You'd think that getting Horizon Forbidden West early would allow us to be ready on time for a video review in both languages. Well we could have, if technical issues had not driven us mad once more. As a result, all we can offer you for now is the French version of the review, where you'll at least be able to enjoy high quality footage we recorded ourselves while avoiding any spoilers. We are also allowed to share 20 4K screenshots we've taken ourselves. That's not much but it'll have to do for today!
Update: English review added.
All comments (14)
Gamersyde - Horizon Forbidden West (French review):
Verdict:
Horizon Forbidden West is gargantuan, really! Guerilla Games' game is so full of content that it was unthinkable to find the time to write you a full review in addition to our four-star video. Nothing would have made me happier than to write to you how much the continuation of Aloy's adventures fascinated me from start to finish, but the days are only 24 hours long.
Whether it's the main story road or all the detours I've had the opportunity to do thanks to the game's many side missions or other exploration-related activities, it's impossible to get tired. And yet, the formula has basically not changed since the first episode, and as I mention in the video, the various additions never seem to want to impose themselves on the players, Forbidden West preferring to let them approach the gameplay as they see fit.
In essence, this means that we can adjust to the game at our own pace like in the first episode, at least for the most part. This does not mean that Guerilla Games has rested on its laurels. To begin with, the number of skills available has literally exploded, weapons now have a secondary fire (to be unlocked in the different trees), close combat has also been expanded thanks to a system of combos to learn, just like the bestiary which offers even more variety. It is even possible to buy good meals to beef up your game a little before a fight!
Similarly, Aloy moves with more flexibility than in the previous game, thanks to the Shieldwing glider or her grappling hook, but also because she is now able to climb rock walls. Well, not all of them actually, and it's also a bit annoying sometimes, because you always have to use focus to reveal the climbing routes and it's quite visually cumbersome (think Death Stranding).
There are still a few hiccups in the navigation on foot, but fortunately, all these peccadilloes (faults) never prevent you from enjoying the fantastic walks that this suite offers. The playground is huge, it is splendid, and too bad if you have to accept the cross-gen mention in passing. I'm not going to dwell on the technical aspect here, I refer you to the video which does it very well (I think), but Forbidden West pushes all the details much further.
It is also a bit of the leitmotif of this episode to push the sliders well beyond those of the previous game. Everything is obviously not perfect (even technically, by the way), but the title of the Dutch studio offers very high level entertainment that will delight fans of the first chapter by regularly dropping their jaws over the journey.
Pros:
Looks great on PS5 and PS4
Two graphics modes on PS5
Solid content
Universe and characters at the top
What a journey!
Excellent side missions
Machines still classy
Being able to go underwater!
"Vegas baby!"
The Shieldwing glider
Photo mode
We come back again and again!
Cons:
Sometimes surprising pop-in on PS5
The melee remains very rough/unrefined
Imprecise climbing and platforming
No big twists here
I meant that the formula hasn't changed and that might be a problem to some.
Thanks for doing this, English video review should be encoded in an hour but I only had n'a hour to take care of it before work this morning and I clearly don't say anything that interesting. :x