Uploaded June 2023 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
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In this review/analysis of Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores, let's talk about why the series didn't stand a chance, and why I still love 2022's Forbidden West regardless.
Support the show on Patreon - patreon.com/writingongames
Podcast - http://anchor.fm/writingongamescast
Second Channel - youtube.com/channel/UC1xxfS_HILi09yaELQdmV1A
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Choosing to release right before games like Elden Ring and Breath of the Wild, the Horizon series never stood a chance. That said, the difficulty with getting into Horizon Forbidden West's recently released DLC, Burning Shores, has less to do with the fact that Tears of the Kingdom just came out, but that it expects a level of familiarity with its base game's wealth of systems and exploration mechanics, that even fans might have forgotten about in the year and change since Forbidden West released.
But that's just it—Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores showed me that, despite its issues, there's a reason the base game so won me around last year. That complexity, the willingness on the part of the developers to let players go wherever they want, even if it looks a bit janky or becomes potentially overwhelming, it's all stuff you don't normally get from games of this level of technical polish. That's why, in this review/analysis of Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores, I'm going to tell you why you shouldn't forget about Horizon Forbidden West.
(PlayStation sent review code for Burning Shores just prior to release. This video was voiced and posted for patrons before the release of Tears of the Kingdom, which is why you might think "why is he talking about Breath of the Wild and not the sequel" at certain points)
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0:00 - Opera GX
1:07 - Horizon can't catch a break
2:10 - Burning Shores drops you straight back into Forbidden West
4:00 - When Burning Shores clicked for me
4:54 - A different kind of AAA game
7:46 - Horizon isn't afraid to sacrifice polish for freedom
9:44 - The story is still a problem
12:21 - Horizon's environmental worldbuilding still rules
13:35 - Burning Shores made me remember how much I love Forbidden West
14:43 - Outro
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Text intro by Isaac Holland - twitter.com/drazgames
Your browser is holding you back. Level up here: mtchm.de/121gn (Opera GX)
In this review/analysis of Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores, let's talk about why the series didn't stand a chance, and why I still love 2022's Forbidden West regardless.
Support the show on Patreon - patreon.com/writingongames
Podcast - http://anchor.fm/writingongamescast
Second Channel - youtube.com/channel/UC1xxfS_HILi09yaELQdmV1A
---
Choosing to release right before games like Elden Ring and Breath of the Wild, the Horizon series never stood a chance. That said, the difficulty with getting into Horizon Forbidden West's recently released DLC, Burning Shores, has less to do with the fact that Tears of the Kingdom just came out, but that it expects a level of familiarity with its base game's wealth of systems and exploration mechanics, that even fans might have forgotten about in the year and change since Forbidden West released.
But that's just it—Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores showed me that, despite its issues, there's a reason the base game so won me around last year. That complexity, the willingness on the part of the developers to let players go wherever they want, even if it looks a bit janky or becomes potentially overwhelming, it's all stuff you don't normally get from games of this level of technical polish. That's why, in this review/analysis of Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores, I'm going to tell you why you shouldn't forget about Horizon Forbidden West.
(PlayStation sent review code for Burning Shores just prior to release. This video was voiced and posted for patrons before the release of Tears of the Kingdom, which is why you might think "why is he talking about Breath of the Wild and not the sequel" at certain points)
---
0:00 - Opera GX
1:07 - Horizon can't catch a break
2:10 - Burning Shores drops you straight back into Forbidden West
4:00 - When Burning Shores clicked for me
4:54 - A different kind of AAA game
7:46 - Horizon isn't afraid to sacrifice polish for freedom
9:44 - The story is still a problem
12:21 - Horizon's environmental worldbuilding still rules
13:35 - Burning Shores made me remember how much I love Forbidden West
14:43 - Outro
---
Text intro by Isaac Holland - twitter.com/drazgames
