Horizon Forbidden West continues the story of 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn, taking Aloy to a new location: the Forbidden West. After learning the truth about her origins in the previous game, the huntress knows she is the only one who can save the world from destruction. The game was well received by critics, and it didn’t need to drastically alter anything from the first game. In fact, Forbidden West‘s best quality-of-life improvement is an incredibly subtle one.
One often annoying element of Horizon Zero Dawn was that Aloy was severely limited in how much she could carry. In a game that encouraged players to explore its gorgeous open world and find items and resources hidden in it, being forced to drop or leave some behind could be very irritating. Although Forbidden West still limits inventory space, the introduction of the stash addresses the issue by making it so Aloy never has to leave anything behind.
Horizon Forbidden West‘s stash works from the start of the game. Anything players pick up that won’t fit in their inventory will be automatically placed in it. For example, before the player has upgraded any of Aloy’s pouches, she can only carry 200 ridgewood, which is important for crafting arrows. While Zero Dawn would stop players from being able to collect any more of this resource, Forbidden West actively encourages players to pick up more by ensuring they are stored safely in the stash.
The stash is a physical chest that can be accessed in every settlement, along with other locations across the game’s vast world. The in-game map features a stash icon to help guide players to the nearest one. Players can choose which items to take from it individually, or they can hold square to automatically restock all of their resources. It’s essential that players keep Aloy’s inventory topped up to ensure she can still craft the necessary arrows and potions when away from the settlements. Items in the stash can also be used alongside Aloy’s inventory items at workbenches.
Horizon Forbidden West‘s world is stunning and diverse and, thanks to the introduction of the stash, players can explore it all more freely. It removes the need to return to a settlement just to offload items and free up inventory space and ensures that players never have to drop an important or valuable resource behind. It also means that players will spend less time needlessly shuffling inventory space, both out in the wild and at workbenches. This quality-of-life introduction may seem like a minor change, but it vastly improves the player’s experience of this gorgeous game.
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