10 Tips For Getting Started In Horizon Forbidden West
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VOICE OVER: Ty Richardson
WRITTEN BY: Ty Richardson
If you're struggling to find your footing in "Horizon Forbidden West," these tips should help you out! For this list, we'll be going over some useful information for diving into Guerilla Games' latest game. Our list includes when and when not to use elemental damage, how you should adjust your settings before jumping in, why you should grab Greenshine rocks as often as possible, and more!
Script written by Ty Richardson
If you're struggling to find your footing in "Horizon Forbidden West," these tips should help you out! For this list, we'll be going over some useful information for diving into Guerilla Games' latest game. Our list includes when and when not to use elemental damage, how you should adjust your settings before jumping in, why you should grab Greenshine rocks as often as possible, and more! Got any other tips to share with new players? Share with us in the comments below!
“Horizon Forbidden West” gives you a hearty amount of settings to toy around with, and we’re not just talking about the difficulty. To make the most of your experience, we highly recommend you go into the Settings before beginning Aloy’s new adventure. PS5 players can alternate between Resolution and Performance modes, as expected from the new generation of console gaming. If you don’t care about tips from the loading screen, set the “Stand By Screen Mode” to “Immediate” so that the game loads as soon as it’s finished. For controls, make sure you adjust to the options you want. Everything will be set to “Hold” by default, but if you want certain actions to be only “Toggle”, you can customize those actions as you please.
When you’ve finally reached the Daunt, it can be tempting to completely ignore the main story and go explore to your heart’s content. Please don’t. “Forbidden West” isn’t that kind of game. You’ll quickly find that some areas and collectibles are inaccessible as they require certain tools that you won’t have at your disposal early in the game. Our advice? Savour and focus on the main story. By the time you reach the final boss, you should have most, if not all, weapons and tools at your disposal. So, enjoy the narrative, experience Aloy’s journey, and save the extra stuff for later on in the game.
Upon seeing crafting mechanics, one can safely assume there will be some level of inventory management. A standard expectation to have, yes, but “Forbidden West” isn’t as restrictive as other titles. Even when your pockets are full, you can still collect resources, and they will be sent to your Stash instead, allowing you to collect them at the next settlement or camp you find. So, if you’re worried about not having enough of a certain material, don’t fret over moving things around and dropping items. You can also upgrade your pouches as you progress in the story and find more areas to harvest resources.
The Pullcaster is a new tool in “Forbidden West”, granting Aloy the ability to grapple up ledges, tear down weak walls, or yank out protruding objects. A heads up for you newer players - the game absolutely wants you to use this, and the early game gives you a number of opportunities to use it. So, whether you like it or not, you’re going to have to get used to using this thing. Start teaching yourself to look for grapple points and weak structures when you’re stuck and can’t figure out how to progress. Chances are the Pullcaster is the only way to move forward.
Before you head off into the Forbidden West, you are presented with a moment of choice. Avad and Aloy have clearly been toying with the idea of seeing each other, but you know, the world might be on the verge of collapse. So, you’re presented with a selection of different responses - a fierce and blunt one, an intelligent one, or an emotional one. This isn’t so much an opportunity to branch the narrative and change the story, but an opportunity to portray Aloy the way you want to. You don’t have to worry about being locked out of particular missions or missing out on unlockable weapons. Ultimately, these dialogue choices are more for letting the player experience the way they see Aloy, whether that be bold, smart, or kind hearted.
In the first “Horizon”, there wasn’t a lot of reason to really stick around towns other than buying and selling with merchants and a few side quests here and there. “Forbidden West” adds a bit more reason to hang around settlements now. Not only will you meet and catch up with familiar faces, you’ll also find opportunities to spend time with the locals. Hone your skills and show off your moves in training grounds, sit down for a rousing game of Machine Strike, or do what any ordinary player does and loot the place without asking anyone. The choice is yours.
As expected, “Horizon Forbidden West” comes with a selection of skill trees as most open world games and action RPGs tend to include. However, it is crucial that you examine these skill trees before spending your first few Skill Points as it might shape how you approach encounters. One tree increases your melee damage, but how often are you going to take enemies head on? Another will increase your health, but how good are you at dodging? Enough to put those upgrades off for a while? Personally, I immediately started investing in the Infiltration tree to make enemy counters easier for myself. Once you choose a skill tree to focus on, worry about unlocking the first Valor Surge ability in that skill tree before investing in a secondary skill tree.
Much like the first “Horizon” back in 2017, elements are going to be your best friend, but they are not your savior. Sure, they can tack on status effects to turn battles in your favor. However, they don’t do as much damage as they did in the previous game. To ensure you come out on top, make sure you’re using standard ammunition more than elemental variants. Use elemental ammo too much, and you might land yourself in a heap of trouble, especially if you’re going for a stealthy approach. Learn to alternate ammo types and know how to aim.
Greenshine rocks are a new currency in the “Horizon” franchise, and they are extremely valuable. As you journey across the Forbidden West, you might spot a glimmering green crystal protruding from a rock or underneath a structure. Drop whatever it is you’re doing and go grab it before you forget! Greenshine rocks are immensely valuable in “Horizon Forbidden West” as they will help you craft and upgrade more powerful versions of your weapons and gear. Speaking of crafting and currencies, Metal Shards double as both. So, don’t go spending all your shards at a merchant when your gear hasn’t been fully upgraded.
Okay, we aren’t going to lie. Much like a few other open world games, the prologue for “Forbidden West” can be a bit grueling (at least if you’re an impatient jerk like me). It’s incredibly linear and heavy on the tutorials. We recommend you blast through it in one go. The entire section lasts roughly an hour, and if you want to get into the open world as quickly as possible, just plow through it. Your future self will thank you when they boot up the game and find they can freely explore and do what as they please.
