The success of theHorizonfranchise from the developers at Guerrilla Games has been well-documented since the release ofHorizon Zero Dawn. The pressure of delivering sequels that measure up to the predecessor’s standard is a challenge for even the best developers, but the franchise kept its feet firmly on the gas pedal with its sequel,Horizon Forbidden West.Forbidden Westwas one of the premium releases in 2022, garnering several nominations at The Game Awards. Even award-worthy games likeForbidden Westare not without their shortcomings however, even if said flaws are comparatively minor. One noticeable pain point forHorizon Forbidden Westwas item management, and Guerrilla Games could look to other franchises for better implementation.
Seamless gameplay is an essential component of any release. While highly improbable for a developer to implement every mechanic flawlessly, it is generally expected of games to emphasize the accessibility of most elements.Horizon Forbidden Westdid a phenomenal job in almost every department, building solidly on the foundationZero Dawnlaid to the delight of fans and critics alike. However,Forbidden Westhad a fundamental problem with its item management system, retaining some functionality issues from the first game. The inventory management inZero Dawnwas tedious at best, and the same problem reared its head inForbidden West. Othergames likeThe Elder Scrolls 5: SkyrimandMonster Hunter: Worldcould contain some insight for Guerrilla Games to implement in future releases.
RELATED:Horizon Forbidden West Sets Up What Could Be a Really Fun Co-Op Game
Horizon Forbidden West’s Accessibility Was a Let-Down
Imperfections come with the job description in any creative industry. The practice is to keep these inconveniences as few and far between as possible for optimal user experience. Upon release,Horizon Zero Dawnreceived widespread critical acclaim, but its cumbersome inventory system was a bit of a letdown. The cap on resources proved confusing due to an arbitrary approach limiting the numbers, the iconography for different items lacked sufficient distinction, and there were inconsistencies in sorting.
ForForbidden West, the expectationwas for Guerilla Games to find a resolution to most if not all of these annoyances. However,Forbidden Westonly dressed the wounds of a few problems, even creating a bigger one in the process. Guerrilla heard some of the complaints of its fans and added upgrades to the item section inHorizon Forbidden WestfromZero Dawn, adding a resizing option to the inventory screen and new categories for sorting items.
Unfortunately, as part of the features gracingZero Dawn’s sequel, the developer only created a single item slot, which posed a more serious problem of UI accessibility. Scrolling through usable items such as food, potions, and the fast travel pack is nearly a mini-game of its own accord, as players almost have to button-mash in the left and right directions to arrive at their desired item. During a regular stroll through the map, this treasure hunt could be mildly annoying, but it could mean death in the heat of battle. For the future, a solution could be found in the Item Wheel featured inMonster Hunter: World.
RELATED:Games After Horizon Forbidden West Need a New Approach to Traps
Horizon Could Model Its Item UI After Monster Hunter and Skyrim
The Radial Wheel might not be the easiest mechanism to come to grips with, but once the somewhat steep learning curve is overcome, it is infinitely better than the rudimentaryitem slot ofHorizon Forbidden West.Monster Hunter: Worldis stacked with a wide variety of weaponry, and Capcom came up with a strategy to ensure efficient storage - allowing gamers to categorize items. Capcom provided players with an Item Box and an Item Pouch for their travels inMonster Hunter: World. The Item Box was intended for long-term storage and was only available in defined locations on the map.
The Item Pouch, as the name implies, was made for players to carry around with them, so players could select the items they deemed essential to use in battles. The game also uses customizable Item Wheels, which allowed item categorization according to a player’s favoriteweapon choices inMonster Hunter: World. On the other hand,Horizon Forbidden Westdisappointingly maintained the UI from its prequel, an outdated feature in comparison to some the highest quality AAA games on offer.
In the case ofElder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Bethesda made perhaps the smoothest item management system in recent memory. Instead of using an Item Pouch likeMonster Hunter: World- a mechanism that required a learning curve -Skyrimemployed an inventory system that let players sort items by weight, value, and type, designing an easily-navigated interface to match. Additionally, Bethesda allowed players to assign items to hotkeys, making switching between items and weapons more convenient.Skyrim’s inventorysystem came with a weight-limit caveat, so gamers had to be mindful of the number of accessories they were carrying.
Horizon Forbidden Westmay have built on the successes of its predecessor, but its item management system still leaves a lot to be desired. Other games likeThe Elder Scrolls 5: SkyrimandMonster Hunter: Worldprovide valuable insight for Guerrilla Games on how to improve item management ahead ofHorizon Call of The Mountain’s release, as well as the expectedHorizon 3. By taking inspiration from these other games and implementing similar features, Guerilla Games can makeHorizon’s item management system more accessible and user-friendly for all players.
Horizon Forbidden Westis available now for PS4 and PS5.
