The story of Horizon Forbidden West is set to continue with its Burning Shores DLC. Set in a volcanic Los Angeles, Aloy must tackle a gigantic Horus machine for the first time in the franchise. It's unclear why this tendrilled beast has decided to wreak further havoc atop the Hollywood sign, but Aloy and her allies are on hand to find out and put a stop to its madness.

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Burning Shores marks the second time Guerrilla Games has treated players with an extended story, the first being Horizon Zero Dawn’s 2017 DLC. The Frozen Wilds provided players with a hefty story featuring new gameplay mechanics and a significant expansion to Aloy’s journey. Burning Shores promises to do the same but will require players to prepare for its release. However, there are plenty of things to do in the land of Horizon Forbidden West before Aloy travels south.

7 Download Updates

PS5 console and controller with Horizon Forbidden West art

One thing players should do before downloading Burning Shores is to make sure that Forbidden West is up to date, as well as the PlayStation 5 itself. Nothing is more painful than settling into a gaming session and being stopped by hours of updates.

There's bound to be an update or patch for Forbidden West before the release of the DLC just to get the game prepped. For some players, their consoles may be due for a system update too, in addition to the DualSense controllers.

6 Replay Horizon Forbidden West

Horizon Forbidden West PS5 character official artwork

For players focused on completing Forbidden West's story, now is the time to scour the ancient ruins for collectibles and data points – two of which hint at the possibility of Burning Shores being a DLC location. These include the "A Dam Shame" datapoint, which was written by Gilden, a character Aloy helped in The Frozen Wilds. He writes of traveling south to the Burning Shores, so maybe Aloy will meet up with him in the upcoming story.

Another is "Machine Dreams," which alludes to the Banuk shaman Brin who drank the blood of machines and prophesied the storms and the red blight that plagued the Forbidden West. While Brin has yet to be found in Southern California, he could be waiting for Aloy in the Burning Shores.

5 Get Reacquainted With The Controls

Aloy fighting a Slitherfang in Horizon Forbidden West

It's been a while since Forbidden West was released, so most players have probably played a dozen or so games since then. It can take time to become reacquainted with the controls of the Horizon franchise, as the combat is so specific to each machine.

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Thankfully, there are plenty of ways for players to reacquaint themselves with the gameplay mechanics of Forbidden West. Simply practicing on machines in the wild is an easy choice, or players can redo the Melee Pits or The Arena. As daunting as it seems to face some of the game's most terrifying machines in specific challenges, it's surprising how easily beaten they can be once players recognize their weaknesses and what weapons and armor to equip Aloy with.

4 Prepare For New LA-inspired Machines

Aloy flying on a Sunwing in front of a Horus on Hollywood sign

When The Frozen Wilds was released, there were three new and terrifying machines: the Fireclaw, Frostclaw, and Scorcher. Based on bears and wolves, these Yellowstone-inspired animals gave Aloy one heck of a fight as she traversed through the Ban-Ur territory and helped the Banuk tribe.

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As Burning Shores is set in Los Angeles, there could be room for new machines related to the area's biology, like cougars, coyotes, and red-tailed hawks. Prehistoric machines could also return, specifically those connected to the La Brea Tar Pits, where fossils of prehistoric animals like the Ice Age Coyote, Saber-Tooth Tiger, Dire Wolf, and American Lion have been found.

3 Stock Up On Shards

Aloy selling items for shards in Horizon Forbidden West menu screen

If Burning Shores is anything like The Frozen Wilds, there will be new outfits and weapons to purchase. Shards have always been a life-or-death commodity in the Horizon series, so now is the time for players to stock up if they haven't already. Thankfully, shards are easy to obtain by hunting machines, looting supply boxes, and killing human enemies. Aloy can also receive a boost from the Shard Salvager skill that enables her to disassemble resources and modifications weighing down her inventory.

There's also a great way to farm shards in Forbidden West, as discovered by YouTuber Elkjaer TV. The Whisper Arrow bow from the merchant in Barren Light and Scalding Spear sells for more than it is worth, so players can repeatedly buy and sell it for a profit of 101 shards. However, for the bow to be available, Aloy must first complete the 'Shadow in the West' side quest.

2 Max Out Skill Trees

Skill trees in Horizon Forbidden West

Completionists will have a solid starting base in Burning Shores if they've mastered all of Aloy's skill trees. More casual players may have missed out on a few to get through the immense story though, so to prepare for Burning Shores, players can work on maxing out Aloy's skill trees to ensure that she has the upper hand against the Horus and any other enemies she'll come across in the new area.

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In Forbidden West, there are currently six skill trees with 162 abilities. The Frozen Wilds came with an entirely new skill tree and abilities that players had asked for, like mounted pickup, increased inventory, and dismount strike. As a result, it wouldn't be too surprising if Burning Shores introduces a few new skills of its own.

1 Take A Look Back At Horizon Zero Dawn And The Frozen Wilds

Aloy giving peace sign in Horizon Zero Dawn

The Horizon series is known for its deep, apocalyptic storyline attached to the ancient world of the Old Ones. Players discover how Ted Faro caused the world's end in Horizon Zero Dawn, which only deepens in Forbidden West. Seeing as Zero Dawn came out in February 2017 though, it can be easy to forget what brought Aloy to where she is now.

Depending on how deep players want to go, Zero Dawn isn't that long of a game when only the main narrative is followed. Becoming reacquainted with the first game and its story to prepare for Burning Shores is a good idea, especially as some of Gaia's subordinate functions like Hephaestus and Cyan, which appear in The Frozen Wilds, may well appear in Burning Shores, too.

Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores will release for the PS5 on April 19, 2023.

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