Like many modern games,Horizon Forbidden Westinvolves lots of climbing. However, this game stands out bringing something new and exciting into a mechanic that, frankly, needs it. More choices while climbing, as well as the game’s visuals, make climbing inHorizon Forbidden Westfun as opposed to a chore as is in many other similar games.
Horizon Forbidden Westis a visually stunning game, though its map contains environments that bear similarities to its predecessor,Horizon Zero Dawn.The biggest differencebetween the two games' maps is thatForbidden Westis far more vertical - the landscapes are littered with mountains to explore and towers to scale. This is not a burden inForbidden Westlike it would have been inZero Dawn,or many other games.Forbidden Westelevates climbing mechanics far beyond “find the yellow object to climb,” which has been a trend seen time and time again.
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Climbing Mechanics in Modern Gaming
When thinking of modern climbing and exploration, the first games that likely come to mind areUncharted,theTomb Raiderreboots, and many more titles in thePS3 era of action-adventure games. While visually impressive even by today’s standards, this type of climbing boils down to the player running to a brightly colored series of ledges and mashing the jump button until they reach the top. This type of gameplay almost feels scripted, as there is little player interaction here. Other games likeThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildhave their own unique climbing mechanics, butHorizon Forbidden Westserves as an evolution of the typical climbing formula.
Early on inZero Dawn, Aloy gains access to a Focus; a device that gives her many abilities throughout the game, such as scanning enemy weak points and marking tracks. InForbidden West, the focus also highlights which walls are climbable. Since Aloy can climb just about any wall in specific spots,usingForbidden West’s Focus is encouraged. Doing so does turn the game into a series of familiar “follow the bright yellow lights to climb” sequences, but it is completely optional. This gives the player freedom in deciding how to play. On top of this, tying the mechanic to the Focus makes perfect sense within the context of the game’s lore, as opposed to other games where it sticks out.
How Horizon Forbidden West’s Climbing Sticks Out
Even just a few hours in, it is clear thatHorizon Forbidden Westboasts more traversal options than its contemporaries, including a wall jump. While this is not aMario-esque wall jumpthat allows players to bound over obstacles, it is a nice additional option to grab a ledge that would otherwise be out of reach. Aloy can also jump backward from a ledge instead of just going straight up or down. This allows for branching paths and, again, is one more option to play with. While both of these options are simple, they freshen up an otherwise monotonous game mechanic. There are also a few more complex movement options Aloy gets to play with.
The biggest addition to Aloy’s arsenal is her new grappling hook. Its purpose is multifaceted: The hook can not only be used to break down walls and reveal entryways, it can also be used to pull and rotate platforms to climb on. Aloy can grapple up long vertical distances, choosing either to grab the ledge she’s approaching or use it as a launching point to go even higher.Aloy also receives a Shieldwing Gliderafter a major event early in the game, which allows for safe falls from heights that would otherwise prove fatal. These options all encourage exploration, which, as a result, is fun and satisfying.
Horizon Forbidden West is More Than Exploration
Horizon Forbidden Westis an acclaimed gamefor its exploration, visuals, combat, enemy designs, and motion capture work. The exploration and climbing stand out as much as they do because they successfully manage to innovate where few other games seem willing to. All the movement options and items are only from the first chunk of the game as well, so fans are left to wonder what other surprises are in store. This goes to show that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” may not be the best motto for video games. Pushing beyond set conventions can result in greatness, and hopefully even more innovations are seen in the future.
Horizon Forbidden Westis available now on PS4 and PS5.
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