horizon forbidden west: burning shores release date

The islands that make up the former Tinseltown look unsurprisingly stunning the volcanic lava rivers offer a great change of visual imagery. I hope we see more of Seyka in the future because she quickly skyrocketed toward the upper echelon of the series’ best characters. Though the blossoming of their bond feels a little rushed to fit within the DLC’s shorter runtime, the two huntresses have some amusing interactions, such as trading humorous observations while exploring a crumbling dinosaur theme park. Seyka is essentially a more charismatic version of Aloy herself: steadfast and sometimes bull-headed, but gentle and loving to those in need, and with an endearing sense of humor to boot.

This capable warrior serves as the catalyst of Burning Shores’ story and sticks to Aloy’s side throughout the expansion. I also enjoyed getting to spend more time with the Quen, my favorite faction in Forbidden West, especially because they introduced us Seyka, Aloy’s new companion and one of the primary highlights of Burning Shores. Burning Shores’ conclusion lays a good foundation for how Aloy and friends will tackle the next threat, so it’s a bummer PlayStation 4 owners have to settle for watching it on YouTube.

The adventure takes some exciting turns and provides what I wanted most: a potential narrative blueprint for the third game. Taking place immediately after the sequel’s conclusion, this abbreviated tale sees Aloy travel to the volcanically fractured remains of Los Angeles to confront perhaps the series’ most twisted villain yet. Unlike Zero Dawn’s Frozen Wilds DLC, which was a good but skippable side story, Burning Shores has enough relevant plot advancement to make it closer to required playing.

A dangerous new sandbox and a compelling story await Aloy, offering a nice wrap-up that also provides some tantalizing glimpses into the future. Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores serves fans a substantial dessert that brings the main course of the campaign to a satisfying close.

Horizon forbidden west: burning shores release date