The Horizon video game series is one that I hold a special place in my heart.
One of the few games in the PlayStation Plus Collection—may it rest in peace—that got me through a period of silence, shutdowns, and end-of-the-world vibes was Horizon Zero Dawn, along with God of War 2018—when I bought my PlayStation 5 after things started to get back to normal after a traumatic period during the pandemic and its impact on our daily lives.
I can see why it enthralled me. After all, the game tackles some of my favorite topics from media in general—the end of the world, artificial intelligence and its perils, and the worst aspects of human nature.
One of the first games I had pre-ordered in a long time was Horizon Forbidden West, which I played on launch day and found to be very enjoyable. It took the elements of Aloy's previous journey and stretched it in ways I didn't think were conceivable.
From the stakes of the tale to the animations, visuals, and character arcs to the sheer number of plot twists—which, admittedly, may be a little much for some viewers—everything is there. The game was so gorgeous that the 30 frames per second limit of modern console gaming killed its best visual experience, which some players would rather not experience in favor of a Performance mode that runs at a 60 frames per second rate.
There's just one thing I can say about Forbidden West now that it's accessible to all members of the PC Master Race, which obviously includes me: it's the best game port I've ever played. Exaggeration? Not in my opinion. Come learn with me why Nixxes Software's Horizon Forbidden West marks a significant milestone in PC ports, PC gaming, and PlayStation exclusives.
Achievement in visuals
First of all, there is no other way for us to begin this evaluation. Even on the PS5, Forbidden West is as stunning as contemporary gaming gets. The improvement over Zero Dawn was rather noticeable, particularly in conversation moments where animations that conveyed life in every pore and every hair strand that moved with the wind replaced the "curssed empty stare."
I've often wondered what the game would look like if its full visual capabilities could be unlocked and we could play it in a setting that was limited to a 4090. Fortunately, the money I spent on a gaming PC was well worth it, as was the "what are we going to do now" discussion I had with my wife. Regards, honey.
The game offers the best Horizon experience to date as it is not only flawlessly tuned but also integrates cutting-edge features like DLSS 3, FSR, NVIDIA Reflex, AI Upscaling, and even Ultrawide compatibility. Yes, I am also talking about the VR game. Once again, the game's visual experience was the finest I've had in a long time when I played it with every graphics option turned up to eleven. Now that's an exaggeration for you, but the stability of my 120hz TV and 144hz monitor almost made me want to hurl my PS5 out the window.
Now, don't believe that if your case doesn't have a 4090, you will be denied access to this port. This game can be played flawlessly on every PC on the market by losing a little bit of visual richness and detail. Forbidden West is an enjoyable game that doesn't need spending two thousand dollars on a PC; in fact, Steam Deck gamers get to keep part of the fun as well.
An overly concentrated experience
In terms of gameplay, it feels just as excellent as it did in the past, if not better. Given the capabilities of contemporary GPUs and CPUs, it was inevitable that the visuals would be improved, but the framerate unlocking made me a better player than average against a variety of machines that still astound me. Once again, the DualSense controller amazed me with its adaptable triggers and haptic feedback. I was left wondering how on earth I could operate a character in a post-apocalyptic setting with as much detail as the Forbidden West.
To put it mildly, the way the game uses DualSense will render all other controllers and even a basic keyboard and mouse setup inadequate. Don't get me wrong, attacking with the left mouse click seems more natural than using R1, at least for me. You can also aim much more accurately using your hand's natural movement, which makes the game as pleasant as it gets, but sometimes it feels forced and unnatural.
This holds true for both the actual gameplay and the general UI/weapons menu design.
In summary, the DualSense controller, Forbidden's West's greatest advantage, is also its worst drawback. Although you may play the game with an Xbox Controller or even just a mouse and keyboard, purchasing a DualSense controller is highly recommended if you want to really immerse yourself in the Forbidden West.
Forbidden West and PC gaming's future
As the concluding section of this review, apart from making conclusions and discussing the plot and other aspects where Forbidden West excels, I would want to take a time to recognize Nixxes's history of PC ports in general and this most recent one in particular.
The console wars began with a competition to see whose console was the most powerful—dubbed the "bit wars"—but they eventually shifted to focus on what exclusives the system had to offer, which is perhaps the only factor that should be taken into consideration when choosing a system. Given the history of PC gaming and how it grew from a programming platform and niche experimental tool to the industry juggernaut it is now, one might argue that the two non-Nintendo titans of the business should retire from exclusives.
To be clear, console exclusivity will still exist for Sony and Microsoft, if only somewhat. However, take note of instances such as Helldivers 2's complete dominance of the internet, and this flawlessly optimized version of Forbidden West ought to be the standard for simultaneous releases on the blue brand's home console and PCs worldwide. Even if Sony hasn't yet released first-party IPs on both platforms on the same day, I'm certain that this is the right course of action in the rapidly evolving video game industry.
All things considered, video game porting and gaming in general are making progress. Should you be able to purchase this and have never played any of the Horizon games (Zero Dawn is also playable on PC) because you don't own a PS5, this is a fantastic investment and a wonderful glimpse at what games will be like in the future.
Oh, and if you have the money, be sure to get a PC to future-proof your gaming.
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