If you're struggling to find your footing in "Horizon Forbidden West," these tips should help you out! For this list, we'll be going over some useful information for diving into Guerilla Games' latest game. Our list includes when and when not to use elemental damage, how you should adjust your settings before jumping in, why you should grab Greenshine rocks as often as possible, and more! Got any other tips to share with new players? Share with us in the comments below!
Adjust Your Settings FIRST
“Horizon Forbidden West” gives you a hearty amount of settings to toy around with, and we’re not just talking about the difficulty. To make the most of your experience, we highly recommend you go into the Settings before beginning Aloy’s new adventure. PS5 players can alternate between Resolution and Performance modes, as expected from the new generation of console gaming. If you don’t care about tips from the loading screen, set the “Stand By Screen Mode” to “Immediate” so that the game loads as soon as it’s finished. For controls, make sure you adjust to the options you want. Everything will be set to “Hold” by default, but if you want certain actions to be only “Toggle”, you can customize those actions as you please.
Obsessive Exploration
When you’ve finally reached the Daunt, it can be tempting to completely ignore the main story and go explore to your heart’s content. Please don’t. “Forbidden West” isn’t that kind of game. You’ll quickly find that some areas and collectibles are inaccessible as they require certain tools that you won’t have at your disposal early in the game. Our advice? Savour and focus on the main story. By the time you reach the final boss, you should have most, if not all, weapons and tools at your disposal. So, enjoy the narrative, experience Aloy’s journey, and save the extra stuff for later on in the game.
Resource Management
Upon seeing crafting mechanics, one can safely assume there will be some level of inventory management. A standard expectation to have, yes, but “Forbidden West” isn’t as restrictive as other titles. Even when your pockets are full, you can still collect resources, and they will be sent to your Stash instead, allowing you to collect them at the next settlement or camp you find. So, if you’re worried about not having enough of a certain material, don’t fret over moving things around and dropping items. You can also upgrade your pouches as you progress in the story and find more areas to harvest resources.
Learning the Pullcaster
The Pullcaster is a new tool in “Forbidden West”, granting Aloy the ability to grapple up ledges, tear down weak walls, or yank out protruding objects. A heads up for you newer players - the game absolutely wants you to use this, and the early game gives you a number of opportunities to use it. So, whether you like it or not, you’re going to have to get used to using this thing. Start teaching yourself to look for grapple points and weak structures when you’re stuck and can’t figure out how to progress. Chances are the Pullcaster is the only way to move forward.
The Truth About Dialogue
Before you head off into the Forbidden West, you are presented with a moment of choice. Avad and Aloy have clearly been toying with the idea of seeing each other, but you know, the world might be on the verge of collapse. So, you’re presented with a selection of different responses - a fierce and blunt one, an intelligent one, or an emotional one. This isn’t so much an opportunity to branch the narrative and change the story, but an opportunity to portray Aloy the way you want to. You don’t have to worry about being locked out of particular missions or missing out on unlockable weapons. Ultimately, these dialogue choices are more for letting the player experience the way they see Aloy, whether that be bold, smart, or kind hearted.
Go Out on the Town
In the first “Horizon”, there wasn’t a lot of reason to really stick around towns other than buying and selling with merchants and a few side quests here and there. “Forbidden West” adds a bit more reason to hang around settlements now. Not only will you meet and catch up with familiar faces, you’ll also find opportunities to spend time with the locals. Hone your skills and show off your moves in training grounds, sit down for a rousing game of Machine Strike, or do what any ordinary player does and loot the place without asking anyone. The choice is yours.
The Thing About Skill Trees
As expected, “Horizon Forbidden West” comes with a selection of skill trees as most open world games and action RPGs tend to include. However, it is crucial that you examine these skill trees before spending your first few Skill Points as it might shape how you approach encounters. One tree increases your melee damage, but how often are you going to take enemies head on? Another will increase your health, but how good are you at dodging? Enough to put those upgrades off for a while? Personally, I immediately started investing in the Infiltration tree to make enemy counters easier for myself. Once you choose a skill tree to focus on, worry about unlocking the first Valor Surge ability in that skill tree before investing in a secondary skill tree.
Use the Elements
Much like the first “Horizon” back in 2017, elements are going to be your best friend, but they are not your savior. Sure, they can tack on status effects to turn battles in your favor. However, they don’t do as much damage as they did in the previous game. To ensure you come out on top, make sure you’re using standard ammunition more than elemental variants. Use elemental ammo too much, and you might land yourself in a heap of trouble, especially if you’re going for a stealthy approach. Learn to alternate ammo types and know how to aim.
See Green? Grab It!
Greenshine rocks are a new currency in the “Horizon” franchise, and they are extremely valuable. As you journey across the Forbidden West, you might spot a glimmering green crystal protruding from a rock or underneath a structure. Drop whatever it is you’re doing and go grab it before you forget! Greenshine rocks are immensely valuable in “Horizon Forbidden West” as they will help you craft and upgrade more powerful versions of your weapons and gear. Speaking of crafting and currencies, Metal Shards double as both. So, don’t go spending all your shards at a merchant when your gear hasn’t been fully upgraded.
So, That Prologue…
Okay, we aren’t going to lie. Much like a few other open world games, the prologue for “Forbidden West” can be a bit grueling (at least if you’re an impatient jerk like me). It’s incredibly linear and heavy on the tutorials. We recommend you blast through it in one go. The entire section lasts roughly an hour, and if you want to get into the open world as quickly as possible, just plow through it. Your future self will thank you when they boot up the game and find they can freely explore and do what as they please.
