After playing Zero Dawn and loving it I was really looking forward to Forbidden West. When I first started playing the game I was excited to be discovering new lands and techniques and was thoroughly enjoying myself even though at first you are with a companion for quite some time while you get used to the controls. This is not a negative on the contrary I found it really good fun.
I can't emphasise enough the beauty of this game the scenery is amazing. The original and new characters stories are well thought out just like Zero Dawn, it's as if wow this could be the future if something like this happened..!! I thought the graphics were stunning and to my surprise the PS4 fan wasn't going mad as I thought it might..! I am about half way through the game and here are my thoughts on the game so far. This is based on personal choice/experience so what I found hard may be easy for others.
Pros: I was impressed with the quick scan of the area you can do which is similar to the Assassin's Creed franchise which I am also a huge fan of. The controls haven't changed that much for combat and general exploration although there are a lot more combat moves and ammo options. In the options menu there are many customisations you can make to enhance your experience of the game. I advise spending some time going over this, it really does help. The side quests are long and involving and are a joy to do. New skill trees are available however a note of caution base your choices on your style of play. Cutscenes can be skipped as well as the dialogue if your not really that bothered about it..!! Loved the range of new machines and weapons in the game. Really impressed with the way in which you can scan the machines it expands perfectly on Zero Dawn's. There are new activities in the game such as the Fighting Pits and playing the game Machine Strike. Fighting pits allow you to practice your moves and challenge the Pit Master. Machine Strike is a board game which you pit your machines against your opponent. New techniques are tested in the Hunting grounds which is quite rewarding.
Cons: When you do eventually reach the Forbidden West it becomes apparent very quickly that the skill points you get should be spent wisely unless you have a previous save. There are lots of areas on the map that you cannot access unless you have a specific tool for the job which requires you to do a lot of main quests, bit annoying when you've spent ages trying to find out what a '?' mark is only to discover you can't do it yet. I found this a little annoying as I felt I was being rushed through the game. Even on Story mode I was coming up against machines that were way above my level and had to avoid as I didn't have better weapons or outfits. I am getting a bit overwhelmed by the whole game. There is so much of the map to do and I'm finding the combat options difficult to remember as there are so many of them.
Overall if your a big fan of Open World games that have stunning graphics, an amazing and engaging story then give it a go. A little bit expensive but I think it was worth it. I'm hoping for some DLC's in the future as this would enhance the game even more.