Horizon II: Forbidden West

Horizon II: Forbidden West is a single-player open-world action role-playing game. The story continues the journey of Aloy, a hunter living in a post-apocalyptic world where remnants of humanity survive alongside dangerous animal-like machines. After uncovering a new threat tied to a spreading blight and malfunctioning machines, she must travel into the Forbidden West, a frontier of diverse landscapes and tribes, in search of the technology that can preserve life on Earth. Along the way, she encounters new allies, rival clans, and increasingly powerful machines.

Gameplay builds on the systems of Horizon: Zero Dawn, combining exploration, combat, and crafting. The player navigates varied environments including forests, deserts, mountains, and underwater areas. Aloy uses a focus device to scan surroundings, revealing enemy weaknesses and environmental points of interest. Combat relies on ranged weapons such as bows, slings, and spike throwers, as well as close-range melee strikes with a spear. Enemy machines feature destructible components, which can be targeted to disable weapons, harvest resources, or expose vulnerabilities.

Progression is tied to a skill tree divided into multiple playstyles, such as hunting, melee combat, machine overrides, or stealth. Players earn experience points by completing quests, defeating machines, and exploring, which unlock new abilities. Equipment can be upgraded at workbenches using materials gathered from machines and the environment. Traps, potions, and ammunition types provide additional tactical options during encounters.

Secondary systems include settlements where Aloy can trade, take side quests, or participate in activities such as hunting challenges. Dialogue choices occasionally allow the player to influence Aloy’s tone or response, though the overall story progression remains fixed. Machines can be overridden to serve as mounts or allies in combat, expanding traversal options across land and water. The game also introduces mini-games and diversions, such as Strike, a collectible board game that uses machine figurines in tactical matches. Exploration is enhanced by swimming mechanics, glider use, and climbing improvements, allowing more vertical freedom than the previous entry.