Should You Play Horizon Zero Dawn Before Forbidden West?

Should You Play Horizon Zero Dawn Before Forbidden West?. The first official review of the game “horizon Forbidden west” was dropped today, including our own, detailing a fantastic game that also happens to be one of the earliest examples of a first-party game that also happens to be one of the earliest examples of a First Party PlayStation 5 title.

Should You Play Horizon Zero Dawn Before Forbidden West?

Receiving the reviewers’ high marks, a lot of gamers are most likely tempted to dive right into the new title coming this Friday, February 18, when it is released to the public.

While we are sure that a lot of those people have already played its predecessor “Horizon Zero Dawn,” There are still some that are yet to go around it just yet. That begs the question: does one need to play “Horizon Zero Dawn” right before firing first Playing “Horizon Zero Dawn,” no one would be able to stop you. Seeing as that has been stated, is a playthrough of the older game necessary for you to understand the sequel’s Story, or are these two standalone games?

The Answer is Simple

The short answer to this question is an emphatic “yes.” These do not stand abalone games, and “Horizon Forbidden West” is a direct sequel to “Horizon Zero Dawn.” That means the events of the very first game would lead right into the events of the second, so if “Horizon Forbidden west” is your entry point for the series, you would be missing quite a lot of contexts for what took place in the sequel.

It is quite not the story context that you miss out on, either. While Aloy gets to meet a lot of new characters right in the “Horizon Forbidden West,” there are quite a number of returning faces, as well, and without playing the first game, you have no idea who these people are or why they are important to the character. Conversations between Aloy and the returning characters make plenty of references to the events of the first game, so without that prior knowledge, you are likely expected to complete lost by a number of the dialogue segments.

You Should Play Horizon Zero Dawn Anyway

If today’s is mostly positive reviews of “horizon Forbidden West” have you caught up in the hype but you are yet to play “horizon Zero Dawn,” This is the perfect time for you to head right in. “Horizon Zero Dawn” is a fantastic game in its own right and stands on its own as a title that is actually worth playing.

Part of what contributed to the “netting of Horizon Forbidden West” its high score is its rich sci-fi world, but that’s shared with “Horizon Zero Dawn.” The very first game that arrived in the trilogy does quite a great job of establishing that world and immersing you in it. If you are a fan of open-world titles and sci-fi stories, playing through “Horizon Zero Dawn” and its sequel in that order should be a priority for you.