With 93 reviews tracked on MetaCritic, the second "Horizon" titles currently has a metascore of 89/100. And with 103 reviews at OpenCritic, it's also sitting at 89/100. By and large, reviews are consistently positive.
In their 9/10 IGN review, Simon Cardy has this to say about Aloy's latest outing:
A triumphant combination of enthralling combat, top-tier creature and character design, and a captivating open world, Horizon Forbidden West is an absolute blast and fantastic showcase for the power of the PS5. Although the return of a couple of familiar series trappings and a noticeable lack of freeform climbing never threatens to derail the enjoyment, it does leave it falling frustratingly short of something revolutionary.
Kimberley Wallace's 9.25/10 Game Informer review has this to say about the improvements over the original:
Thankfully, the game is full of worthwhile improvements that make for a better experience, from a cleaner HUD to less inventory management. My favorite enhancements were being able to use Aloy’s focus to see climbing points and her ability to tag specific machine parts in a different color for easier targeting.
Jake Su of Geek Culture gave the same significant praise in their 9.8/10 review:
You will become stronger, smarter, and more attached to everything you see, even if the fundamental gameplay does not deviate too far from fighting, collecting items, or doing the odd investigative work. This is a testament to the excellence of Guerrilla that nothing feels forced or tacked on, but rather an extension of what players will end up loving to do.
Alyse Stanley's largely positive Washington Post review had this to say about the countless points of interests:
Occasional graphical issues aside, my leading criticism of “Forbidden West” is that, like a lot of open-world games, it feels bloated. When it comes to climbing Tall Necks, a type of side quest players will remember from the first game, Guerrilla Games shakes up the formula enough to keep things from feeling stale or repetitive. The same can’t be said of “Forbidden West’s” dozens of other side quests. The quality of writing and voice acting takes a steep dive compared to the mainline quests and characters.
Paste Magazine's Garrett Martin offers some extremely high praise regarding the open world design:
The best thing that can be said about Horizon Forbidden West is that it proves the open world genre doesn’t have to be as creatively bankrupt as it currently is, even while sticking close to the genre’s conventions. With the right focus, the right setting, and the right storytelling, a game can remain in thrall to a familiar format and still feel inspired.
PSA: You're better off buying the $60 PS4 version and getting a free upgrade to the PS5 version. Spending $70 for the PS5 version is a waste of $10. Sony really has made a mess of things.
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