List of Games You've Beaten 2023

[Darashiva]

The Fury said:

Darashiva said:

1. Horizon Forbidden West + Burning Shores (PS5) My Rating: 9/10
   
   • Still a bit unsure about the score I would give the game, but to put it simply, if Elden Ring wasn't a thing, Forbidden West would be my new all-time favourite open world game ever. Now its "only" second best. I spent almost 90 hours in this game over the last few weeks, and I never once got bored of playing it. I loved the expanded gameplay options from the first game, the increased focus on character development, the continuation of the story to some really unexpected directions, and the setting in general. While the first game felt like Aloy's journey to discover the history of the world as well as her own past, FW was much more about her learning to trust others and forging closer relationships with people, while obviously also fighting to save the world. In addition, Burning Shores is a frontrunner for the best DLC of the year thus far. 

HFW (PS4) is on my list to play at some point, I've played PS5 but as I own digital might as well play PS4 version and get another plat. :P

Anyway, your thoughts on the story kinda reflect on mine, based on feel as I feel it lacked in actual plot/narrative. I legit actually disliked Aloy at the start, she is very disrespectful and dismissive of other people's thoughts and feelings. But as you mention, much to the point of her character in the main game, she grew and accepted them for the better.. As for main plot and stuff, I didn't like a fair few aspects, main bad guys and ending was in my view

Spoiler!

silly based on the certain word used by the bad guys for that thing, we know what that word means but Aloy and co didn't so it made it silly. Plus the bad guys and how they existed/survived was kind brushed over and the story went from science fiction to science fantasy.

I'll go over my main thoughts on gameplay when I get it playing it again. I am certainly looking forward to it, loved the open world nature of FW.

I agree that the villains should have gotten a little more focus on the along the main story, now most of them were absent for much of the main storyline. You do learn things about them from the datapoints around the world and optional discussions, but you have to go out of your way to find a lot of them. On the other hand, Regalla gets a lot of backstory and focus put on her, so maybe they just decided to make her the main focal point as far as antagonists were concerned.