Traces of the old world can be found everywhere in Horizon Forbidden West. Among the lush greenery and sandy landscapes, broken down machines and decaying tanks speak to the battles that took place years before. Ruinous structures of buildings and the remains of rusted metal cars paint a picture of what once was. Guerrilla's environmental storytelling is undoubtedly effective, and the vestiges of an age gone by capture my imagination time and again. But after spending more time with Aloy, I find that what truly brings the people of the past to life and connects me to those remnants are the audio recordings they left behind.
The remnants illustrate that this world is one affected by tragedy and destruction; the size and scope of which is overwhelming. While the rusted cars and husks of machines tell a story you can paint for yourself, it can be too easy to keep what happened here at a distance. When you come across the messages of the Old Ones, though, you start to really see the people and relate to them in a way that grounds the events that transpired once upon a time. Through the communications of those who once lived on this planet you now call home, Horizon Forbidden West humanizes the disaster that took place and reminds you of what was truly lost as a result: The lives of the people.
There are some spoilers ahead for the side quest Signal Spike.
Searching for signals
Horizon Forbidden West nails its open world by making every side quest matter
As you adventure through Horizon Forbidden West, you'll often come across data points of varying kinds that tell you more about the world and its inhabitants. Every now and then, they can also feed into quests as you progress through the story. These data entries can be everything from parts of a conversation to reports and diary-style logs that recount the days in the lead up to the eventual end of the world as the Old Ones knew it. The audio datapoints, in particular, allow you to form a real emotional connection to the past. Hearing the words of the people offers a window into the final days of the world in a more personal way.
A few side quests I've come across have included recordings that tug at my heartstrings and make the events of the world before Aloy's time more impactful. During my travels, for example, I set out to find a missing Oseram woman in the wilds. I came to learn that the woman, Silga, has set up a rig that captures the signal of an old recording, but can only project parts of the message. So, with a desire to hear the recording in its entirety, I trace the signal to find its origin and piece it together.
The story of the quest only truly hits me when it comes to a close. After I reach the signal's source below the surface of a cave, the message plays out. The words begin to sink in and I can't quite bring myself to move. What I'm hearing is a farewell communication from someone called Isabel who sent the recording in the hope of getting equipment to a person they cared for. They speak of some bitterness between them which is now "water under the bridge", and "when the darkness comes", they'll only remember the good things. There's a slight edge to Isabel's voice that betrays how she's feeling in the moment, and the tragedy of it really hits home.
"The remnants you can see dotted around the landscape speak volumes all on their own and awaken a sense of wonder, the audio recordings left behind are what bring a real human aspect to the end of the Old Ones."
Upon returning, Silga speaks of her brother who passed away, and how she too wishes she could have told him something similar before it was too late. It's incredibly sad to think that these words may have never reached the other party - that they never did get the chance to convey what really mattered to them when the end came. The parallels between Silga and Isabel's stories make it all the more relatable, and as a result, I feel more connected to the events that transpired on an emotional level. Similarly, another side quest sees me swim underwater to find vault keys that lead me to yet more traces of the Old World. Once again, I find myself listening to the final words of someone expressing their love for another, and their regrets over not being able to fulfill a goal.
I've really been enjoying my latest adventure with Aloy thanks to the meaningfulness of Horizon Forbidden West's sidequests, and these are just more examples of why that is. You never quite know what you'll find when you begin, but they almost always offer you something worthwhile. And in this case, they gave me the chance to feel more connected to the past than ever before. The old world of Horizon Forbidden West continues to hold my attention more than anything else. While the remnants you can see dotted around the landscape speak volumes all on their own and awaken a sense of wonder, the audio recordings left behind are what bring a real human aspect to the end of the Old Ones.
Want to read more? Here's how the remnants of the old world in Horizon Forbidden West awakens a sense of wonder.
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