Horizon Forbidden West's Story Shines in the Small Moments

gamerant.com:

Horizon Forbidden West is a massive open-world game with many places, people, and things to discover. Even as the world is falling apart around her, Aloy is never too busy to play a game of Machine Strike, pick up salvage contracts, or enter friendly arena competitions. But at the heart of Horizon Forbidden West is its main character and her quest to save the world a second time.

However, the main story might not be the best part of Forbidden West. There’s a lot to love about it, with mystery to unravel, surprising twists, and an epic finale. Yet most of the best moments in Horizon Forbidden West are just that: moments.Forbidden West did such a great job with side missions, secondary characters, and individual story arcs that it almost overshadows the main story. Horizon Forbidden West story spoilers ahead.

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The new characters in Horizon Forbidden West are solid additions to the cast. Some fan-favorites make a return, like Varl, Erend, Petra, and Talanah, but a lot of the new characters still steal the show, and every character that joins Aloy’s group has their own arc.

For Zo, from the Utaru tribe, it's discovering a world of technology and understanding that technology can exist in harmony with nature. Zo suffers a tragic loss late in the game, but this event leads to an ultimately satisfying conclusion during the final mission. Kotallo, the Tenakth Marshal, must contend with a recent injury that cost him his arm. His story is probably the most powerful, as he learns how to overcome his disability while realizing that he is not a lesser person because of it.

Alva the Quen Diviner, and Tilda from the Far Zeniths, have shorter arcs because they’re introduced late in the game, but