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Horizon Forbidden West brings a host of new combat options to the series, giving players unprecedented choice in how they approach each battle. One of the most impressive improvements Guerrilla Games has made is with the melee combat, as they've added numerous ways for Aloy to increase her melee damage output and string together impressive combos.
These attacks give Aloy a wider range of control over the battlefield when facing off against Regalla's Tenakth rebels, and unlocking them all opens up new melee pit challenges around the world of Horizon Forbidden West. But, while every combo has its uses, some are stronger and more reliable than the rest.
7 Halfmoon Slash
The Halfmoon Slash is a solid combo connector that can also close short distances to hit an unsuspecting enemy. To trigger the combo, press and hold the R1 button until Aloy's spear glows blue. Releasing the strike will activate the Halfmoon Slash combo.
The Halfmoon Slash is almost exclusively useful as a combo linking technique, as its distance closing capabilities aren't all that significant. It's also a confusing maneuver, as the initial press of the R1 button will still trigger a single, light attack before the combo will start to charge. The amount of time it takes to charge up Halfmoon Slash is better spent closing distance manually and striking with a more effective combo.
6 Energy Surge
Energy Surge is a great combo to use when facing a tougher enemy like a champion or camp leader, as it quickly charges Aloy's Resonator Blast ability. While the combo itself doesn't dish out much damage on its own, setting up a Resonator Blast can take down a champion's shield or knock multiple, nearby enemies off their feet.
Energy Surge can be activated by pressing the R1 button three times, pausing, then pressing the R1 button again when the spear briefly glimmers. While it's useful for setting up subsequent attacks, it's an extremely situational attack that many players won't find themselves using in favor of other, heavier combos.
5 Spinning Scythe
Spinning Scythe is the most effective crowd control melee combo in Horizon Forbidden West, sweeping any nearby enemies up in the wide arc of Aloy's spear. To activate this combo, players will have to use two light attacks, pause, and follow up with two more light attacks. The second set of attacks will have the wider reach.
Spinning Scythe is a great combo for dealing with multiple enemies at the same time, and opens up a little room for Aloy to move into other combos to start taking down her adversaries one by one. While not the most powerful combo in the game, it is a reliable attack for Aloy to have at her disposal.
4 Jump Off/Over
The Jump Off and Jump Over combos are functionally similar, but they can be applied in very different ways. Jump Off is the one most players are familiar with, and sees Aloy striking her opponent with her spear before leaping backwards off their chest. Jump Over, on the other hand, sends Aloy leaping over her enemy's head, which can set up a powerful aerial attack on distant enemy.
Activating both techniques requires a light attack followed by a heavy attack where the player holds down the R2 button. Pressing the left joystick forward will send Aloy into a Jump Over, while pressing nothing activates Jump Off. Additionally, arrows fired at enemies while midair after a Jump Off will deal bonus damage.
3 The Destroyer
The Destroyer is possibly the most powerful combo in Horizon Forbidden West, but it is also one of the hardest to successfully pull off. It starts with a single light attack, followed a brief pause, before Aloy begins pummeling a single enemy with a barrage of overhead spear strikes. It is almost guaranteed to knock an enemy over or take them down outright.
The danger of the Destroyer combo, though, is in how vulnerable it leaves Aloy to counterattack. The amount of attacks needed to successfully complete the combo is higher than any other, and a string of light attacks can be easily blocked and interrupted by the game's tougher, human enemies.
2 Block Breaker
Block Breaker is one of the earliest combos players will gain access to once they start investing in the Warrior skill tree, but it remains one of the best throughout the entire game. It is both one of the easiest melee combos to trigger and one of the most useful during just about every human encounter Horizon Forbidden West has to offer.
A simple combo, Block Breaker requires only three attacks to activate: two light strikes followed a single heavy attack. What makes it such a useful combo is that the final strike will break any enemy's guard, opening them up to powerful, follow-up attacks. Because of this utility, players will find themselves utilizing Block Breaker frequently during their travels through the Forbidden West.
1 Nora Warrior
The Nora Warrior combo is a tried and true melee combo that evokes the fighting games from which Horizon Forbidden West's melee system is clearly derived. The classic combo of three light attacks followed by a heavy strike feels synonymous with video games as a medium, and it doesn't hurt that Nora Warrior is easily the most useful melee combo in the game.
Nora Warrior dishes out an impressive amount of damage to both human and machine enemies, and knocks down or staggers enemies depending on their size. This makes the Nora Warrior one of the few melee combos that is genuinely useful against both human and machine enemies.
Horizon Forbidden West is available now for PS4 and PS5.