PS5 review code provided by PlayStation.
Horizon Forbidden West was one of the best games of 2022, so it stands to reason that a follow-up expansion would meet that same level of quality. And Guerrilla Games lives up to that expectation with an exciting, if brief, romp through the lava-filled archipelago once known as Los Angeles. Burning Shores manages to fit a compelling, well-written story in its relatively short runtime, and some of the characters introduced here are among the best in the entire series.
Story
Burning Shores picks up shortly after the events of the main game, and it begins with a call from Sylens. After the untimely passing of Lance Reddick, seeing Sylens again was a bit of an emotional blow, and I was a little disappointed his presence bookends this DLC rather than being an integral part of it. That said, he has some truly heartwarming character development that will likely be his final appearance in the franchise.
From there, Aloy dives directly into the thick of the turmoil taking place over on the Burning Shores. Walter Londra, a survivor of the Far Zenith expedition that made up the antagonists of the main game, has set up camp in the ruins of Los Angeles. Sylens isn’t sure what he’s up to yet, but he and Aloy agree that it can’t be anything good.
What follows is a brief, exciting excursion into a new region of the Forbidden West that makes the most of Aloy’s ability to use flying mounts. The Burning Shores is a scattered archipelago of dense islands and volcanic activity, but it’s also home to a giant machine capable of creating other machines from organic matter. Londra has plans for this that would wipe out the entire western seaboard, so our hero jumps into action.
Almost immediately we’re introduced to Seyka, a new character who hails from the Quen tribe. Seyka is an exceptional character brought to life through impeccable acting, writing, and the Decima engine’s incredible ability to render people to near-perfection. She’s essentially the Aloy of the Quen: a skilled warrior who doesn’t adhere to tradition simply for its own sake. She’s brash and a little reckless but knows how to approach any situation with the right amount of forethought.
The interplay between her and Aloy is wonderful, moving fluidly from comrades in arms to shy, flirty children. It can be easy to forget that Aloy is still a very young woman, so seeing her actually come to terms with her attraction to someone else is refreshing. The moments between them never feel forced either, naturally progressing throughout the expansion.
On the flip side of things is Londra, the final vestige of the sinister Far Zenith. Londra is arguably a more compelling villain than any of the other Far Zeniths, as he utilizes charm and lofty promises to convince others to join his cause. He’s subversive, and a not-so-subtle reference to certain modern figures.
Burning Shores spends a decent amount of time building on Londra’s backstory, giving context to his actions and establishing him as a potent antagonist. He was a corporate overlord who exploited his workers and circumvented safety protocols, all while cultivating his celebrity reputation and surrounding himself with sycophants. Sound familiar?
None of this would have worked without the right actor, though, but Guerrilla thought of that, too. Sam Witwer, the renowned actor across film and television, dives into yet another first-party PlayStation role (he was the lead in Days Gone) with a scene-chewing presence that would make Scorsese applaud. He’s really very good, and it’s just a shame that most of his performance happens via hologram.
Gameplay
Burning Shores makes the bold move to expand more on Aloy’s skills than offer too many new challenges for players to face. Many of the combat scenarios in this expansion take place against familiar machines or human enemies, though the Bilegut and Waterwing are fun additions to the enemy catalog. By and large, it’s Aloy who’s changing, and that isn’t a bad thing.
New skills have been added to the end of each skill tree, providing Aloy with new techniques to take down enemies with style. Downed enemies can now be grappled for a finishing strike while fresh Valor surges can turn overridden machines into walking electric bombs. These additions don’t revolutionize the moment-to-moment action of the game, but they’re fun shake-ups that breathe a bit of life back into one of the best games of 2022.
Exploring the Burning Shores is where the real fun is to be found, as there’s a surprising amount of depth to this small region. The expansion’s story doesn’t stick around too long, but there are plenty of other things to uncover like collectibles, vantage points, and even a secret side quest that reunites Aloy with an old friend.
Flying around the Shores looks incredible, but it did remind me how tedious the act of flying actually is. I might just be impatient, but Sunwings and Waterwings both fly just a bit too slowly for me. That said, the Waterwing’s ability to dive below the surface and actually swim underwater is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in a video game.
There are new weapons and armor sets available as well, but the most revolutionary addition to combat is the unique weapon shown in all the marketing material: the Specter Gauntlet. It functions like a handheld minigun, allowing Aloy to fire a stream of projectiles at enemies. It can create homing rounds and, after an upgrade, a railgun secondary fire that dishes out devastating damage. I anticipate the Specter Gauntlet being a staple of Aloy’s arsenal in the future, as it’s unlike anything else in the game.
Audio and Visual
It goes without saying that Burning Shores is absolutely stunning, continuing the excellence of the base game with an expansion that is exclusive to the current generation of console hardware. The nature of the Burning Shores themselves allowed Guerrilla to really go all out with their environmental design, contrasting the usual lush forests with breathtaking oceanic vistas and vibrant volcanic flows.
The audio also meets the high standard of the franchise, with that familiar, sweeping score backing the dramatic scenes bookending the expansion. Nothing about the audio or music stands out in any particular way, but it’s every bit as solid as the base game and Zero Dawn were before.
What Could Be Better
Much of this expansion was spent on building up the relationship between Aloy and Seyka and for good reason. The dynamic between the two is incredible, and Seyka is sure to have a solid presence in the inevitable sequels. As such, there really isn’t anything too revolutionary about the combat or overarching story here.
I also would have liked a little more scene time between Aloy and Londra. Witwer is one of the strongest actors working today, and he never really got the chance to verbally spar with Ashley Burch’s Aloy. The final boss fight against the Horus was an absolute spectacle, but navigating the interior of the machine was a pain followed by a lackluster encounter with Londra as he became just another human enemy shouting incessantly for the five or so minutes it took to take him down.
Verdict
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores is a solid addition to an already stellar video game. It brings in a few new mechanics and some fun new machines to fight, but the real focus here is the characters. Londra is the most interesting human villain the series has ever had, and Seyka is a tour de force whose presence in Aloy’s life will likely have big ramifications for the future of the series.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores is available now for PlayStation 5.
