Horizon Zero Dawn vs Horizon Forbidden West
The short answer
Start with Horizon Zero Dawn — the story is the reason the series works, and Forbidden West assumes you know it. Forbidden West is better in every mechanical respect: traversal, combat variety, and machine design. But its plot only lands if you have the first one behind you.
What they have in common
Same world, same protagonist, same core loop of studying a machine, stripping its components with the right arrow, and bringing it down.
Pick Zero Dawn for the reveal.
The slow uncovering of what happened to the world is the best thing either game does, and it only works once. The traversal is stiffer and the melee is poor.
Games like Horizon Zero Dawn →Pick Forbidden West for the play.
The glider, the grapple and the underwater sections open the map up, the machines are more varied, and the combat finally has the tools to match its ambition.
Frequently asked questions
Should I play Horizon Zero Dawn or Horizon Forbidden West?
Start with Horizon Zero Dawn — the story is the reason the series works, and Forbidden West assumes you know it. Forbidden West is better in every mechanical respect: traversal, combat variety, and machine design. But its plot only lands if you have the first one behind you.
What do Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West have in common?
Same world, same protagonist, same core loop of studying a machine, stripping its components with the right arrow, and bringing it down.
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Buy This Game
* Affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
More head-to-heads are on the comparisons page.
