Horizon Forbidden West Review – PS5

Horizon Forbidden West is just about to officially release and there is a lot of hype around it. The hype is real my friend. The hype is real. 

 

Full disclosure, I have not completed the game in its entirety just yet, but I am close and I have had enough time into it to write a fair review. I tightly I could complete the game before release day, but alas, I was wrong. As you can tell from my opening line, my recipe is going to be quite positive and with good reason. The game is amazing on PS5. I have not played on my PS4 Pro, so keep this in mind as I go on about how amazing it looks and plays. 

 

I’m going to start off with graphics and landscape. Boy, oh boy! This game is stunning. Gorilla Games really put a lot of work into the art and detail in this game. If you played the first entry in the Horizon series, you shouldn’t be surprised by my comment. This one was absolutely beautiful all the way around and Forbidden West is no exception. 

 

Getting behind the controls of Aloy once again felt great. It plays so smooth and has such great game mechanics, it’s hard to ignore just how important tight controls and smooth movement transitions are in a game. When I compare the controls and movement to other recent titles, Horizon Forbidden West is superior, hands down. This isn’t a matter of being biased, this is a matter of fact. It’s just right and I wish other games could create such an excellent control scheme. 

 

Can’t get enough! The campaign and storyline are amazing! I love a good story. Scratch that, I love a really good story! I would really like to chat with the writers and ask them about what inspires them to keep Aloy’s truth fresh and fun for returning fans and new ones alike! If you haven’t played the first Horizon, you really should before playing the sequel. It will make Forbidden West all that much more satisfying. I have sunk hours into not just the story, but getting lost in exploration. 

 

Playing through, leveling up, discovering new locations and weapons is all part of the fun. The audio is crisp and using 3D headphones is amazing. I have not had a chance to use the surround sound hooked up to my TV as I have been using my gaming monitor, but I’m sure that would also be a great choice. The sound effects are great and the composed music really sets the tone along your journey. 

 

All in all, Horizon Forbidden West gets a 10 out of 10 from me. This will easily be one of the best games of the year and sets a new standard for PlayStation exclusives. If by chance you haven’t bought the game yet, buy are planning too, grab yourself a PS4 copy and get the PS5 upgrade for free. Saving $10 is always a good thing. It seems silly how that works, but Sony tried to stick it to PS5 owners. Oh, well. Either way, it’s an amazing game!