Horizon Forbidden West throws Aloy headfirst into a vibrant, perilous new frontier. The blight threatens to consume the land, and a mysterious new threat lurks in the shadows. This walkthrough will guide you through the main story missions, offering tips and tricks to help you survive the wilds and unravel the secrets of the Forbidden West.
Getting Started: The Embrace and Early Quests
The game opens in the familiar Embrace, a Nora hunting ground. Here, you’ll reacquaint yourself with the controls and combat mechanics. Here are some key things to remember:
- Scan Machines with your Focus: This visor highlights enemy weak points, resources, and tracks.
- Utilize Different Weapon Types: Experiment with bows, slings, and tripcasters to exploit enemy vulnerabilities.
- Don’t Neglect Crafting: Gather resources and craft essential items like arrows, potions, and traps.
- Complete Side Quests: These offer valuable rewards and experience, and help you learn the ropes.
Following the opening quests, you’ll be tasked with venturing outside the Embrace. This is where the real adventure begins!
The Call of the West: Cauldrons, Tallnecks, and More
Your journey will take you across diverse landscapes, from sun-drenched deserts to lush jungles teeming with both beauty and danger. Here are some key areas you’ll encounter:
- Cauldrons: These ancient facilities hold the secrets to overriding machine types. Explore them to gain new abilities and expand your arsenal of controllable machines.
- Tallnecks: These colossal giraffe-like machines offer invaluable vantage points. Scale them to reveal the surrounding map and uncover hidden locations.
- Settlements: These hubs provide opportunities to trade, acquire quests, and interact with interesting characters.
Facing the Machine Hordes: Strategies for Combat
Horizon Forbidden West throws some truly terrifying mechanical monstrosities at you. Here are some general combat strategies to keep in mind:
- Elemental Advantage: Use fire against machines weak to blaze, ice against those vulnerable to frost, and so on. Scan enemies to identify their weaknesses.
- Utilize the Environment: Explode canisters, lure machines into tripwires, and use tall grass for cover.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Run: If overwhelmed, retreat and regroup. You can often come back with a new strategy.
- Master Aloy’s Skills: Upgrade your skill tree to unlock new combat abilities, improve resource gathering, and enhance your overall effectiveness.
Unraveling the Mystery: Main Story Missions
The main story quests are where you’ll confront the blight, uncover the secrets of the Forbidden West, and face the true villain. Here’s a glimpse into some key story beats without spoiling the surprises:
- The Search for a Cauldron Key: Your initial objective is to find a key needed to activate a specific Cauldron.
- The Blameless Margins: This quest takes you to the border between the Nora and the Utarum lands, where tensions run high.
- Gemini and the Cauldrons: Gemini, a mysterious new character, plays a pivotal role in your quest to override specific Cauldron systems.
- The Forbidden City of the Zeniths: You’ll delve into the ruins of Las Vegas, now a twisted metropolis controlled by a formidable enemy.
Beyond the Main Story: Side Quests and Activities
The Forbidden West is brimming with optional content that extends the gameplay experience and adds depth to the world. Here are some captivating diversions:
- Errands: These short quests offer rewards and sometimes unlock new vendors or activities.
- Relic Ruins: Explore these ancient ruins to solve puzzles and uncover hidden rewards.
- Datapoints: Collect these scattered data logs to learn more about the Old World and the events that led to the current situation.
Pro Tips for Horizon Forbidden West Newcomers
- Loot Everything: Gather resources to craft items, upgrade your gear, and fast travel.
- Sell Unneeded Items: Trade unwanted equipment for valuable Metal Shards, the main currency.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment: Try different weapons, skills, and tactics to find what works best for you.
- Enjoy the Exploration: The world is beautiful and full of secrets to discover. Take your time and soak it all in.
Additional Resources
For a more detailed walkthrough with specific quest objectives and enemy strategies, you can consult online resources like IGN’s comprehensive Horizon Forbidden West Guide. This guide offers in-depth coverage of the main story, side quests, collectables, and combat strategies.
FAQs
- What’s the story?
Aloy returns six months after the events of Horizon Zero Dawn. A mysterious blight is infecting the land, and Aloy ventures into the Forbidden West in search of a backup of GAIA, the AI that terraformed Earth, to save the planet. - Is there a walkthrough available? Absolutely! IGN offers a complete walkthrough and strategy guide that covers every Main Quest: [IGN Horizon Forbidden West Walkthrough](URL horizon forbidden west walkthrough ign)
- I’m new to the game. Any tips? Check out this YouTube series for a PC gameplay walkthrough that starts from the very beginning, including tutorials and basic mechanics: [Horizon Forbidden West PC Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1](URL horizon forbidden west pc walkthrough ON YouTube youtube.com)
Exploring the Forbidden West:
Q. Where should I go first?
The main story will guide you initially. However, the world is open for exploration! Look for quest icons and points of interest on your map to discover new locations, side quests, and collectables.
Q. How do I use the Focus?
Your Focus is a vital tool! Use it to scan machines and the environment, highlight objectives, and uncover hidden secrets.
Q. What are all these machines?
Machines are corrupted robotic creatures you’ll encounter throughout the game. Each machine has unique weaknesses, so scan them with your Focus to identify their weak points and exploit them in combat.
Q. How do I take down machines?
Utilize different weapon types and elemental arrows to exploit enemy weaknesses. Use your Focus to scan and slow down time for precise aiming. Don’t forget to dodge and use the `cover effectively!
Q. What are the different weapon types?
You’ll find a variety of bows, slings, and other weapons. Experiment and find what works best for your playstyle. Some weapons excel against specific machine types.
Q. How do I level up my skills?
Earn Skill Points by completing quests and objectives. Use these points to unlock new skills and abilities in the Skill Tree, tailoring Aloy to your preferred combat approach.
Q. Are there any hidden items to find?
The Forbidden West is packed with collectables! Look for Tallnecks, Relic Ruins, Datapoints, and more. Collecting these unlocks lore entries, resources, and fast travel points.
Q. What are Tallnecks good for?
Climbing these giant mechanical creatures reveals a large portion of the map and uncovers points of interest.
Q. I found a Black Box. What now?
Black Boxes hold audio recordings that offer a glimpse into the past and the events that led to the current situation.
Q. I’m stuck on a specific quest!
No worries! Many online resources offer detailed quest guides to help you overcome any challenges.
Q. Is there a guide for all the collectables?
IGN has a comprehensive guide that pinpoints the locations of all collectables in the game: [IGN Horizon Forbidden West Guide](URL horizon forbidden west guide ign)
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