The release ofHorizon Forbidden Westmarks the 2nd entryway in a serial from Guerrilla Games , the first of which was 2017’sHorizon Zero Dawn . other reviews indicate thatHorizon Forbidden Westis better than the pilot , which already set a in good order high barroom , but as a lineal subsequence there ’s a risk of becoming lose while trying to follow a story that has already been developing over the course of a whole , rather talkative biz . Anyone in earnest interested in the serial will likely want to startle withZero Dawn , butForbidden Westwill have a mostly ego - curb story , so it ’s not stringently necessary to bulge from the root .

Horizon Forbidden Westlaunched in February 2017 and has become one of the more prominent PlayStation Exclusives of late twelvemonth . Its PC release in August 2020 was a meaning milestone for PlayStation exclusives arriving on other platform , and land the open creation biz to a large hearing . The series accompany protagonist Aloy in the 31st century , where world has regressed to tribal civilizations . Horizon Forbidden Westwill have environments and townsnot unrecognizable compare to those inZero Dawn , and will similarly have a story deduct from an overarching threat to humanity at large - the mysterious , beast - alike machine that once peacefully roamed the wild , but have recently grown hostile .

Related : Horizon : Forbidden West Review - A Superb Sci - Fi Sequel Worth Waiting For

Arthur Morgan, V, and Link over a blurred Elden Ring Background

TheHorizongames are heavily narrative driven , and skipping straightforward toForbidden Westmay be detrimental to the experience . That said , Zero Dawnand ( presumably)Forbidden Westhave many other component that are worthy of consideration . Aloy ’s story may be the chief cause for wanting to start from the beginning , but there ’s passel of value in the serial ' gameplay alone . The ranged fight against machines specially   provides an incredibly fun gameplay loop , andHorizon Forbidden West ’s unexampled weapons and scrap mechanicsmight be enough for some who did n’t get invested in the report . Ultimately , the determination whether or not to playHorizon Zero DawnbeforeForbidden Westcomes down to individual taste , but it is generally recommended that histrion experienceZero DawnbeforeForbidden West .

Horizon Zero Dawn Should Be Played Before Forbidden West

PlayStation exclusives have a reputation for delivering compelling single - player experiences , andHorizon Zero Dawnis no unlike . Voiced by Ashly Burch and model after Hannah Hoekstra , Aloy has quickly become a beloved character . Much of the value inHorizon Zero Dawn ’s narration come from the geographic expedition of Aloy as a main character . She is introduced as an pariah of a tribe known as the Nora , but the reason for her deportee are largely a mystery at the game ’s outset . Uncovering Aloy ’s origins and shedding light on the mysteries of the machines is the master focus ofZero Dawn , and is instrumental in the series ' world - construction . Horizon Forbidden West ’s story connects to the original , but it may be a hard undertaking for newbie to get plunge in the world without explore it the way Guerrilla Games first presented it inZero Dawn .

As an open humankind game , histrion mileage will variegate , but collectable and side quest all contribute to the blanket fictitious humanity smother Aloy and her story . Zero Dawndoes a very skilful business of hint that things may not be on the dot as they seem before slowly flake off off the mystique . scientific discipline fiction and post - apocalypse medium fan in special might findZero Dawnmore than worth a play through . It ’s certainly gentle   to find videos or write synopses outliningHorizon Zero Dawn ’s narrative and ending , but with interactivity being a central dogma to the television game metier , experiencing the game oneself can be invaluable .

Another notable incentive to playingZero DawnbeforeForbidden Westis the price of admittance . WithZero Dawnbeing just about five age one-time , it ’s rather easy to derive by at a reasonable price . At the time of piece of writing , theHorizon Zero Dawn : Complete Edition , which include its expansion and some other goodies , can be bought for $ 20 on the PlayStation Store . Forbidden West , on the other hand , will potentially remain near full price for some metre . With so many games to play , and only so much spare immediate payment , many musician might find the low-down price a fair deal in commutation for wait to playForbidden West . For those unabated by the price of new games , Horizon Forbidden Westshould be bought on PS4regardless , since the cheaper pick   still entitle buyers to the PS5 version .

D&D Spellfire Art

Playing Horizon Zero Dawn First Isn’t Strictly Necessary

While most who have playedZero Dawnand are looking forward toForbidden Westwill boost others to start with the original game , it is not an absolute necessity . Although prospective emptor will want to look into the matter themselves , former reviews seem to indicateForbidden Westbeing an improvement on its precursor in nearly every way in terms of gameplay mechanics and system . Just by virtue ofHorizon Forbidden Westcoming second in channel , it is the more modern of the two game , and is more potential to provide a satisfactory experience from a purely interactional standpoint . Zero Dawnis not outdated by any mean value , but those that are n’t particularly concerned in experiencing the write up might find economic value in start with the more recent   entrance .

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Horizon Forbidden Westhas many return charactersfromZero Dawn , but will still have a ego - contained narrative . level arc will for sure carry over from the previous game ( and even some comics release in the interim ) , but withForbidden Westtaking position in the eponymic region not seen inZero Dawn , Modern players belike wo n’t have much difficultness getting up to amphetamine . If more than five twelvemonth of promotion , release , and discussion forZero Dawndidn’t offend the interest , butForbidden Westfor some intellect has , there ’s really no major issue to skipping the first secret plan .

Leah from Stardew Valley with the museum

For many , Horizon Zero Dawnwas one of the good game of the PlayStation 4 generation , andForbidden Westis expected to be more of the same . snuff it hard lover will always recommend the first biz be played first , which is likely the safe bet as opposed to going direct intoForbidden West , especially sinceZero Dawnis fair approachable . The narrative ofHorizon Forbidden Westwill be more impactful with cognition of the foundation lay inHorizon Zero Dawn , but anyone compelled to play the subsequence should n’t experience obligated to fiddle its predecessor .

Next : Horizon Forbidden West New Story Trailer Breakdown

Does Horizon Zero Dawn need to be played before its more recent sequel, Horizon Forbidden West?

Horizon Zero Dawn uses much of its narrative to establish the world building for Horizon Forbidden West, and is recommended to be played first

Horizon Forbidden West seems assured to come to PC after the success Zero Dawn had on the platform

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Horizon Zero Dawn