I had high expectations for Forbidden West. After Zero Dawn rose to be one of my all-time favorite games, I couldn't help but eagerly anticipate the sequel.
I wasn't let down in the least. In fact, Forbidden West surprised me by enthralling me even more than the first.
The heart of why that is lies in how, in most every way, this second game improves on the first. The visuals are still more stunning. The machine designs remain striking, terrifying, and exciting to fight against.
And, of course, we have the stash.
Ah, the stash! How Aloy loved her stash before the patch that made her stop blabbing about it. (Though I'll admit to spouting those lines myself as I play along now!) Even more than telling such a poignant love story, the stash is just one of the many quality of life improvements for Forbidden West's seamless gameplay. I don't know how Guerilla read my mind, but they addressed just about every pain point I had in Zero Dawn!
Another amazing thing about this game is its pacing. For me, it was perfect for most of the playthrough, weaving in new elements just when things are beginning to grow a little stale.
The side quests also helped to keep things interesting. Though Zero Dawn's were often great, I found myself enjoying the variety and characters involved in those in Forbidden West even more.
The game isn't without its faults. The bugs it suffered from especially at release were far more numerous than you'd want, and a good amount persist even to this writing.
Additionally, its story doesn't quite reach the emotional highs of the first game, though it has plenty of peaks and troughs in its own right.
Also, while I enjoyed Machine Strike during my first playthrough, I'm not sure I'll go back to it. It was the same way for me with Gwent in Witcher 3, however, that could just be a personal take!
Finally, upon reflection, I didn't love the addition of all the gear Forbidden West included. It just became too much, and with its stats kept too vague. Give me some hard numbers and I'd be much more pleased!
All that being said, Forbidden West will always keep a place in my heart if only for the reason that I was playing it and inspired by it while writing my book, The Last Ranger, whose protagonist was inspired by Aloy. Being able to play in this brilliant world served as not only a fun experience, but a great way to keep in the mind of a like character.
Forbidden West takes it place in my top 3 games ever, if it doesn't snag first place outright. I'm over the moon excited for the DLC to release in less than a week!