GAMES LIKE LAST HORIZON UPDATE

But when characters comment on who you’ve already spoken to it gives weight to the smallest of choices, such as a Kotallo saying he overheard you were bringing other companions with you on a mission from a conversation held two minutes earlier. Normally, going around an encampment talking to all the NPCs would be an incidental action, checking off a to-do list before heading back into the world. Their dialogue updates based on things as simple as who you talked to first after returning to your base.

GAMES LIKE LAST HORIZON UPDATE

Even minor characters will update their dialogue based on your actions. The choices you do make are surprisingly small but are actually one of Forbidden West’s most impactful features. For a story about finding your humanity, being able to see that life reflected on the people around you drives that theme home. Seeing Erend struggle with tempering his inherent want to smash everything with a hammer or Varl’s enthusiasm to support Aloy all land because of the emotion conveyed on their faces. You aren’t just told about the threat Regalla and her rebels pose to the region, you see the fear and anger it evokes in those around you. Coming back to base to see what your friends have to say about events cements the stakes of the plot.

The moments when you see characters talk to each other are some of the most impressive in the game. Your companions’ faces come alive when they react to Aloy. Exceptional animation brings the characters you meet to life. Guerrilla Games has always made beautiful games but here the team’s technical art serves the story. It’s ultimately what makes Forbidden West more than just another open-world, action game.

It may not have the choices of Mass Effect and Dragon Age, but we felt as involved with our companions as we would in those classic RPGs. While this is a linear story with only a handful of branches to choose between, we still formed deep relationships with these characters. If you want, you can spend hours talking to your companions. This focus on character in Forbidden West is clear from how much time you spend in dialogue trees.

It fleshes out the world of Forbidden West and makes it feel lived in. Each character brings new perspectives, relating events back to you from a different angle. That includes wonderful new additions to Aloy’s inner circle like Zo, a fierce personality from a largely peaceful tribe, and Kotallo, a brooding warrior dealing with the recent loss of an arm. Varl and Erend return, but the game has a broader interest in 'putting together a team'. And it works because of the rich characters that fill the world. Forbidden West is about reconnecting with humanity and forming, or reforming, friendships. She’s forcing herself into a lonely existence as she doesn’t want to burden others with the weight of her own. She quietly slinks off into the night to avoid accepting the help of Varl, pushes away Erend having left him after the first game without a word. While never uncaring, especially to the downtrodden and those in need, at the start of the game, Aloy is running from social connections.

Games like last horizon