or other console editions.
Collected in series
Horizon explores a far-future Earth where tribal communities live among overgrown ruins and animal-like machines. Aloy’s adventures combine journeys through striking landscapes with encounters that uncover the lost technological world. Side stories offer other ways to enter the same setting.
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AI review
AI reviews are subjective assessments, not player ratings. See each review for its evidence and limitations.Published date:
Expansive combat and worldcraft outweigh climbing and mode trade-offs.
Horizon Forbidden West: Removing machine components, using elemental weaknesses and setting traps reward observation and preparation. New weapons and stronger human melee options widen the available responses beyond repeating a favored attack. Arenas, melee pits, races and environmental puzzles diversify optional play, often connecting it to the wider story. Restricted handholds and occasional finicky climbing can still interrupt an otherwise inviting landscape. Deserts, jungles, coasts and detailed machines give each region a strong identity. Better-written supporting characters make settlements feel inhabited, even as occasional awkward facial animation stands out. The original PS5 test favored smoother 60 fps action, but reported a loss of image sharpness and occasional pop-in. That is a real mode trade-off, bounded to the reviewed build rather than later patches.
Strengths
- Machine encounters reward planning.
- Regions and companions have strong character.
Weaknesses
- Climbing can be finicky.
- The reviewed performance mode trades resolution away.
Who it is for: Players who enjoy exploring a large world and studying machine weaknesses.
Play notes: Assessment covers the original PS5 base game, not Burning Shores.
View scoring basis
| Dimension | Review state | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension Arenas, melee pits, races and environmental puzzles diversify optional play, often connecting it to the wider story. Restricted handholds and occasional finicky climbing can still interrupt an otherwise inviting landscape. | Reviewed | 8.4 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Removing machine components, using elemental weaknesses and setting traps reward observation and preparation. New weapons and stronger human melee options widen the available responses beyond repeating a favored attack. | Reviewed | 8.9 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Deserts, jungles, coasts and detailed machines give each region a strong identity. Better-written supporting characters make settlements feel inhabited, even as occasional awkward facial animation stands out. | Reviewed | 9.2 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension The original PS5 test favored smoother 60 fps action, but reported a loss of image sharpness and occasional pop-in. That is a real mode trade-off, bounded to the reviewed build rather than later patches. | Reviewed | 8.0 / 10 | Not provided |
Review sources
Not provided
Core information
- Developer
- Guerrilla
- Publisher
- Sony Interactive
- Release date
- Feb 18, 2022
- Platforms
- PlayStation 5
- Content kind
- Game
- Release state
- Released
- Region
- Worldwide
- Official website
- Not provided
- Offline minimum players
- Not provided
- Offline maximum players
- Not provided
- Online minimum players
- Not provided
- Online maximum players
- Not provided
- Categories
- Adventure · Primary genreRole-Playing
- Tags
- InvestigationLinear LevelsSolo-friendly3D GraphicsStory-drivenPuzzle SolvingSlow BurnThird PersonMain Story 10–20 HoursExploration
- Supported game languages
- Not provided
- Requires base game
- Not provided
- Standalone
- Not provided
- Age ratings
- Not provided
- Play modes
- Single player
- Perspectives
- Third person
Release editions
- PlayStation 5WorldwideFeb 18, 2022
Game gallery
Sources
Not provided