For fans of Horizon Zero Dawn, "The Frozen Wilds" DLC is an amazing expansion that takes Aloy to brutal Northern territory, where she encounters a new tribe and faces off against monstrous new machines. For those that enjoyed the original game, it's a must-play and offers a much-needed difficulty boost alongside a captivating new story. While the story isn't completely detached from the events of the main game, it does stand on its own.
"The Frozen Wilds" feels a little bit like Witcher 3's larger expansion, "Blood and Wine." The Horizon DLC is nowhere near as large as that, but it does open up a new area of the map and allows Aloy to obtain improved gear, new armor, and adds innovative new weapons to her arsenal. It's an all-around great time, but it does take quite a few hours to complete and not every player may feel up to completing the most difficult section of Aloy's story. "The Frozen Wilds" features enemies that are effective even against the secret Shield Weaver armor. But with Horizon Forbidden West coming out later this year, players might want to consider revisiting "The Frozen Wilds."
Playing the Frozen Wilds Isn't Required to Understand Forbidden West
Even though "The Frozen Wilds" is an incredible DLC that fans of Horizon Zero Dawn will definitely want to play, it's not going to be absolutely necessary for Forbidden West. "The Frozen Wilds" takes place in a very different location, has an entirely new cast of characters, and deals with its own self-contained story.
Like any good DLC that connects itself to the main game world, "The Frozen Wilds" serves to build upon the world that was established in Horizon Zero Dawn. It introduces the Banuk tribe, which has its own culture and set of customs, and allows Aloy to explore more of the world. The region she explores is called the Cut, and while it's not that far from the Nora Sacred Lands she called home for so long, it's a vastly different and more brutal environment.
In the DLC, Aloy helps the Banuk investigate a "Daemon" they believe has possessed the machines. In order to do so, she must seek out the shaman Ourea and challenge her brother, Aratak, for leadership over the tribe. With their help, Aloy learns that the Daemon is one of GAIA's subsystems, HEPHAESTUS. Like HADES, it has also gone rogue as a result of a mysterious, yet-to-be-identified signal.
HEPHAESTUS was responsible for creating machines designed by GAIA to supplement Earth's recovering ecosystem. In order to terrorize the Cut, HEPHAESTUS tried to take over CYAN, an AI separate from GAIA meant to prevent Yellowstone from erupting. CYAN reaches out to Ourea for help, causing them to forge an unlikely friendship.
Horizon Forbidden West Will Focus on a New Mystery
Although it's definitely worth playing, it's not terribly important to understand all of these plot points going into Forbidden West; as long as fans have an understanding of GAIA and the apocalypse in the Horizon universe, they should be fine. Forbidden West is a direct sequel to the previous game, and players shouldn't expect to be confused by obscure references to CYAN and HEPHAESTUS.
That said, it might be mentioned. With HEPHAESTUS being another one of GAIA's core subfunctions known to have gone rogue, it's very likely that it will show up again. CYAN is unlikely to be mentioned, but it could be a nice little Easter egg. Even if CYAN and HEPHAESTUS don't show up, it's still nice to know about them to have a more complete picture of the world. In CYAN's case, it's also interesting to know that there are other AI's still active that aren't a part of GAIA.
In Horizon Forbidden West, HADES will probably be the biggest focus once again. It would be great if fans were introduced to more of GAIA'S subfunctions, and they may come up in Forbidden West, but Horizon Zero Dawn has always thrived on mystery. GAIA isn't a mystery anymore, and Forbidden West promises to introduce a brand new one. It wouldn't work to focus exclusively on an old mystery, so while GAIA remains incredibly important for the world-building, Forbidden West will need to be even more ambitious.
The Frozen Wilds Builds Upon One Important Character
One character who is highlighted in "The Frozen Wilds" is Sylens. He's the only real tie-in, but Sylens is an essential character who will probably be one of the main antagonists in Horizon Forbidden West. For that reason, players might find it interesting to explore The Cut and learn about Banuk culture to have a better idea of who Sylens is.
Although Sylens is one of the most important characters in Horizon Zero Dawn, he didn't get a lot of character development in the first game. Sylens's primary goal is to learn about what happened to modern civilization, and while at times he can be blunt and insensitive, it seems like he's just after knowledge for knowledge's sake. Players haven't experienced much of a character arc with Sylens. He's not a huge focus in "The Frozen Wilds," but the DLC actually does teach Aloy quite a bit about her mysterious companion and his background.
Sylens's most recognizable feature is the thick, glowing blue cables sewn through his skin. Players learn that this is a practice reserved for Banuk shamans. Considering Sylens's personality and role in the story, it's hard to envision him as a shaman. Aloy asks around to see if anyone has ever encountered her "friend," but information about Sylens is shrouded in mystery. Eventually, it's revealed that Sylens allegedly manipulated the Banuk by claiming to be a shaman of an obscure werak. After gaining their trust, he stabbed them in the back by clearing out their most sacred meeting place and disappearing.
Combined with the knowledge of who Sylens is to Aloy, it seems unlikely that he was ever a shaman or a member of the Banuk tribe in the first place. So "The Frozen Wilds" doesn't completely explain Sylens's origins or his backstory, but it does offer a little more insight into his past and his character. Aloy doesn't trust Sylens, and she's right not to. Sylens doesn't want Aloy to find out about his past judging by the way he tries to stop her from entering the Cut (one of the few times he elects to speak to Aloy outside a main story quest), but of course, Aloy isn't having it.
So while playing "The Frozen Wilds" is far from necessary to understand and appreciate Forbidden West, it might be worth playing if only to get some more insight into Sylens's character. He's likely going to be a huge part of Forbidden West and could even be the primary human antagonist. It's also possible that Aloy will bring up Sylens's past with the Banuk again.
Horizon Forbidden West is scheduled to release for PS4 and PS5 in 2021.