Horizon Forbidden West’s Tribal Cosplay Undermines The Potential Of Its Worldbuilding

thegamer.com:

Horizon Forbidden West has finally clicked. After bouncing off its predecessor several times and never finding space in my life for the second game, I’ve managed to sit down with it during a quiet spell and have found myself smitten. I finally see what all the fuss is about.

While Guerilla Games’ gorgeous sequel is fairly predictable in its approach to the open world genre, it has created a landmass so compelling that part of me is able to overlook that shortcoming just to lose myself in it all. Delving into Cauldrons, climbing Tallnecks, and slaying each and every robotic creature that dares cross my path is a predictable thrill, and one that is only occasionally held back by storytelling that doesn’t do enough to pull me in.

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Aloy’s journey is one obsessed with saving the world. Our heroine is a capable one, often being christened as the only person in this entire universe capable of solving problems. Each and every town or camp she stumbles across is occupied by a random citizen asking her to slay some creatures or find their friend who has stranded themselves in a cave somewhere. Aloy is lovely and gracious so says she’ll get to it, putting her apparently urgent quest to save the world on hold in order to help some wasters with their trivial issues.

I suppose that’s the issue when open world games have a narrative that revolves around an urgent goal. The player is free to tackle quests in whatever order they like, or ignore them all together just to stop and smell the roses. Touching grass is encouraged, which is rare for gamers I’m sure. I’m taking my time with Forbidden West too, only ever tackling the main story when I feel fully ready to commit