Horizon Zero Dawn: Forbidden West- Videogames As Art

When Horizon Zero Dawn came out 6 years ago, I enjoyed the stunningly realised open-world and the robot dinosaur antagonists. The story was intriguing and I found the moment to moment gameplay enthralling. However, unfortunately for the game, it coincided with the release of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which took the wind out of its sails - pun intended. The constant chuntering of Aloy alongside her martyr complex made her a frustrating character to warm to, especially when she built up friendships after years of being shunned yet discarded these connections to go on her solo missions.

Luckily, this time the developers have given Aloy's colleagues time to shine and the cadre of friends really helps the game. It's warming to see Aloy grow as a character and the story develops well as a result. Also, Aloy is now able to hack and fly robot pterodactyl equivalents- and that’s always going to be amazing!
Unluckily, Forbidden West coincided with the biggest game release of last year, the juggernaut that was Elden Ring. I've only just got around to completing Forbidden West after Elden Ring and God of War: Ragnarok and was suffering open-world fatigue, but thankfully at around 30 hours, the game doesn’t overstay its welcome.

I enjoyed my time and will eagerly pick up the set-up third game but hope, for the sake of the developers, that it doesn't get overshadowed again as it is a gorgeous game that is well worth your time.

Here are some screenshots from my playthrough:

Horizon Zero Dawn - Video Games As Art

Horizon Zero Dawn is a beautiful open-world game which puts you in the shoes of Aloy, a young woman who is an outcast from her tribe in an apocalyptic future where nature has taken back the remnants of discarded destroyed cities and technologies. Wild robot dinosaurs and creatures roam the land as you try to uncover what happened to this world. I’ve been playing a few open-world games recently and this (alongside God of War) have been compelling as the voice acting has been top notch, the graphics stunning and, most importantly, the game designers have had respect for my time and haven’t padded out the experience with nonsense and pointless tasks that add nothing to the game. Listen up modern Ubisoft, this is the way it’s done son!

Check out my screenshots from the playthrough as this is one of the most gorgeous looking games I've ever played and is well worth a looksie.