A new world awaits – and within it lurks mysterious threats intent on reckless destruction. Enter: Horizon Forbidden West.
It's up to Aloy, a fearless machine-hunter (and, incidentally, one of the most empowering protagonists in the video game world) to save this post-apocalyptic world from total collapse – and uncover some ancient truths in the process.
Set in a world where the machines have taken over, Aloy is a strong, unstoppable hunter fighting to save humanity. That’s right, the sequel to the colossally successful Horizon Zero Dawn is released tomorrow (18 February 2022). “I have to find a way to fix it all,” says Aloy in the trailer, “and the answer is somewhere out in the Forbidden West.” Are you up for the challenge?
Well, we know a few women who are certainly willing to give it a shot! To celebrate the release of Horizon Forbidden West and its new explorative features, five of Britain’s top sports and adventure heroes have come together to discuss the major influential and seminal themes in the game.
Hosted by award-winning entertainment presenter Elle Osili-Wood (who also happens to be a Horizon fan), the roundtable includes insights from Alice Dearing, a GB swimmer; Shauna Coxsey MBE, an Olympic Sport Climber; Sarah Williams, adventurer and host of the Tough Girl Podcast; and adventurer and children’s author Laura Bingham, who achieved a world-first when she led an expedition to locate the source of the Essequibo River in Guyana, South America, and to kayak its length.
One thing that unites these inspiring women is their ability to embrace new challenges. As Elle points out, it’s a trait they share with Aloy: “Something I find really inspiring about Aloy, in particular, is the way that she tackles new challenges – and when you’re playing that game, you see her come up against things she’s never experienced before.”
Having completed the Marathon des Sables (when you run six marathons in six days across the Sahara desert) and thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail (2,190 miles in 100 days), Sarah Williams knows all about embracing new challenges. And for her, the secret to completing these expeditions lies in her mindset.
She explains, “I chose to be here. I have a choice over my attitude. I don’t want to be miserable running out in the desert, running this race and complaining about it. I’m here to enjoy myself, I’m here to have fun.”
Laura Bingham also knows a thing or two about getting caught in perilous situations. When she cycled across South America with no money to raise money for a children’s charity in Paraguay, she explains, “There were points where I didn’t have any food… so I had to go through bins and find food off the side of the road. There were guavas and every single guava had maggots in.”
In times like these, she’s impressed by “how kitted-up Aloy is,” as with her expeditions, “joy is directly proportional to how much weight you’re carrying.” She adds, “Success for me on a daily basis is how slim can I get my kit?”
And Aloy has quite the kit. Fans will be delighted to learn that in Horizon Forbidden West, Aloy has more ways than ever of exploring the new frontier. Through high vault traversal mechanics, the ability to free climb, and even the ability to swim underwater, there’s nothing off-limits.
One person who knows all about swimming is Alice Dearing, one of Britain’s top marathon swimmers. If she could have any of Aloy’s skills, however, she’d choose her archery abilities, saying, “I think being able to use a bow and arrow is so cool, especially in the world and environment [Aloy] lives in, being able to fend for yourself looks so important.”
It may be vital to fend for yourself, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. The majestic surroundings contain danger at every turn, from new tribes to awe-inspiring machines. As Kotallo says in the trailer: “In the West, war is the rule; peace, the exception.”
Although the West is perilous, from a gamer’s perspective, it’s a big, bold, masterpiece. It’s hyper-realistic, from the meticulous details of the machines to the authentic tribes, settlements, and the people within them. It’s pulsating with life – which Aloy is determined to preserve.
Having been shunned as a child by her peers for her appearance and mysterious origins, Aloy discovers ancient technology from the Old Ones. While her people don’t trust this technology, Aloy refuses to be intimidated.
And, so begins Aloy’s transition from child to warrior, as she spends time honing her survival skills, from advanced weaponry to collecting natural medicines. She learns how to weaponise the old technology to override hostile machines, making her one of the fiercest warriors the Nora tribe has ever seen.
For Shauna Coxsey, a former professional climber, it’s never been so important for people to have role models like Aloy. She explains, “With games, TV and everything that’s around us, to be able to take inspiration and aspire to go and achieve something – I think that’s pretty magical – and that’s why it’s so important to have female role models like this.”
Sarah agrees, noting, “I want my niece to grow up in a world filled with strong, powerful, ambitious women – especially in relation to sports and physical activities.”
Horizon Forbidden West sees Aloy face a series of new challenges, as threats lurk around every corner, and life on earth seems to be hurtling towards extinction. Prowling machines are not the only danger that Aloy has to contend with. The land is ravaged and unbalanced by vicious storms and eco-catastrophes, and it’s up her to uncover the secrets behind these threats to restore order to this chaotic world.
You can watch the full discussion, here:
Horizon Forbidden West, available across PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles, launches in the UK on 18 February 2022. Check out the official blog for more information.
For more from GLAMOUR UK’s Lucy Morgan, follow her on Instagram @lucyalexxandra.
