“Horizon Forbidden West” is the highly anticipated sequel to “Horizon Zero Dawn,” one of the standout games of the last console generation. 

Picking up where the last game left off, we play as Aloy, a motherless young woman who saved a post-apocalyptic Earth from destruction at the hands of a robot army. “Horizon Forbidden West” follows Aloy’s quest to reboot the artificial intelligence “GAIA,” which would have the power to reverse the environmental degradation that threatens all life on the planet. While she used to be an outcast, Aloy’s heroic actions in the first game have made her a legend, and she spends much of the game recruiting people to her cause. 

I had very high hopes for “Forbidden West” because “Horizon Zero Dawn” was a genuinely thrilling experience. The gameplay and RPG mechanics were fun and involved, the world was engaging and beautiful and the story was a mystery that unraveled in compelling ways. For the most part, it simply delivers more of what its predecessor provided without too many changes. Fun combat, a gorgeous world to explore and a handful of new gameplay mechanics that evolved the combat and exploration, sometimes in unexpected directions. 

The problem is that “Forbidden West” doesn’t have the sense of discovery that the first game does, though not for lack of trying. In the first game, the player slowly uncovers what happened to the world while adventuring through ruins of our near future and surviving in the dangerous wilderness. Everything we saw was new and surprising. Now we’re familiar with the game’s world. Even if we’re taken to a new area (a dilapidated San Francisco is a joy to explore) and introduced to new tribes of human survivors, it just feels like more of the same. 

While the story had a few shocking moments, none of them really packed the same punch as the reveals of the first game. The tale is also less significant from an artistic standpoint. Full of both subtle and not-so-subtle biblical references and allegories, “Zero Dawn” very clearly paints Aloy as a second coming of Christ. For whatever reason, those themes were dropped in “Forbidden West” in favor of what feels like a more simplified narrative. 

This game accomplished almost everything I wanted from the sequel when it was first announced. Despite any small grievances, I enjoyed the experience, I am invested in the world of “Horizon Forbidden West” and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.