Guerrilla has definitely learned a lesson this time around when it comes to finding a balance between worldbuilding and telling a coherent story. That journey isn't a short one my playthrough (which was done at a fairly relaxed pace that included completing a healthy amount of side missions) took around 32 hours. Its twists and turns are numerous and had me guessing how it would turn out right until the end of Aloy's journey. Once again, Aloy is on a time-sensitive mission packed with mystery, not least in its characters, many of whom are firmly established in the grey area between friend or foe. It's what drives the plot along and lends a personal touch to what could be otherwise ungainly themes if handled without the obvious care that developer Guerrilla Games has put into Forbidden West. But this clash also takes place inside Aloy, who (spoilers for the first game) herself is a complicated combination of human and synthetic life. It drills down through many levels to what the Horizon series is all about, from the vines strangling the remains of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge to the animal-like man-made machines that wander the land, tracing the footsteps of their long-dead creators.

The battle between the natural and firmly unnatural is everywhere to see in the Forbidden West. 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. There’s a genuine sense of exploration and loads of completely involving lore behind it all to uncover. 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. 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. 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.

Successful sequels build on their predecessors in multiple ways – think Mass Effect 2, Assassin's Creed 2, and Uncharted 2.

For windows instal Sea Horizon