Horizon Forbidden West is an action role-playing game from Guerilla Games. It's the sequel to 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn. Set six months after the ending of the first game, it seems that Aloy needs to save her world again. This time, a mysterious red plague is destroying the land. it's down to Aloy to travel to the Forbidden West to figure out what it is and how to stop it.
However, the red plague is not the only threat Aloy faces. Regalla and her Rebels constantly threaten the Forbidden West. They know how to control machines to enact their will. Regalla seems determined to kill anyone who has wrong her and anyone who dares to stand in her way.
On top of that, there are a lot of new and dangerous machines that she will need to fight. In this guide, we're going to introduce you to all of the new and returning machines that we know about so far.
Named New Machines
Here's a list of the machines that are new to the Horizon series, and have been given names in promotional materials.
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+ 8Tremortusk
A large machine that can be mounted by enemies. It looks a lot like a massive Mammoth but, from the trailers, it seems to have multiple attacks and each one could be fatal.
click to enlarge + 8Slitherfang
If you don't like Snakes then there is a huge chance that you will not like this machine. A Slitherfang looks like it will be one of the largest machines in the game. According to this playstation blog, the Slitherfang has the ability to spit acid and it seems to be able to scale tall buildings. There may be nowhere to hide from this beast.
click to enlarge + 8Clawstrider
A Clawstrider can be seen fighting against Aloy in the ruins in the State of Play gameplay trailer. This machine seems to come in packs and it looks extremely agile. The attacks that it uses seem to be more effective up close, so ranged attacks might be the best approach to defeating them.
click to enlarge + 8Burrower
Burrowers are reconnaissance machines that let out a loud alarm call if they spot you. This alarm call alerts other machines to your location. Also, if the alarm call hits Aloy, it will stun her briefly. They're going to take a lot of skill to avoid as they can tunnel underground and resurface at random points.
Rollerback
A Rollerback does exactly as the name suggests, it curls into a ball and rolls towards you with extreme accuracy. This machine is armored and the armor is probably the most effective while it's in its rolled-up form. However, the unrolled form of the machine could be just as lethal and they may be found in herds.
click to enlarge + 8Sunwing
Similar in structure to a Glinthawk, a Sunwing has solar panels on its vast wings that it uses to charge up its flight ability. The visuals of this machine are reminiscent of a Pterodactyl and they seem to patrol the skies in packs of 3 or more.
Bristleback
Near the end of the "Meet the Tribes" trailer, we are introduced to a rebel tribe and we get a glimpse of another new machine. The build of this particular machine looks like a real-world Warthog but much bigger. Due to its large tusks and large head, it may have the ability to charge at Aloy or do major damage with melee attacks. In this PlayStation Blog post, we learn that this particular machine can be found in herds across the Forbidden West.
Clamberjaws
This machine can be seen near the beginning of the New Threats gameplay trailer and their structures look like real-world Monkeys. Their long tails could pose a serious threat to Aloy as they could be used in close-up attacks. They seem highly agile and other trailers have shown that they can easily climb trees. Also, the threats trailer shows them battling Aloy in a large group.
click to enlarge + 8Shell-Snapper
After finding the poorly animal in the Announcement Trailer, Aloy encounters the massive machine. The build of the machine and the structure of its face make it look similar to a large but lethal Turtle. The growth on its back in the trailer cleverly conceals its presence in the environment which could make it a deadly opponent. The way it seamlessly blends into its surroundings may mean it relies on surprise attacks and its sheer size to defeat enemies.
Unnamed New Machines
These are machines that we have spotted in the various trailers and announcements but are yet to be named. We've described them and noted down which trailers they can be seen in. We will update this area as soon as the official names are revealed.
Fan-Head Machine
This machine seems to behave in a similar way to the Scrappers from Zero Dawn. They can be seen digging at the ground in the Meet the Tribes trailer. However, it is much bigger than a Scrapper. The large panels on either side of its jaw can open to reveal its deadly teeth. The large fan-like structure on its head could be used as a scanner to seek out hidden threats.
Underwater Machine "Plesiosaurus"
.Another unnamed machine that can be seen in the "New Threats" trailer is a large aquatic one. The machine is shown to be swimming underwater towards Aloy to try to attack her. The design of this machine looks a lot like an ancient aquatic creature called a Plesiosaurus. It has a long neck, a wide tear-drop-shaped body, and four fins that guide it through the water. The sheer size of this machine makes it dangerous
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Returning Machines
Snapmaw
The Snapmaw is one of the machines that heavily featured in Horizon Zero Dawn. It's a medium-large species of machine and it behaves a lot like a prehistoric crocodile. It has a lethal tail-swipe, has an elemental freeze attack and can launch itself out of the water to crush Aloy. With aquatic exploration and combat being added to Forbidden West, it's clear that this machine will be a big challenge.
click to enlarge + 8Charger
A smaller machine that is always found in groups. A Charger (that looks a lot like a Ram) was one of the machines Aloy could control and mount in Zero Dawn. From its appearances in various trailers, it seems that she can still do this in Forbidden West.
Stalker
A deceased Stalker can be seen in some type of trap outside the home of a tribe in the "Meet the Tribes" trailer. This could be a trophy kill of a rare machine in the Forbidden West or Stalkers are still a problem here too. Stalkers had the ability to cloak themselves in Zero Dawn and they had several lethal ranged attacks.
click to enlarge + 8Tallneck
Tallnecks are one of the biggest machines in Zero Dawn and probably in Forbidden West too. They are (so far) the only non-combat machines in the game and Aloy can get as close as she wants to them. The job of a Tallneck is to walk around a specific area and map everything it sees. It then relays the information it collects to the surrounding machines in that area.
Rockbreaker
In the recent story trailer for Forbidden West, we get a brief glimpse of a machine charging out of the ground. It has large jaws at its mouth and this means it is possibly a Rockbreaker. These machines were tricky to battle in Zero Dawn as they spend a lot of time beneath the ground and only breach the surface to snap Aloy into its jaws. However, it looks like this may be a new variation on the first version as it has new cylinders around its neck.
We will update this guide as soon as we know more about the new machines.
Horizon Forbidden West brings forth a brand new story and new enemies for Aloy to face. We have a guide that details all of the new weapons and ammunition types that you can get your hands on in the game. After all, good weapons are the key to winning tough fights. Also, if you want to refresh your memory before playing the sequel, you can take a look at our Zero Dawn story recap.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Horizon Forbidden West and Guides page.