Horizon: Forbidden West [PlayStation 5] | Review - Use a Potion

Daryl: "Horizon: Forbidden West is a remarkable game that blew me away with its excellent storytelling, engaging gameplay, and breath-taking visuals."

[z2g]

I do not understand these perfect scores. It’s not a bad game, but it’s certainly not a 10 and there other games out there that look better visually too. If anything the visuals and performance of FW are a mixed bag. There’s tons of pop in, the shadows are rough and shimmery/jittery. The atmospheric fog looks like a super low rez pattern that’s just blurred over the top.

There’s been more than one occasion where my character gets stuck and repeats an animation loop over and over really fast (I recorded it the first time cuz it looked like a river dance performance and l laughed really hard). There was another time I was standing on what I thought was a silver box on the ground and I didn’t know what it was. When I moved on, the rest popped in and turns out it was water that just never bothered to draw in. I’m playing on ps5 mind you so this type of stuff is surprising and not nearly as obvious on other ps5 games.

Gameplay wise it’s nothing new. It didn’t improve on anything from the original. Literally just the same for better or worse. The writing feels like generic Hollywood movie dialog and the plot points feel like trendy, hackneyed buzzword themed save the earth tropes (I do care about the environment but this feels like a cash in).

I’m not saying it’s a bad game. It’s fine. I’m saying it’s not a perfect game. Personally I’d give it a 7.5 to an 8.

[UnSelf]

“ Gameplay wise it’s nothing new. It didn’t improve on anything from the original.”

He spent more time writing this waste of space comment than he did playing the game. Nothing to read here move along folks

[derek]

There is not a better looking more prettier open world game maybe even linear game than HZ FW. Anyone trying to downplay its graphical presentation is deluding themselves.

[Elda]

You're entitled to your opinion. I think HFW is worthy of its high scores. Personally..so far I give it a 9 out of 10. I just started 7 hrs of Elden Ring which so far I give it an 8 & basically I can say the same thing because the game looks & plays just like the Souls games with some additions of being open world & a name change. Far as ER getting 10s I just don't see it because it doesn't do anything mind-blowing different,it's the same engine,the same mechanics,the same style of gameplay. Everybody has their opinion.

[mkis007]

As Hades said; "you are deluded."

[Aloymetal]

''Personally I’d give it a 7.5 to an 8.''
Good to know this is your PERSONAL opinion.

[RedDevils]

I haven't play or bought it yet, but from the look of it, is look like 8/10 games. Just like the first game. The 10/10 score in these feel like an 8/10 back in the early 2000s

[Armaggedon]

The issues present in the game are a reflection of the observer. Besides, we cant take an out of 10 scale too seriously, as we are forcing nigh infinite possibility into a scale of only 10. Even perfection can become more perfect.

[mike32UK]

Literally my only nitpicks with the game ar the reflections of the water surfaces from the underside and the gameplay doesn't lend well to indoor/tight spaces

That's it. Graphically it's absolutely astonishing, the backdrops are mind bogglingly detailed

[Dirty_Lemons]

10/10 used to mean as close to perfect as possible. Now I feel it's used a bit too often. Up until the early 2000s there were only a handful of these 10/10 games. Admittedly there were probably fewer reviewers out there, and the internet wasn't as accessible as a means of finding out these reviews (anyone else miss PlayStation Max Magazine!?) but I think the hype modern games get clearly sway some reviewers opinions.

[northpaws]

Visual, gameplay, story, presentation, it has everything. Definitely a 10 for me.

[Lighter9]

I tried doing one quest yesterday, just one and I couldn't do it because I kept getting sidetracked into other interesting things. Those side missions end up being amazing.

[Knushwood Butt]

Yeah, I'm 40 hours in and just doing what I feel like doing, and the quality and variety is great.
Keep getting my ass handed to me on that board game but I haven't really spent much time with it.
Maybe the pits could be more challenging but still a great way to understand another layer to the combat.

I'd say the first few hours reminded me of the first game in terms of tone, politics, trade and stuff, but once you get into the west it changes significantly, and for the better.

[YodaCracker]

I’m getting déjà vu back to 2017. The first Horizon came out and then a week later Breath of the Wild came out and stole all the attention. Same thing is happening now with Forbidden West and Elden Ring.

[Nyxus]

Horizon has managed to sell 20 million copies, so it probably did alright.

[RickRoland]

Elden Ring is not stealing Horizon’s thunder. Entirely different games for very different gamers. The only thing they share is being open world.

[Aloymetal]

Well in terms of sales, best fromsoft game is DS3 with 10 mil in 3 platforms as of the end of 2021.
1st Horizon managed to do that in less than 2 years on one platform so nah, Fromsoft games are excellent but still niche.
I'm pretty sure HFW will surpass its predecessor and Elden Ring as well. I'm enjoying both.

[boing1]

It's not a 10/10 game. That's just silly.

[FlavorLav01]

So is a niche open-world souls game but you won’t catch me complaining there either. What a glorious spring to be a gamer.

[Rimeskeem]

Have you played it?

[Rimeskeem]

This game is basically a better version of the first. I would argue the story is better as well. How this game isn't a 90+ on metacritic is beyond me.