Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores review – a major event

The second installment in the Horizon series won the Digital Foundry award for best graphics last year, and it’s still hard to resist when you turn it on. The new paid story expansion, Burning Shores, raises this already high bar even further, as unlike the original game, it’s only released for the new console. As you play, it’s easy to see why – it has to do with improved flying and diving, as well as one very large boss. In addition, the sequel offers an interesting plot with a stylish villain. This is not a transition between the individual parts of the series, but a direct introduction to the third part of the series.

• Platform: PS5
• Publication date: 04/19/2022
• Manufacturer: Guerrilla Games (Netherlands)
• Genre: Action adventure in an open world
• Czech localization: subtitles and interfaces
• Multiplayer: No
• Data to download: 17 GB
• Game time: 7+ hours
• Price: 529 kr (PS store)

Great visuals and interesting plot

You must complete the main story (all main missions) from the original game in order to play the expansion. Then one of the characters will call you and inform you that there is new information about the dangerous Far Zenith faction that you fought last time. To explore the extent of this threat, you travel to the volcanic ruins of Los Angeles, where you will be guided by local huntress Seika, with whom Aloy has perhaps too much in common. The choices you make during the game can to some extent affect how close the girls get. All this against the background of a fight with a villain who has a dangerous amount of information about you and always seems to be two steps ahead. Thus, on a personal level and in the wider game world, the expansion offers a very important event for fans of the series, and they definitely should not miss it.

In terms of gameplay, there’s some exciting news in store as well, the biggest of which is a new unique ranged weapon that you can use with far more ammo than your bow arrows. This is very useful – after all, I’m a little tired of having to constantly create new arrows directly during the big fights: even if it’s just a matter of clicking on the menu, it disrupts the flow and dynamics of more exciting big battles. Some might be even more excited about the new (robotic) waterfowl that you can fly smoothly across the sky and swim underwater with. Not only thanks to advanced cloud technology, it’s a truly intoxicating experience to fly high above them, then dive headlong into the sea and gently sink to the bottom. Among the small novelties you will find new armor or weapons.

The add-on offers important events for fans of the series.

Unfortunately, while playing, it’s impossible not to realize that Horizon 2 has aged a bit in terms of gameplay – especially when it comes to the structure of the open world and some of the accompanying key mechanics, including inventory. Last year, Elden Ring (heavily inspired by Zelda BOTW) showed us how much more interesting open-world exploration is when it’s up to the player. Burning Shores, with its map overloaded with countless icons, seems rather outdated, the same impression I get from an inventory stuffed with dozens (hundreds?) of almost identical-looking pointless parts and raw materials. Less is sometimes better, and I dare say that the new big open world games will reflect that lesson. Burning Shores also grinds to a certain extent during the big unbalanced fight with the new “Bilegut” acid frog bots, but it makes up for it with an absolutely awesome boss fight at the end.

Second opinion: Pavlina Nouzova

This is probably the easiest way to evaluate the Burning Shores add-on, but also the most accurate: those who liked the visual style, gameplay, story or characters of the main game Horizon Forbidden West will get the same thing here, only in a smaller and more compact package within ten hours. And for those who have not yet delved into the essence of the Aloy case, nothing new can be expected.

The volcanic environment in the ruins of the former Los Angeles borrowed a lot from the map of the very popular San Francisco – sand, tall buildings made for rock climbing, famous landmarks, including the iconic “Hollywood” sign. However, as the hundreds of years have passed, movie stars have been replaced by metal monsters, including a giant frog and small flies that work well together. The same can be said for Aloy and a new supporting character named Seika, who is gradually taking on an important role not only in the history of Burning Shores itself, but also in the life of the red-haired heroine.

The same thing, only in a smaller package for ten hours.

Aloy talks more in the DLC than before, but in a good way – instead of constantly repeating lines about how this flower will be useful to her in the future or to keep something in her inventory, she has a dialogue with a girl who is very similar to her. He opens up a little, compares experiences and sometimes even admits that there is something in a different approach to life and obstacles. Despite all this, it’s still a walk in the pink world where people die and others act like sketches, but almost everyone eventually learns their lesson, and mysteriously, the two outsiders are loved by everyone. That said, Burning Shores has two good reasons to play it: First, it’s kind of a bridge between the second and future third installment of the Horizon series. And secondly, you will not see such beautiful graphics at 60 frames per second.