Horizon Zero Dawn impressed PlayStation gamers in 2017 as an aesthetically interesting take on the open-world action-adventure genre. One of the game’s best points is often agreed to be its mechanical wildlife, which serve as dangerous enemies and occasional allies throughout Aloy’s quest. These intriguing monsters are an iconic part of the Horizon franchise, and fighting them can feel as epic and strategic as taking down a similar beast in Monster Hunter. The 2022 sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, is keenly aware of this strength, and introduces many new elements to take advantage of it.
Many new machines have been added to the game’s world, but on top of that, more skills are added to encourage interacting with the machines and keeping them a constant part of play. Horizon Forbidden West employs a skill tree separated into six sections, and one of these is for the Machine Master. This tree takes a handful of skills from Zero Dawn’s Forager and Traveler trees and bolsters them with more abilities, mostly focused on dominating and disassembling mechanical wildlife.
The Machine Master’s Path Promotes An Interesting Playstyle
The Machine Master skill tree is all about turning Aloy into the master of mechanical creatures. This can mean knocking beasts around and ripping parts off of them with ease, but it also includes befriending and commanding them. Aloy’s “override” ability turns monsters that she has access codes for over to her side, though she needs to either surprise or restrain the creature first.
Four kinds of these beasts become unlocked as mounts, while almost all of the 40+ monster types in the game can be hacked. Even some boss-tier enemies are included in this number, but the player will need to make significant progress before that is possible. The six Cauldrons will have to be cleared to unlock the codes for their respective fabricated beasts, and even then Aloy will need to craft override codes for some of them at The Base.
Those who are patient with this system, however, will be rewarded. Many of the Machine Master’s passive upgrades affect allied machines, and combining some stronger beasts with Aloy’s mounted bonuses will create a force few foes in Forbidden West can match. Fans of Kingdom Hearts who enjoyed gearing Donald and Goofy up will feel in their element here, as the mechanical monstrosities can prove far deadlier with Aloy’s damage buffs. Extending their override duration and making them aggressive or defensive with the “Override Subroutines” skill can practically lead to encounters taking care of themselves, while letting Aloy harvest components off her allies without a fuss.
Making the Most of the Machine Master’s Madness
Admittedly, diving down a 26-upgrade tree mostly composed of passive benefits is not a great prospect for first-time players, especially with no respec option. The Machine Master is focused almost entirely on dealing with machines — steamrolling nearby humans is a bonus.
During scripted sequences where monsters are scarce, players will be kicking themselves for not investing in the Warrior and Hunter trees. Those not looking to overspecialize will want to focus on grabbing the Lasting Override and Heavy Lifter boosts right away, with the two three-tiered Valor Surges serving as long-term goals. Heavy Lifter, which increases movement speed while wielding heavy weapons torn off of monsters, is invaluable for any build.
However, for experienced players who want the ultimate freedom to mess with machines, this build path is perfect. Finding one of the three Tenakth outfits — the Tenakth Technician, if possible — and lugging around the biggest Spike Thrower available will make players a threat to any machine they find. Constant overriding and mounting is the name of the game, and the Spike Trap weapon technique will allow for easier overrides on the fly. The Propelled Spike technique and Part Breaker Valor Surge will annihilate large foes, while the Splitting Spike and Chain Burst can thin crowds.
All the while, Aloy will be healing, commanding, riding, and exploiting her temporary allies. It’s an odd and fleeting way to experience Horizon Forbidden West, but in the moments when the chaos lines up, it will feel like little else.
Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PS4 and PS5.