10 Hidden Secrets in Horizon Forbidden West
#10: LSR44 Spoor
Before Guerrilla Games started work on the Horizon franchise, they worked on another PlayStation classic, Killzone. Killzone originally released on the PS2 and had a handful of sequels and spin-offs. Killzone Shadow Fall was the last in the series, releasing in 2013. In Forbidden West, inside Latopolis players may spot a familiar weapon laying around, sometimes found sitting on a desk or in gun racks. These guns are actually the main gun in Killzone Shadow Fall, the LSR44 Spoor. So, is Horizon in the Killzone universe? Probably not, but this is still a cool callback to Guerilla’s past work.
#9: That’s Not My Name
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Sometimes developers like to hide Easter eggs based on themselves or their team. This has been happening since Adventure on the Atari 2600. Forbidden West is no exception, as world designer Dennis Micka did just this, almost. The 4 optional cauldrons spell out “Mick” when listed by ascending difficulty. If his last name is Micka why do the cauldrons only spell out Mick? Well, there was some cut content here. There was a planned 5th cauldron which was likely named Alpha that was cut sometime though development. I suppose Dennis could always change his last name.
#8: Secret Areas
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We hate invisible walls, especially when we can see an amazing structure that we just can't get to on the other side. In Forbidden West, there’s a castle up on the mountains that can’t be reached. Luckily with our Sunwing we can get a closer look at it. This area seems pretty fleshed out with climbing and rappel points and patches of red flowers to hide in. This could’ve been a test area, but some players think this could be a location for future DLC. Another location blocked off by invisible walls is this small island, however we can get to it. Nothing is really on the island for us other than some animals and trees.
#7: Sword in the Stone
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Seeing a weapon we can’t use can be slightly annoying, unless it’s a nod to a classic. While traveling through Forbidden West you may run across a sword stuck in a stone. Aloy will say “A Sword in a stone. Reminds me of a story I read in an ancient data point. I don’t think I can pull it out though.” This a reference to the 1963 Disney film “The Sword in the Stone” which was based off a book with the same name. In the film, a young boy named Arthur pulls the sword stuck in the stone out with ease, and becomes England's king.
#6: There’s a Hole in the World
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Sometimes we’re not meant to find stuff in games. Take this hole in the world for instance. On the side of a cliff there is a small cave that is covered by ice with just enough room for us to fit through. If you’re able to get through you'll see some of the map is missing. Here we can fall through the map and glide, allowing us to see the entire map from underneath. This is also a good spot if you’re still trying to get the trophy “Completed a Long Glide”, however there are easier ways to get it.
#5: Going Bananas
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While in the rebel camp First Forge, you can find a cleverly placed Donkey Kong Country reference. First Forge is a mine with tracks running throughout it. If you keep an eye out while exploring, you’ll see a crashed minecart with bananas, barrels, and a red baseball hat. This is clearly from Donkey Kong Country’s infamous mine cart levels that took so many of our extra lives. Sadly, this is just for looks. If you scan the mine cart, you get nothing, but it’s still really cool to see some love for the banana-loving ape.
#4: Follow the Fox
Forbidden West is full of wildlife for Aloy to hunt, however there is one fox that we can’t attack. This fox is larger than the other foxes in the game so you’ll definitely notice him. This fox will actually lead you to a shrine. The shrine is a reference to the Inari shrines that can be found in Ghost of Tsushima. The way you discover the shrine is also a reference to how you discover certain things in Ghost of Tsushima, simply by following the wildlife.
#3: Power, Wisdom, and Courage
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In the 4 optional cauldrons, there are doors that seem impossible to open. These doors have a triforce above them, clearly a reference to The Legend of Zelda. While this alone is pretty cool, it gets even better. If you play Zelda’s Lullaby (left, up, right, left, up, right with your D-pad), the door will open. There isn’t anything special in the room other than a large stockpile. When Aloy opens the stockpile she’ll use a line from The Legend of Zelda, “it’s dangerous to go alone”.
#2: God of War
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There are a few God of War Easter eggs in Forbidden West. Let's start off with the ax players can find in a tree. Aloy will mention that the ax is cold, clearly referencing the Leviathan Axe. This will give us a trail that we can follow thanks to the Focus. If we follow the trail up the mountain side we will see a cabin and our first Totem, the Totem of War. Next up, we’ll find a tree with arrows in it. Sitting on one of the trees is a small bow. Follow the trail to the Totem of Youth. Finally, we can find a hammer in a machine. Follow the trail to the Totem of Brotherhood. Finding all the totems will unlock you the facepaint Mark of War, giving Aloy Kratos’s famous look.
#1: Hoover Dam
There are tons of landmarks in Forbidden West from the Vegas Strip to the Fox Theater. One that is off in the distance is the Hoover Dam. We can see the dam while at the lake Jagged Deep. Like before, we’re stopped by another pesky invisible wall. With our Sunwing we can get over it to get a better view of this landmark. We can actually land on top of the dam and walk around on it. Oddly enough, the dam is very well detailed even on the side we usually can’t see. The dam is covered in moss and plant life, and is starting to have a few leaks. We can even get a closer look at the decaying bypass bridge, however we can’t land on it.
