Horizon Forbidden West: 10 Best Tips & Tricks For Beginners
You'll want to get a mount as soon as possible.
Horizon Forbidden West is a massive game. From its huge open world to its enemy variation, there is a lot to remember when playing. It is easy to get overwhelmed when starting out in the Forbidden West, so keeping a few important details in mind is a great way to ease into gameplay.
Combat, exploration, and traversal are all areas that can stump new players, but there are ways to make the experience much simpler. Players can take advantage of the features and mechanics provided in Horizon Forbidden West and make gameplay a cinch.
10/10 Tackle The Tallnecks Early In The Game
In Horizon Forbidden West, Tallnecks are majestic and invaluable machines. Once completed, Tallnecks uncover a large portion of Horizon Forbidden West’s minimap, unveiling locations, points of interest, and collectibles. To complete a Tallneck, players must first track these titans down and then reach the top to override the beast and download its precious information.
Each Tallneck poses a unique issue or puzzle that players must figure out before they can reach the top. There are a few Tallnecks that are progression locked as well, so players shouldn’t worry too much if they can’t complete some of them. They can always return later in the game when they are more powerful.
9/10 Prioritize Getting A Mount
Horizon Forbidden West boasts a massive open world. With a map as big as this one, traversal is important. Traveling from one side of the map to the other can be nearly impossible (aside from fast traveling) without a machine to ride on. Finding a mount early in the game is a great way to cover a lot of ground quickly.
There are a few different mounts in the game, but obtaining them is usually done in the same way. Players will need to track down and complete the Cauldrons found throughout the game’s world in order to unlock more mounts. Cauldrons can be tough, but they are well worth the trouble. One Cauldron even contains a flying mount, which makes traveling the world a breeze.
8/10 Take Full Advantage Of The Shieldwing
As mentioned in the tip above, traversal is important in Horizon Forbidden West. Mounts are not always available and sometimes players need to travel on foot to get to their destination. The Forbidden West is a mountainous and rugged region that can be difficult to navigate. One extremely useful tool is the Shieldwing.
Players unlock the Shieldwing early in the game and, because of this, it is easy to forget how useful the item is, even into the endgame. The Shieldwing allows players to glide down from incredibly high altitudes without taking damage. With so many hills and mountains, the Shieldwing can be used nearly everywhere in the game.
7/10 Attack Enemies From A Distance
There is a heavy emphasis on combat in Horizon Forbidden West. Players will get extremely comfortable with Aloy’s spear and bow throughout the game, but technique matters when taking on machines. Aloy’s spear is useful but easily gets outpaced by the many ranged weapons in Horizon Forbidden West.
Taking on enemies from a distance allows players to retain the upper hand in battle. When enemies get close, they have a chance to strike. Both human and machine enemies can be deadly up close. Players should primarily rely on ranged weapons, with Aloy’s spear being a last resort.
6/10 Utilize The Workbench To Upgrade Weapons
Weapons are central to the gameplay in Horizon Forbidden West. Aloy relies heavily on her spear and bow in most combat scenarios, so it is easy to forget that there are other weapons available too. Using the workbench to upgrade weapons can help players scale to the more difficult enemies encountered later in the game.
Using the workbench can also be a helpful reminder of which weapons are available to the player as the full list can be found at the bottom of the workbench menu. Weapons can usually be upgraded a total of three times, with each upgrade requiring a different type and amount of materials.
5/10 Scan Enemies Before Taking Them On
Scanning enemies is vitally important in Horizon Forbidden West. Players can learn valuable information about machines by scanning them with Aloy’s Focus. Scanning an enemy shows what elements it is weak to, which ones it is strong against, its corresponding Cauldron, whether it is mountable, and also which body parts are weak on the machine.
Fighting an enemy is usually a fast-paced ordeal in the Forbidden West, so it is extremely easy to forget about this useful feature. Making it a habit to scan every enemy before engaging in a battle can be a helpful way to come out victorious.
4/10 Don’t Forget About The Stash
Players are given their own Stash in Horizon Forbidden West. The Stash acts as a cache for players to store overflow items from their inventory. Stashes can be found all over the open world, but are most reliably found in major settlements in the Forbidden West like Chainscrape or Scalding Spear.
When a player’s inventory is full, any item picked up will go into the Stash automatically. This is extremely important to keep in mind, as players running low on an item (especially a common one) can usually find what they need in their Stash.
3/10 Use Elemental Attacks
Most enemies in Horizon Forbidden West have weaknesses to certain elemental attacks. Elemental ammunition can be crafted for specific bows and other weapons and can be of great use in combat. Some enemies are also resistant to certain elements, so keeping this in mind throughout the game is a great way to lessen the difficulty of combat.
When fighting larger, more deadly enemies, elemental attacks are near requirements. Exploiting an enemy’s weakness can make even the toughest battles an easy victory for Aloy. Figuring out an enemy’s weakness is as easy as scanning them with Aloy’s Focus.
2/10 Complete Cauldrons When Possible
Cauldrons are the player’s key to taking control of most machine enemies in the game. Cauldrons contain items called overrides which allow the player to take control of machines, resulting in some enemies fighting alongside Aloy in battle. Some of the Cauldron’s overrides also allow Aloy to mount certain machines, which is extremely useful throughout the entire game.
There are six Cauldrons, with each providing its own set of overrides. Not all of the Cauldrons are accessible from the start of the game so players should make their way through the game’s main story and complete the Cauldrons when the opportunity presents itself.
1/10 Loot Everything
Looting is one of the most important mechanics in Horizon Forbidden West. You’ll require an incredibly high amount of materials when crafting ammo or upgrading weapons, and without looting everything in sight, it is hard to keep up with the material requirements.
You do have an inventory capacity in the game, but thankfully there is a useful Stash mechanic. When your inventory is full, all items picked up will automatically go to the Stash, which can be found at most major settlements in the Forbidden West. The Stash also has an unlimited capacity. All the more reason to loot everything!
