The story ofHorizon Forbidden Westis set to continue with itsBurning ShoresDLC. Set in a volcanic Los Angeles, Aloy must tackle a gigantic Horus machine for the first time in the franchise. It’s unclear why this tendrilled beast has decided to wreak further havoc atop the Hollywood sign, but Aloy and her allies are on hand to find out and put a stop to its madness.
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Burning Shoresmarks the second time Guerrilla Games has treated players with an extended story, the first beingHorizon Zero Dawn’s 2017 DLC.The Frozen Wildsprovided players with a hefty story featuring new gameplay mechanics and a significant expansion to Aloy’s journey.Burning Shorespromises to do the same but will require players to prepare for its release. However, there are plenty of things to do in the land ofHorizon Forbidden Westbefore Aloy travels south.
One thing players should do before downloadingBurning Shoresis to make sure thatForbidden Westis up to date, as well as the PlayStation 5 itself. Nothing is more painful than settling into a gaming session and being stopped by hours of updates.
There’s bound to be an update or patch forForbidden Westbefore the release of the DLC just to get the game prepped. For some players, their consoles may be due for a system update too, in addition to the DualSense controllers.
6ReplayHorizon Forbidden West
For players focused on completingForbidden West’s story, now is the time toscour the ancient ruins for collectiblesand data points – two of which hint at the possibility ofBurning Shoresbeing a DLC location. These include the “A Dam Shame” datapoint, which was written by Gilden, a character Aloy helped inThe Frozen Wilds.He writes of traveling south to theBurning Shores, so maybe Aloy will meet up with him in the upcoming story.
Another is “Machine Dreams,” whichalludes to the Banuk shaman Brinwho drank the blood of machines and prophesied the storms and the red blight that plagued theForbidden West. While Brin has yet to be found in Southern California, he could be waiting for Aloy in theBurning Shores.
5Get Reacquainted With The Controls
It’s been a while sinceForbidden West wasreleased, so most players have probably played a dozen or so games since then. It can take time to become reacquainted with the controls of theHorizonfranchise, asthe combat is so specific to each machine.
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Thankfully, there are plenty of ways for players to reacquaint themselves with the gameplay mechanics ofForbidden West. Simply practicing on machines in the wild is an easy choice, or players can redo the Melee Pits or The Arena. As daunting as it seems to face some of the game’s most terrifying machines in specific challenges, it’s surprising how easily beaten they can be once players recognize their weaknesses and what weapons and armor to equip Aloy with.
4Prepare For New LA-inspired Machines
WhenThe Frozen Wildswas released, there were three new and terrifying machines: the Fireclaw, Frostclaw, and Scorcher. Based on bears and wolves, these Yellowstone-inspired animals gave Aloy one heck of a fight as she traversed through the Ban-Ur territory andhelped the Banuk tribe.
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AsBurning Shoresis set in Los Angeles, there could be room for new machines related to the area’s biology, like cougars, coyotes, and red-tailed hawks. Prehistoric machines could also return, specifically those connected to theLa Brea Tar Pits, where fossils of prehistoric animals like the Ice Age Coyote, Saber-Tooth Tiger, Dire Wolf, and American Lion have been found.
3Stock Up On Shards
IfBurning Shoresis anything likeThe Frozen Wilds, there will be new outfits and weapons to purchase. Shards have always been a life-or-death commodity in theHorizonseries, so now is the time for players to stock up if they haven’t already. Thankfully, shards are easy to obtain by hunting machines, looting supply boxes, and killing human enemies. Aloy can also receive a boost from the Shard Salvager skill that enables her to disassemble resources and modifications weighing down her inventory.
There’s alsoa great way to farm shardsinForbidden West, as discovered by YouTuberElkjaer TV. The Whisper Arrow bow from the merchant in Barren Light and Scalding Spear sells for more than it is worth, so players can repeatedly buy and sell it for a profit of 101 shards. However, for the bow to be available, Aloy must first complete the ‘Shadow in the West’ side quest.
2Max Out Skill Trees
Completionists will have a solid starting base inBurning Shoresif they’vemastered all of Aloy’s skill trees. More casual players may have missed out on a few to get through the immense story though, so to prepare forBurning Shores, players can work on maxing out Aloy’s skill trees to ensure that she has the upper hand against the Horus and any other enemies she’ll come across in the new area.
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InForbidden West, there are currently six skill trees with 162 abilities.The Frozen Wildscame with an entirely new skill tree and abilities that players had asked for, like mounted pickup, increased inventory, and dismount strike. As a result, it wouldn’t be too surprising ifBurning Shoresintroduces a few new skills of its own.
1Take A Look Back AtHorizon Zero DawnAndThe Frozen Wilds
TheHorizonseries is known for its deep, apocalyptic storyline attached to the ancient world of the Old Ones. Players discoverhow Ted Faro caused the world’s endinHorizon Zero Dawn, which only deepens inForbidden West. Seeing asZero Dawncame out in February 2017 though, it can be easy to forget what brought Aloy to where she is now.
Depending on how deep players want to go,Zero Dawnisn’t that long of a game when only the main narrative is followed. Becoming reacquainted with the first game and its story to prepare forBurning Shoresis a good idea, especially as some of Gaia’s subordinate functions like Hephaestus and Cyan, which appear inThe Frozen Wilds, may well appear inBurning Shores, too.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shoreswill release for the PS5 on June 25, 2025.
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