Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores – Review and Gameplay on PS5

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

• Platform: PS5
• Date of publication: 19. 4. 2022
• Manufacturer: Guerrilla Games (Netherlands)
• Genre: Action adventure in an open world
• Czech localization: subtitles and interfaces
• Multiplayer: it is
• Data to download: 17 GB
• Game Time: 7+ hours
• Cena: 529 CZK (PS Store)

Great visuals and an interesting story

You must have completed the main story (all main missions) from the original game to start playing the expansion. You will then receive a call from one of the characters that new information has surfaced regarding the dangerous “Far Zenith” faction you fought last time. To investigate the extent of this threat, you go to the ruins of Los Angeles marked by volcanic activity, where you will be guided by the local hunter Seyka, with whom Aloy has perhaps too much in common. The choices you make while playing can somewhat influence how close the girls get. All this against the backdrop of a fight with a villain who has a dangerous amount of information about you and always seems to be two steps ahead. On a personal level and in the wider scope of the gaming world, the addition therefore offers a very important event for fans of the series and they should definitely not miss it.

In terms of gameplay, you can also look forward to interesting news, the biggest of which is a new unique ranged weapon, which you can use with much more ammunition than arrows for your bow. This is very useful – after all, I’m a little tired of having to repeatedly craft new arrows directly during larger fights: even if it’s just a matter of clicking in the menu, it breaks the flow and dynamics of otherwise engrossing larger battles. Some may be even more excited about the new (robotic) water bird, with which you can smoothly fly through the sky and swim underwater. Not only thanks to the improved technology of the clouds, it is a really intoxicating experience to fly high above them, then plunge headlong into the sea and sink smoothly to its bottom. Among the smaller novelties you will find new armor or weapons.

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

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

Second opinion: Pavlína Nouzová

It’s 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 here, only in a smaller and more compact package within ten hours . And those who haven’t really gotten under Aloy’s skin so far can’t expect anything new.

The volcanic environment on the ruins of former Los Angeles takes a lot from the map of the very popular San Francisco – sand, tall buildings made for climbing, famous landmarks including the iconic “Hollywood” sign. However, after hundreds of years, the movie stars were replaced by metal monsters, including a giant frog and small flies, who know how to work well together. The same can be said about Aloy and a new secondary character named Seyka, who gradually acquires an important role not only in the story of Burning Shores itself, but also in the life of the red-haired heroine.

The same, only in a smaller package within 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 bit, compares experiences and sometimes even admits that a different approach to life and obstacles has something in it. Despite all this, it is still a walk through a rosy world, where people die and others behave like skets, but almost everyone eventually learns a lesson and, in a mysterious way, the two outsiders are loved by everyone. However, Burning Shores has two strong reasons why it is worth playing: first, it is a kind of bridge between the second and the future third installment in the Horizon series. And secondly, you will not see such beautiful graphics in 60 frames per second.