Horizon Forbidden West is an action role-playing game that is a sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn. Take a look at our collection of cheats and tips to get your game off to a good start.
Horizon Forbidden West is set in a post-apocalyptic version of the Western United States recovering from the aftermath of an extinction event caused by a rogue robot swarm. You play the role of Aloy, a Nora Brave, Seeker, and machine hunter as she braves the Forbidden West - a majestic but dangerous frontier that conceals mysterious new threats.
Explore distant lands, fight machines, and encounter new tribes as you return to the far-future, post-apocalyptic world of Horizon. The game is available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Below is a collection of hints and tips that will help you to progress in the game. These include why you need to hunt wildlife and why you should always listen to Aloy. As well as these hints and tips, we also have a Beginners Guide here which goes into more details on some of the tips we have below:
You begin Horizon Forbidden West in a region called The Daunt, this area is basically a segment of open world that allows you to get to grips with the different mechanics of the game before you enter the Forbidden West proper.
Resist the temptation to get through this area as quickly as possible as the side missions it offers will reward you with a decent amount of skill points that will make Aloy a far more formidable hunter when she does finally head through the gates of Barren Light.
Once you have left The Daunt and entered into the Forbidden Wilds it is recommended that to begin by sticking to the first few Main Quests of the story as doing so will enable Aloy to acquire tools such as the Igniter which you will need to complete many of the activities out in the wild.
By following the story you will also be able to unlock the Arena which will give you the opportunity to unlock some of the game's best armor sets.
Take a look at our Arena Basics Guide to find out everything you need to know about this feature in Horizon Forbidden West.
Make sure whenever possible you invest in Aloy's Warrior tree, so you unlock lengthy combos, resonator blasts, and the ability to leap off enemies mid-flight.
It is essential that you unlock these and other abilities as they are vital in some boss encounters. If you go to the Melee Pits like the one in Chainscrape you can use them to learn the basics of the things you unlock.
In Horizon Forbidden West there is no need to upgrade every single weapon and outfit you unlock. Unless you are aiming for 100% completion it is recommended that you start off by only investing your Metal Scraps in the abilities that suit your playstyle.
Keep in mind that the first upgrade tier for each ability tends to only cost a few Metal Scraps and items that you will be able to easily recover, this means it is worth going to a workbench to improve it before you test it out.
Take a look at our What Skills to get Early On guide to find out the best way to invest your Metal Scraps on at the start of the game.
Hunting wildlife is the only way in Horizon Forbidden West that you will be able to get the resources required for Pouch upgrades. These are needed to boost things like your stock of arrows, traps, and potions.
It is important that you acquire Pouch resources early in the game from animals like raccoons, birds, boars, and squirrels that can be found in or close to the Daunt.
If you fail to do so you will find Aloy will be left with minimal supplies and will struggle to survive. Use your Focus to tag nearby animals, so you are able to hunt them down quickly and get resources from them.
Scattered throughout Horizon Forbidden West is loot which is generally found hidden in places you might not expect. Loot will be inside barrels which you will need to smash open to gather their contents.
You will be able to find these hidden stashes of loot by either keeping an eye on your Focus for interactable spots or watching out for the 'R2 Pry' prompt that appears on-screen when Aloy wanders through ruins.
When Aloy is wandering around exploring you will notice that she tends to talking to herself. Make sure you pay attention to what she is saying as her advice will tell you useful things that will help you considerably in the game.
Aloy will also tell you by muttering to herself about the need for 'special equipment' when you can't yet complete a task.
At some point in the game, you'll want to find and unlock doors to get access to more of the game. Below is a list of all of the door codes to make things a little easier.
The Daunt (Relic Ruins) - 1705
No Man's Land (Relic Ruins) - 2204
Restless Wealds (Relic Ruins) - 1923
Ornament Code: Isle of Spires Level 6 - 2109109
Isle of Spires: Level 9 (Relic Ruins) - 2019
Isle of Spires: Level 7 (Relic Ruins) - 109
Deaths Door (Latopolis) - 7482
Forbidden Legacy - 1st Door: 102023
Forbidden Legacy - 2nd Door: 402625
Dunehollow - 739135
Cradle of Echoes (Distress Signal) - 237
The Spinebreak - 2054
Base Secret Room - 9626118
The video below is a collection of things you need to know before you start playing Horizon Forbidden West.
0:17 - Turn on Quick Swap
1:25 - Standby Screen Mode
3:34 - The Job Function
6:22 - Weather
7:01 - Skill Point Allocation
7:34 - Ammo Expert
8:15 - Survivor Skill Tree
Take a look at our Hunting Grounds Guide to find out everything you need to know about the Hunting Ground Challenges in Horizon Forbidden West.
The video below is full of tips and tricks, as well as some slight cheeses that can help stealth builds stay alive for longer.
00:00 - Intro
00:52 - ABR
01:43 - Slitherfang Tactics
02:23 - Stalker Tactics
02:51 - Rockbreaker Tactics
04:02 - Boosted Machines
04:36 - Underwater Fast Travel
05:11 - Invisible Valor Surge
06:05 - Amber !
06:30 - Invincible Trick
06:51 - More Gun
07:09 - Legendary Armor
07:28 - Best Stealth Weapon
08:04 - Crows Nests
08:45 - Splitting Spike
09:16 - Difficulty
09:42 - Headshots n Helmets
10:07 - Climbing Trick
10:29 - Warrior Bows
10:50 - Early Legendary Armor
11:01 - Plasma Explained
Latest updates to our guide:
Our Latest Questions
What are the two tools you receive for completing the Main Quests? |
The Shieldwing, a unique glider that lets you safely descend from high spots, as well as the Igniter, a spear upgrade that destroys the red Firegleam crystals that block sources of loot. |
How do you unlock unique Face Paints? |
Unique Face Paints become available after completing the Main Story and certain Side Quests |
Where can you get Burrower Soundshells, Shellsnapper Shell Bolts, and Rollerback Hammer Tail? |
You need to go to Salvage Contractors to purchase unique upgrading resources at reasonable prices. |
Where is the Stash? |
The Stash can commonly be found in the same area as Hunter merchants and Workbenches. |
What is the Stash? |
The Stash is a feature in Horizon Forbidden West acts as a storage chest with unlimited space. |
Can you help answer any of these questions?
How do I get my pullcaster out of the inventory |
There are 62 trophies for Horizon Forbidden West on PlayStation 4.
Trophies | Award |
---|---|
Reached Level 20 Reached player level 20. | Bronze |
Reached Level 30 Reached player level 30. | Bronze |
All Acquisition Machines Killed Killed at least one of every type of Acquisition machine. | Bronze |
All Recon Machines Killed Killed at least one of every type of Reconnaissance machine. | Bronze |
All Combat Machines Killed Killed at least one of every type of Combat machine. | Bronze |
All Transport Machines Killed Killed at least one of every type of Transport machine. | Bronze |
Obtained All Weapon Classes Obtained 1 weapon from every weapon class. | Bronze |
Used all Elemental States Inflicted every elemental state on an enemy at least once. | Bronze |
Performed 3 Melee Combos Successfully performed 3 different unlockable melee combos. | Bronze |
Stealth Killed 10 Machines Performed a stealth kill on 10 machines. | Bronze |
Tore off 100 Components Detached 100 components from machines. | Bronze |
Picked up 5 Heavy Weapons Picked up 5 different heavy weapons. | Bronze |
10 Types of Machine Overridden Unlocked and used the overrides for 10 different types of machine. | Bronze |
Upgraded 3 Weapons Fully upgraded 3 weapons. | Bronze |
Upgraded 3 Outfits Fully upgraded 3 different outfits. | Bronze |
Upgraded Every Pouch Type Upgraded the Food Pouch, Potion Pouch, Resource Pouch, Trap Pouch, and any ammo pouch at least once. | Bronze |
Enhanced Weapon with Coils Equipped a weapon of any tier with 2 coils. | Bronze |
Completed New Game+ Completed a New Game+ playthrough on any difficulty. | Bronze |
Completed Ultra Hard Completed a new or New Game+ playthrough on Ultra Hard difficulty. | Bronze |
Obtained All New Game+ Rewards Obtained all New Game+ weapons, dyes, and face paints. | Bronze |
Reached Level 50 Reached player level 50. | Silver |
All Machine Types Scanned Encountered and Focus scanned every type of machine. | Silver |
Skill Tree Learned Learned all available skills on one tree. | Silver |
All Trophies Obtained Obtained all Horizon Forbidden West trophies. | Platinum |
Plus hidden trophies, Click here to see them all.
Latest updates to our guide: