Horizon Forbidden West in Ultra HD on the living room PC: Solid console port doesn’t need expensive GPU heavyweights

1 - Introduction and the planned PC build 2 - Story, look and feel 3 - Engine, anti aliasing and super sampling 4 - Benchmark scene, system and quality presets 5 - Bechmarks and tons of metrics 6 - Power consumption, summary and conclusion

The plot? Yes, there is a nice story, but without spoilers!

Ok, the actual hook was the game and my good old XBox Elite Wireless Controller is already looking forward to the next session in the living room. So what was it all about again? That’s right, in “Horizon Forbidden West” we once again follow the adventures of Aloy, our favorite apocalypse survivor with a penchant for archery and an insatiable curiosity about the mysteries of a world ruled by machines. After discovering in Horizon Zero Dawn that her world is basically a giant, out-of-control sci-fi exposition, Aloy decides to continue her exploration and head west – because what lies beyond the horizon is always more exciting than what you already know (and because “Horizon Same Old East” just wouldn’t have had the same ring to it).

In “Horizon Forbidden West”, Aloy once again dives into a world that is as colorful as an influencer’s Instagram feed for fluffy children’s dough. From ruined cities that have been reclaimed by nature to new, fascinating biomes that range from tropical beauty to frosty splendor, everything is there (once again). And of course there are machines. Lots of machines. Lots and lots of machines. From the graceful, herbivorous robo-giraffes to the less friendly, anything but vegetarian T-Rex-like monsters that would probably love to eat Aloy for breakfast.

Our heroine continues her search for answers, more or less skillfully navigating political intrigue as convoluted as the plot of your average soap opera and forming alliances with a motley crew of characters ranging from “useful in combat” to “why are you even here?”. Together they face the threat of a mysterious plague ravaging the land, for which Aloy must of course find a solution because she is not only an archer but also an excellent amateur virologist.

With a mixture of exploration, combat and annoying climbing on things that weren’t meant to be climbed, “Horizon Forbidden West” offers a story full of discovery, danger and occasional moments where you wonder if the future will really be so machine- and, more importantly, AI-heavy. Basically, it’s an epic journey that proves that even in a world on the brink of destruction, there’s still time for a bit of sightseeing and saving civilization.

What I didn’t like so much: Climbing until the doctor comes

In Horizon Forbidden West, it seems as if Aloy has completed a secret internship with Lara Croft and the Assassins, because her repertoire of acrobatic feats – climbing, jumping and the omnipresent grappling hook – suggests that she is perhaps the true master of the vertical trade. This quickly starts to get on your nerves, as some of the tasks are almost exasperating. Too many options that ultimately come to nothing and pointlessly scattered save points don’t exactly make life any easier.

The constant climbing in Horizon Forbidden West is so omnipresent that you would almost expect Aloy to start an advanced course in extreme climbing on the side, with the grappling hook as her trusty sidekick. It seems as if no rock is too high, no tower too lofty and no shootable support too silly not to be conquered by Aloy’s iron will and superhuman arms. You’d think the developers wanted to make sure that every square inch of the carefully crafted world would be admired by players from every conceivable perspective – even if it meant Aloy spent more time in the air than on the ground. Only to end up opening a useless chest full of odds and ends and then finding another way. When the grappling hook already has a permanent card for every accessible ledge, it quickly becomes annoying.

Cynically speaking, you could say that Horizon Forbidden West is less a game about saving the world and more a sophisticated simulation of the ultimate digital climbing vacation by Jochen Schweizer, the German master of adrenaline kicks and extraordinary experiences? And for those who are already waiting for the sequel, i.e. the third part: “Climbing Extreme: From Ruins to Horizon” comes with a personal grappling hook upgrade. Give him dinosaurs baby! Just not so much of it, please. Incidentally, the Streacom DA6 XL would have plenty of attack surfaces for the ubiquitous grappling hook, but unfortunately in small size. And I almost broke my fingers.

Playing with the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2

Seriously – as a die-hard PC gamer, playing Horizon Forbidden West with a wireless Xbox controller might feel like you’re rebelliously testing the limits of your body’s compatibility with the environment, much like Aloy does when she fights her way through the post-apocalyptic wilderness. Sticks instead of keyboard and mouse? It’s like mustard and honey, you get used to everything. The Xbox Elite Controller is known for its precision, customizability and the elevated feeling it conveys when you open yourself up to this type of gaming without prejudice.

The beauty of it is that this controller is almost “plug and play” thanks to the wide support of Microsoft products on Windows operating systems, even though it was actually developed for the Xbox consoles and the game was ported from the Sony Playstation. This allows you to move seamlessly from fighting machine creatures to a relaxing game night on the sofa without ever having to put the controller down. Dongle in, be happy. Even though my motherboard is equipped with Bluetooth, the special adapter can make the connection more stable – which is especially important when you’re dodging a thundering Thunderjaw and every millisecond counts.

Let me go into Microsoft marketing speak: you could imagine someone with the Elite Controller in hand roaming the lush, post-apocalyptic landscapes of Horizon Forbidden West. The adaptive triggers and haptic feedback let you feel every taut bowstring and howling wind through ruined cities. The ability to customize the button mapping is like forging your own sword to match your exact fighting style against the mechanical beasts. Blah, blah… But somehow that’s true, just not so flowery.

But a little wink should not be missing: You shouldn’t forget to take a break from time to time and take care of human needs. It may be tempting to spend hours hunting machines and collecting resources, but even Aloy needs to take a (pee) break every now and then. So if the Elite Controller suddenly seems heavier in your hand, it might be a hint to stand up for a moment, stretch and maybe even admire the real world outside the window – before returning to the adventure in Horizon Forbidden West. Climbing included.