The embargo for reviews of Horizon Forbidden West from developer Guerrilla Games and PlayStation has finally lifted, and that means the first significant impressions of what the highly anticipated upcoming video game is actually like are out now. Given that the video game is set to release on February 18th for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, there is not much time left to decide whether you want to pick it up for launch, but the various reviews might help — which is why we have rounded up a goodly portion of them.
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In addition to the reviews gathered together below, it might be of interest to learn that the PlayStation 5 version of Horizon Forbidden West is currently sitting at an 89 Metascore over on Metacritic with a total of 93 critic reviews as of writing. The top score listing is 100 while the lowest current score is 60. The vast majority of critic reviews seem to land around 90.
As noted above, Horizon Forbidden West is officially set to launch for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on February 18th. Despite initially announcing that the upgrade from PS4 to PS5 would require payment, PlayStation ultimately reversed course on that decision and it will be a free upgrade path instead. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the upcoming video game sequel right here.
What do you think about all the reviews released for Horizon Forbidden West? Are you looking forward to checking it out on PS4 or PS5 when it drops later this week? Let us know in the comments, or feel free to reach out and hit me up directly over on Twitter at @rollinbishop to talk about all things gaming! And keep reading to check out a roundup of reviews from critics.
ComicBook.com – Logan Moore
“Horizon Forbidden West, by most counts, is another strong release for Guerrilla Games and PlayStation. This is very much a sequel that just looks to go bigger and better than its predecessor, and in that regard, it very much achieves what it sets out to accomplish. Although I wanted more from the story and the game’s general structure is very much the same when compared to Zero Dawn, fans who loved the last title should still love the adventure that this follow-up takes you on.”
Rating: 4 out of 5
You can check out our full review right here.
GameSpot – Phil Hornshaw
“Horizon Forbidden West can be daunting in its size and scope. That feeling only grows as you uncover its map, collect gear to fill in its giant arsenal of weapons and armors, or unlock a huge number of special moves, skills, and passive buffs from its expansive, revamped skill tree. But while it casts an imposing shadow, Forbidden West often keeps its focus on characters and their stories, and that approach works to break the enormity into smaller chunks and give your adventure stakes that matter. The game is continually compelling not because developer Guerrilla Games filled it with a huge amount of stuff to do, but because so much of that stuff is thoughtfully constructed and sometimes even emotionally engaging, instead of just feeling like items created to add as many map markers to the world as possible.”
Rating: 8 out of 10
You can check out GameSpot’s full review right here.
VG247 – Dom Peppiatt
“Horizon: Forbidden West does a great job of building on the foundation that Zero Dawn laid out; everything is more beautiful, the stakes are – somehow – higher, and the flirtations with BioWare-style story ideas shows just how much of a future this series has. The exploration and combat pillars of the game sing in harmony, too… it’s just a shame that there’s so much sludgy filler amongst all that well-oiled machine killer.”
Rating: 4 out of 5
You can check out VG247’s full review right here.
TheGamer – Stacey Henley
“Horizon Forbidden West is, for better or worse, just Horizon Zero Dawn but bigger. For some people, that will be enough. I expect when the embargo lifts, this review will find itself nestled amongst some perfect scores, and I can understand why. Forbidden West is fun and it’s pretty, but with so many open-world titles coming along since Zero Dawn, I hoped the series might get better, not just bigger.”
Rating: 4 out of 5
You can check out TheGamer’s full review right here.
Launcher (The Washington Post) – Alyse Stanley
“Whenever a highly anticipated sequel comes out, there’s the inevitable question of how it stacks up to the original. ‘Horizon Zero Dawn,’ Guerrilla Games’ award-winning, 2017 open-world RPG, set a high bar with its compelling story and gorgeous environments. I can definitively say after rolling credits on ‘Forbidden West’ that it not only meets that bar, it parkours over it and soars off on a robo-bird into the sunset.”
Rating: 90
You can check out Launcher’s full review right here.
Inverse – Christopher Groux
“Horizon Forbidden West is the latest in Sony’s prestigious run of polished first-person exclusives. As the sequel to 2017’s acclaimed Horizon Zero Dawn, the bar is set high for Aloy’s next adventure. The first game debuted in an era before exclusives like God of War, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and The Last of Us Part II broke barriers in gameplay accessibility. In 2022, Forbidden West has a much tougher standard to meet. For the most part, it’s a resounding success.”
Rating: 9 out of 10
You can check out Inverse’s full review right here.
IGN – Simon Cardy
“Successful sequels build on their predecessors in multiple ways – think Mass Effect 2, Assassin’s Creed 2, and Uncharted 2. They all improve what came before them by conjuring up exciting new gameplay mechanics, developing characters through engaging stories, and switching up mission design to offer variety. In other words, they take a solid base and combine with new elements to create more advanced bonds, much like an alloy… or in this case, an Aloy. Horizon Forbidden West does this with aplomb, building on the already impressive foundations of 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn to tell a thrilling story full of familiar explosive combat against elaborate robotic foes and blockbuster action sequences, but also adding Witcher-like settlements to the map and filling it out with great side quests. There’s a genuine sense of exploration and loads of completely involving lore behind it all to uncover. The result is a fantastic open-world action-adventure that, despite falling into a couple of its old habits, emphatically delivers on the promises made five years ago.”
Rating: 9 out of 10
You can check out IGN’s full review right here.
Game Rant – Dalton Cooper
“Horizon Forbidden West is a step above its fellow open world games because it goes out of its way to ensure that everything is worth doing, not just the main story. It’s more of the same from Zero Dawn in a lot of ways, but with significant improvements across the board to create a generally superior experience.”
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
You can check out Game Rant’s full review right here.
Game Informer – Kimberley Wallace
“Horizon Zero Dawn was just the introduction to Guerrilla Games’ fascinating world and the unlikely hero who would do everything in her power to save it. The sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, takes everything to an exciting new level with its novel mechanics and riveting lore. Guerrilla Games improves on the last game’s shortcomings and isn’t afraid to borrow popular features from other big-name series, like Uncharted, Mass Effect, and Assassin’s Creed. The result is a game that’s not only fun to play, but full of surprises and wonder. Zero Dawn was a great proof of concept, but Forbidden West shows Guerrilla Games still has plenty of thought-provoking and compelling places to take Aloy’s adventures.”
Rating: 9.25 out of 10
You can check out Game Informer’s full review right here.
VGC – Jordan Middler
“Horizon Forbidden West is an incredible game set in a world that we wanted to return to many hours after the credits rolled.”
Rating: 5 out of 5
You can check out VGC’s full review right here.
