Connect with us

Published

on

Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores Focuses on Aloy’s Development

When it comes to DLC, several studios opt to experiment with gameplay and introduce bold new features to their franchises. This is not the case with Guerrilla. As with Zero Dawn, the developers chose to offer a little more of the Horizon experience in Burning Shores, with specific changes in gameplay and a greater focus on the story, especially with regard to the development of Aloy as a character.

Hot Archipelago!

This new chapter in the franchise takes place immediately after the end of Forbidden West and can only be started after finishing the story. So be aware that there are spoilers here for the game’s original campaign.

Advertisement

After concluding the Elders of Far Zenith arc and learning that the AI ​​Nemesis is coming to Earth to wipe out what’s left of humanity, Aloy is looking for ways to save the planet from the threat. Conveniently, there’s a hitherto unrevealed thirteenth member of the billionaire group, and he might just have the answer the girl is looking for. The place where he is hidden is nothing less than Los Angeles, or a very “Horizon” version of it, with remains of machines, beautiful landscapes and many dangers: the so-called Burning Shores.

YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:
Review: AirPods Pro 2 Shocking discoveries if you're not listening to music

The new area is very reminiscent of what we’ve seen in Forbidden West both in terms of visuals and ways to explore, but it has the new feature of lava rivers between the beaches to give extra drama to the scenarios, as well as new beautiful places to abuse of photo mode. There is also the technical novelty, since this expansion is only available on PS5. The clouds are now volumetric, which gives the skies a much more realistic look. Since Aloy spends a lot of her time flying machines now, it’s a great visual addition.

The region has no new tribes and, in addition to the villain we are looking for, the entire plot revolves around stray members of the Quen, the tribe that came from across the ocean and was featured in the campaign. More specifically, the plot will revolve around Aloy and Seyka, a girl who at first rivals the protagonist and hides secrets, but who over time becomes an essential ally to overcome the challenges presented in the new region.

Aloy’s development is done mission by mission. Each interaction with Seyka reveals more of the protagonist’s personality, as she now always has her partner from a similar past to talk to – which is much better than the exaggerated phrases and tips she gave in the campaign. Seyka also has a strong personality and the dynamic between the two works a lot and generates both conflicts and comic moments all the time. It’s even impressive that the approach of the two doesn’t seem rushed, since the campaign here lasts less than ten hours and a good part of it is reserved for moments of action and climbing buildings.

Advertisement

The narrative conclusion of this duo’s adventure is already generating heated discussions on social networks, with even review bombs on note aggregator sites. The fact is that, although the final decision is up to the players, the character’s new trait is defined and should bring consequences in the inevitable sequence that will come next.

YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:
Review: These WiZ's smart lights 'feel' like you're walking into the room

new machines

Of novelty even in the gameplay there is little to point out, but enough to please fans for the short duration of the campaign.

The highlight is obviously for the new machines. Bosses aside, the coolest of them is definitely Bilegut, a frog that spits acid and jumps all the time on Aloy. There is also a species of fly that flies in flocks and a diving bird that is the new mount, less exuberant additions that also add.

As far as the bosses and setpieces are concerned, very well done in the original campaign, here the quality drops a lot. You can see that the final boss had less time to work than necessary, both in terms of gameplay and visuals and this is repeated in several missions as well, which avoid extravagance.

Advertisement

Finally, there is a new type of weapon that is extremely powerful. After using it, the rest of the game is very easy on normal difficulty and you can easily “farm” that missing set or legendary weapon for your collection.

It is worth remembering that Seyka also helps in combat and the dynamic works well. It’s not new because of the companions of the first campaign, but with this depth it ends up bringing a different freshness to the combat. The damage she deals is significant and many battles are made much easier by the amount of chaos she generates with her elemental attacks.

YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:
Best Games of the month: LEGO Star Wars, Chrono Cross and Roguebook

One or two secondary missions, buildings to climb and collectibles to find complete the package for this region, which looks like a great filler designed to show more of the protagonist to her fans.

Conclusion

Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores does not bring striking new features in terms of gameplay and bet on more of the experience known to fans. The focus is on the development of Aloy and the introduction of Seyka, a character who dialogues well with the protagonist and makes a good duo. At the end of the day, it’s essential for anyone looking forward to the third game, but they definitely could have been more daring.

Advertisement

pros

  • Dynamic between Aloy and Seyka works well
  • New machines are challenging and interesting
  • Technical innovations make the game even more beautiful

cons

  • Brings little news in the gameplay and ends up being more of the same
  • uninspired bosses

Grade: 7.5/10.0

A copy of the DLC was provided by Sony for the purposes of this review.

Advertisement

Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores Focuses on Aloy’s Development

Follow AFRILATEST on Google News  and receive alerts for the main news about trending game reviews, Anime, series, entertainment and lots more!

SHARE POST AND EARN REWARDS:

Join our Audience reward campaign and make money reading articles, shares, likes and comment >> Join reward Program

YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:
Review: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra unites the best of S and Note phones

FIRST TIME REACTIONS:

Be the first to leave us a comment, down the comment section. click allow to follow this topic and get firsthand daily updates.

JOIN US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA: << FACEBOOK >> | << WHATSAPP >> | << TELEGRAM >> | << TWITTER >

Advertisement
#Horizon #Forbidden #West #Burning #Shores #Focuses #Aloys #Development
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending