Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora vs Horizon Forbidden West

• Perspective: First-Person (Third-person when riding mounts)
• Multiplayer: Cooperative (2 player online for entire campaign)
• Setting: Pandora (Western Frontier)
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Amazon Luna
• Unique Feature: Ikran Flight, Na'vi Agility & Senses, Dual Combat System (Na'vi & RDA weapons), Deep Crafting & Cooking, Connection to Nature.

• Perspective: Third-Person
• Multiplayer: None (Single-Player Only)
• Setting: The Forbidden West (Fictionalized Western USA - California, Nevada, Utah), Post-Post-Apocalyptic Future
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (Windows)
• Unique Feature: Intricate Machine Combat, Vast & Diverse Open World, Advanced Traversal (Flying Mount, Shieldwing, Free Climbing), Deep Lore & Worldbuilding, Visually Stunning Graphics.

• Ikran (Mountain Banshee): The player's primary aerial mount after bonding with one. Essential for traversing Pandora's vast vertical landscapes. Can be directed to attack RDA aircraft or ground targets, perform barrel rolls, and use a speed boost. Customizable with gear and cosmetic patterns. Its stamina and health can be improved through skills and food.
  Leonopteryxen (Banshee)
• Direhorse (Pa'li): A swift six-legged ground mount, useful for quickly navigating flatter terrains like the Upper Plains. Can be called by the player. Its stamina can be improved. Less combat-focused than the Ikran but vital for land travel.
  Equidirus (Direhorse)
• Temporary Animal Allies (Pacified Wildlife): While not persistent companions, the player, using their Na'vi connection, can sometimes pacify or briefly guide certain wildlife. This is less about direct combat command and more about leveraging the environment or creating distractions.
  Various Pandoran Fauna

• Varl (Temporary): Accompanies Aloy on several early to mid-game missions. Provides combat support with his bow and spear, and engages in dialogue that explores their friendship and the unfolding events.
  Human (Nora Brave)
• Zo (Temporary): Joins Aloy for specific quests related to the Utaru tribe and healing the land-gods. Fights with a unique staff and has abilities related to plants and machines.
  Human (Utaru Gravesinger)
• Kotallo (Temporary): Assists Aloy in missions involving the Tenakth tribe and fighting Regalla's rebels. A skilled warrior, even with his injury, using Tenakth weaponry.
  Human (Tenakth Marshal)
• Alva (Temporary): Helps Aloy decipher Old World data and navigate Quen politics during relevant quests. More focused on knowledge and tech than direct combat.
  Human (Quen Diviner)
• Erend (Temporary): Provides heavy combat support with his Oseram hammer and gadgets during missions where he joins Aloy.
  Human (Oseram Vanguard)
• Beta (Contextual): While not a combat companion, Beta's technical expertise is crucial for progressing the story, often working with Aloy remotely or providing vital information.
  Human (Elisabet Sobeck Clone)
• Seyka (Burning Shores DLC - Temporary): Aloy's primary companion throughout the Burning Shores DLC. A skilled warrior and mariner, she fights alongside Aloy with Quen weaponry and assists in navigating the volcanic archipelago.
  Human (Quen Marine)

• Sarentu Totems: Ancient Sarentu clan totems found throughout the Western Frontier. Interacting with them often requires finding a specific vantage point to 'align' the totem, triggering a vision and sometimes rewarding an Ancestor Skill or skill points.
• Windswept Kites & Dolls: Lost Na'vi kites or dolls, often caught in high, hard-to-reach places or hidden within environments. Collecting them typically grants Na'vi Favor with a specific clan and sometimes lore.
• RDA Data Recorders / Audio Logs: Found primarily in or around RDA facilities and crash sites. These provide audio logs or text entries that offer insight into RDA operations, personnel, and their views on Pandora and the Na'vi.
• Bellsprigs: Unique plants that, when touched, permanently increase the player's maximum health. Found in various hidden or guarded locations.
• Aeolian Wind Flutes: Musical instruments that need to be played correctly (following a simple rhythm mini-game) to receive a reward, often Na'vi favor or a cosmetic item.

• Survey Drones (Tallneck Data): 10 flying drones that continuously circle a specific area. Aloy must find a way to jump onto and retrieve their data modules. Each drone collected reveals information about Old World landmarks or ecosystems and provides XP/Skill Points.
• Black Boxes (Flight Recorders): 12 recoverable flight recorders from crashed Old World airplanes. Each black box contains an audio log telling a short, often poignant story of the plane's final moments. Collecting them all is part of a side quest for a unique weapon.
• Vista Points: 9 towers emitting a partial image of a pre-war landscape. Aloy must find the exact spot to stand and activate her Focus to align the image with the current environment, revealing a complete glimpse of the Old World location. Provides lore and XP.
• Relic Ruins: 9 Old World ruins containing environmental puzzles that Aloy must solve using her Focus, Pullcaster, and other tools to reach a hidden Ornament (collectible for a side quest) or other valuable loot.
• Signal Lenses (Signals of the Sun - Carja): Lenses from Old World signal towers that need to be collected for a Carja NPC in the Daunt. Often require climbing or light puzzle solving.
• War Totems (Banuk Figures - Easter Egg): Small, hidden Banuk-style figurines representing characters from other PlayStation Studios games (e.g., Kratos, Jin Sakai). A fun Easter egg collectible.
• Machine Strike Pieces & Players: Machine Strike is an in-universe tactical board game. Aloy can collect various machine-themed game pieces (by purchasing or defeating specific machines) and challenge NPC players throughout the Forbidden West to matches.
• Greenshine Fragments/Slivers/Clusters: Valuable crystalline resource found in underwater locations, caves, or as rewards. Used for upgrading high-tier weapons and outfits.
• Ornament Collectibles (From Relic Ruins): Found at the end of each Relic Ruin puzzle. Can be given to an NPC in Las Vegas (Hidden Ember) to create light shows.

• Indigenous Culture
• Environmentalism
• Anti-Colonialism
• Resistance
• Connection to Nature
• Identity
• Bio-Luminescence
• Alien Worlds
• Corporate Greed
• Warfare

• Post-Apocalypse
• Nature Reclaiming Earth
• Tribal Societies
• Ancient Technology & AI
• Environmental Catastrophe (The Blight)
• Discovery & Exploration
• Hope & Sacrifice
• The Burden of Knowledge
• Legacy
• Inter-Tribal Conflict & Cooperation

• Na'vi Bows (Shortbow, Longbow, Heavy Bow): Ranged (Stealth, Precision, Hunting)
  Craftable bows with varying draw speeds, power, and effective ranges. Can use standard arrows, specialized arrows (e.g., explosive, electric, poison), and are crucial for hunting wildlife cleanly (for better resources) and stealth takedowns.
• Na'vi Spear-thrower: Ranged (Heavy Damage, Anti-Armor)
  A powerful, short-to-mid-range weapon that launches heavy spears. Effective against armored RDA units, AMP suits, and large, aggressive fauna. Slower reload but high impact.
• Na'vi Staff Sling: Ranged (Explosive, Utility)
  Launches crafted grenades or proximity mines. Useful for area denial, destroying RDA equipment, and dealing with groups of enemies or vehicles.
• RDA Assault Rifles: Firearm (Automatic, Versatile)
  Standard human firearms scavenged or looted from RDA forces. Offer sustained fire and are effective against RDA personnel and less armored targets. Can be modded.
• RDA Shotguns: Firearm (Close Quarters, High Damage)
  Powerful close-range firearms, ideal for breaching RDA interiors or dealing with charging enemies. Different types (pump-action, semi-auto) available.
• RDA Grenade Launchers: Firearm (Explosive, Anti-Vehicle)
  Heavy RDA weapon that fires explosive rounds, effective against AMP suits, vehicles, and fortified positions.
• SID (System Interrogation Device): Tool/Non-Lethal
  A Na'vi tool used to hack RDA technology, disable security systems, override turrets, and gather intel. Can also be used to overload certain RDA weak points.

• Hunter Bows: Ranged (Versatile, Elemental Arrows)
  Balanced bows for mid-range combat, capable of firing standard, fire, frost, acid, shock, and advanced hunter arrows. Good for precision and applying elemental effects.
• Sharpshot Bows: Ranged (High Precision, Tear Damage)
  Long-range bows with high damage per shot, excellent for targeting specific machine components to tear them off or hit weak spots. Can use precision arrows and tearblast arrows.
• Warrior Bows: Ranged (Short Range, Rapid Fire)
  Fast-firing bows for close-quarters combat, often with elemental effects. Lower precision but higher rate of fire.
• Blastsling: Ranged (Explosive/Elemental Bombs)
  Launches bombs that explode on impact or with a delay, dealing area damage or applying status effects (explosive, adhesive, frost, acid, shock). Requires aiming trajectory.
• Tripcaster: Trap (Tripwires)
  Deploys tripwires between two points that trigger when enemies pass through, dealing damage or applying elemental effects (shock, explosive, plasma, stun).
• Ropecaster: Utility (Tethering)
  Fires ropes that can tie down machines, temporarily immobilizing them or making them vulnerable to critical strikes. Can also be used to pull down environmental objects.
• Spike Thrower: Ranged (Heavy Projectile, High Damage/Explosive)
  Launches heavy spikes that deal massive impact damage or explode. Excellent against large, armored machines. Can have drill or explosive variants.
• Shredder Gauntlet: Ranged (Ricocheting Disc)
  Launches a serrated disc that shreds components off machines and returns to Aloy. Catching the returning disc charges it for increased damage on the next throw. Can have elemental variants.
• BoltBlaster: Ranged (Rapid Fire Bolts, Elemental)
  A heavy weapon that fires a volley of bolts in rapid succession, similar to a crossbow or minigun. Can be equipped with various elemental bolt types.
• Spear (Melee & Override): Melee / Utility
  Aloy's primary melee weapon for light and heavy attacks, combos, and critical strikes on downed enemies. Also used to silently override machines.
• Traps (Blast, Shock, Stun, etc.): Deployable Utility
  Craftable traps that can be placed on the ground to damage or incapacitate machines and human enemies.
• Valor Surges: Special Abilities (Temporary Buffs/Attacks)
  Powerful, temporary abilities unlocked in the skill tree that consume Valor. Effects range from increased damage, stealth cloaking, powerful AoE attacks, to defensive shields.

• Na'vi Gear (Head, Chest, Waist, Arm, Leg pieces): Players craft and equip various pieces of Na'vi gear made from Pandoran flora, fauna, and scavenged RDA materials. Each gear piece provides health bonuses and specific perks (e.g., increased damage with bows, better stealth, resistance to elements, more resources from gathering). Gear has quality tiers and can be enhanced with mods (crafted or found). Different Na'vi clans offer unique gear designs and associated perks, encouraging players to earn Favor with them.
• Cosmetic Customization: Beyond stat-boosting gear, players can customize their Na'vi's appearance with body paints, hairstyles, and decorative elements. Some gear pieces also have a strong visual identity tied to their clan of origin or purpose.

• Outfits (Nora, Carja, Oseram, Utaru, Tenakth, Quen - various tiers): Aloy can equip various outfits, each consisting of a single piece that covers head and body (though headpieces can often be toggled off visually). Outfits provide base defensive stats (Melee, Ranged, Elemental Resistances) and come with inherent perks or skills (e.g., +Stealth, +Concentration, +Heavy Weapon Damage). Outfits are color-coded by rarity (Uncommon to Legendary) and can be upgraded at workbenches to improve stats and unlock/upgrade weave slots for further customization with Coils (mods).
• Weaves (Coils): Mods that can be inserted into the weave slots of outfits and weapons. They provide specific stat boosts (e.g., +% Fire Damage, +Melee Defense, +Critical Hit Chance) or unique perks. Weaves also have rarity tiers.
• Face Paints: Cosmetic items that Aloy can apply, representing different tribal affiliations or styles. Unlocked through quests or progression. Do not provide stat bonuses.
• Dyes: Players can collect special plants to unlock dyes, which can be used at Dyer merchants to change the color scheme of most outfits, allowing for visual customization.

• Na'vi Gear & Outfits: Players can equip various pieces of Na'vi clothing for the head, chest, waist, arms, and legs. These are crafted from materials found on Pandora (animal hides, plant fibers, bones) and scavenged RDA tech. Gear provides stat bonuses (health) and perks. Appearance varies significantly based on the clan design (Aranahe, Zeswa, Kame'tire) and quality. Players can also apply different body paints, hairstyles, and adornments for further cosmetic customization.
• Ikran & Direhorse Gear: Players can customize their Ikran and Direhorse with different saddles, decorative patterns, and streamers, which are mostly cosmetic but some might offer minor gameplay benefits or are tied to clan favor.

• Tribal Outfits (Nora, Carja, Oseram, Banuk, Utaru, Tenakth, Quen): Aloy can acquire and wear numerous outfits inspired by the game's various tribes. Each outfit provides defensive stats and unique perks suited to different playstyles (e.g., stealth, ranged combat, melee, machine overriding, elemental resistance). Outfits are color-coded by rarity and can be upgraded. A transmog system allows players to apply the appearance of any owned outfit while retaining the stats of another.
• Special Outfits (Pre-order, Deluxe, Legendary): Unique outfits obtained through pre-orders, special game editions, or by crafting/purchasing legendary tier gear. These often have powerful perks and distinct visual designs.
• Face Paints: Cosmetic face paints representing different tribes or personal markings can be applied to Aloy. Unlocked through quests, merchants, or exploration.
• Outfit Dyes: Players can collect specific dye plants from the environment and use them at Dyer merchants to change the color schemes of most outfits, offering a layer of visual personalization.
• Headpiece Toggle: Most outfits come with a headpiece, but players have the option to visually toggle it off while still retaining its stats and perks, allowing them to see Aloy's face.

Player progression involves earning Skill Points by completing quests and activities, which are spent across five skill trees: Survivor (health, stealth), Warrior (Na'vi weapon proficiency), Hunter (RDA weapon proficiency, gathering), Maker (crafting, cooking), and Rider (Ikran and Direhorse abilities). Ancestor Skills are powerful, unique abilities learned by connecting with Sarentu ancestors at specific locations. Gear (clothing, weapons) is crafted using resources gathered from Pandora's flora, fauna, and RDA tech, and can be improved with mods and designs from different Na'vi clans. Na'vi Favor with clans unlocks better gear and recipes.

The Western Frontier is a vast, new continent on Pandora, divided into three primary regions: the Kinglor Forest (lush rainforests, home to the Aranahe clan), the Upper Plains (windswept grasslands, home to the nomadic Zeswa clan), and the Clouded Forest (misty, enigmatic woodlands, home to the secretive Kame'tire clan). Each region has distinct biomes, flora, fauna, and RDA facilities. The world is designed for vertical exploration, utilizing Ikran flight and Na'vi agility.

The Forbidden West is a vast and diverse open world, significantly larger than the map of Zero Dawn. Key regions include: The Daunt (a Carja borderland), No Man's Land (arid plains), Plainsong (Utaru farmlands), The Shining Wastes (deserts), Scalding Spear (Tenakth Sky Clan capital), The Stand of the Sentinels (Tenakth Lowland Clan territory), The Long Coast (beaches and ruins, leading to San Francisco), Isle of Spires (ruined San Francisco, Quen landing site), and underwater environments. The map is rich in verticality, dense jungles, arid deserts, snowy mountains, and submerged ruins. The 'Burning Shores' DLC adds a new volcanic archipelago region (former Los Angeles).

• Ikran (Mountain Banshee): Na'vi Aerial Mount
  The player's primary mode of aerial transportation after bonding with one. Allows for fast travel across Pandora's vast and vertical terrain, engaging in aerial combat with RDA aircraft, and accessing remote locations. Customizable.
• Direhorse (Pa'li): Na'vi Ground Mount
  A six-legged, horse-like creature used for swift ground travel, particularly effective in open plains and forests. Can be called by the player. Customizable.
• RDA AMP Suit (Various models like 'Combat Exo'): RDA Mechanized Walker (Enemy/Occasional Player Use)
  Armored Multi-Purpose suits used by RDA soldiers. Heavily armed and armored. While primarily enemies, there might be rare instances or specific mission contexts where the player can hijack or briefly utilize one, or parts of one.
• RDA Samson / SA-2 Samson Tiltrotor: RDA Air Transport/Gunship (Enemy)
  Twin-rotor aircraft used by the RDA for troop transport and air support. Common aerial threat.
• RDA Ground Vehicles (Buggy, APC, Trucks): RDA Ground Transport/Combat (Enemy)
  Various wheeled vehicles used by the RDA for patrols, troop deployment, and resource transport. Often targets for Na'vi attacks.

• Mountable Machines (Charger, Bristleback, Clawstrider, Sunwing): Overridden Machine Mounts (Land & Air)
  Aloy can override various machines to use as mounts. Chargers are fast ground mounts. Bristlebacks are slower but can dig for resources. Clawstriders are combat-capable ground mounts. Sunwings are flying mounts essential for aerial traversal and accessing high areas.
• Shieldwing: Personal Glider
  An energy glider deployed by Aloy to safely descend from great heights, glide across gaps, and perform aerial maneuvers. An essential traversal tool.
• Pullcaster: Grappling Tool / Utility
  A versatile tool that functions as a grappling hook to pull Aloy towards specific anchor points, pull down destructible walls or objects, and retrieve out-of-reach loot. Also used in combat to pull enemies or expose weak points.
• Boats / Rafts (Contextual): Simple Watercraft
  In some underwater or flooded areas, Aloy might find or use simple rafts or interact with small boats for short-distance water traversal, though these are not primary controllable vehicles like in other games.

• Ikran (Mountain Banshee): Leonopteryxen (Banshee)
  Aerial Mount, Combat Ally, Key for Exploration
• Direhorse (Pa'li): Equidirus (Direhorse)
  Ground Mount, Fast Traversal
• Thanator (Palulukan): Thanatora ferox
  Hostile Apex Predator, Extremely Dangerous
• Hammerhead Titanothere ('Angtsìk): Titanotheris hammercephala
  Large Herbivore, Territorial, Can be Hostile if Provoked, Hunting Resource
• Viperwolf (Nantang): Caniferratus costatus
  Hostile Pack Predator
• Sturmbeest (Talioang): Bovindicum monocerii
  Large Herbivore, Herd Animal, Hunting Resource, Can Stampede
• Soundblast Colossus (Fwampop): Unknown, new creature
  Large, possibly territorial creature, source of unique resources.
• Various other Flora and Fauna: Numerous unique Pandoran species (e.g., Hexapede, Prolemuris, Stingbat, various fish and insects)
  Ambient Wildlife, Hunting/Gathering Resources, Some may be hostile or defensive.

• Player Character (Na'vi Protagonist): Protagonist (Sarentu Clan)
  A young Na'vi of the lost Sarentu clan, abducted as a child by the RDA for 'The Ambassador Program' (TAP). Awakens 15 years later to a changed Pandora, must rediscover their heritage, master Na'vi skills, and unite the clans against the returning RDA threat. Customizable gender and appearance.
• John Mercer: Main Antagonist (RDA Executive)
  The head of the RDA's operations in the Western Frontier and the overseer of the TAP. A ruthless and cunning corporate leader focused on exploiting Pandora's resources at any cost, viewing the Na'vi as an obstacle.
• Angela Harding (Alma): Supporting Character (Former RDA Scientist)
  An RDA scientist who was part of TAP and had a more compassionate view of the Na'vi. She helps the player escape and later joins the Resistance, providing intel and a link to the human perspective.
• So'lek: Supporting Character (Aranahe Warrior)
  A skilled and stoic warrior of the Aranahe clan. Initially wary of the player (due to their RDA upbringing), he becomes a key ally and mentor, teaching them Na'vi ways and fighting alongside them.
• Priya Chen: Supporting Character (Resistance Leader)
  A leader within the human Resistance movement fighting against the RDA. Works with the Na'vi clans and provides the player with access to RDA weaponry and intelligence.
• Various Clan Leaders & Members (Aranahe, Zeswa, Kame'tire): Supporting Characters
  Leaders and notable members of the different Na'vi clans the player interacts with, each with their own culture, traditions, and perspectives on the RDA conflict and the player's role (e.g., Ka'nat of the Aranahe, Nesim of the Zeswa, Anufi of the Kame'tire).

• Aloy: Protagonist / Nora Machine Hunter / Seeker
  The main playable character. A skilled hunter, archer, and machine overrider. Haunted by her origins as a clone of Dr. Elisabet Sobeck, she ventures into the Forbidden West to find a cure for the Blight and save life on Earth. Known for her intelligence, compassion, and determination.
• Varl: Ally / Nora Brave / Aloy's Companion
  A loyal friend and companion to Aloy from the Nora tribe. He follows her into the Forbidden West, providing support and a connection to her past. He undergoes his own journey of growth and finding his place.
• Erend: Ally / Oseram Vanguard Captain
  A boisterous and strong Oseram warrior, captain of the Carja Vanguard. He reunites with Aloy in the Forbidden West and assists her, often providing comic relief and brute force.
• Zo: Ally / Utaru Gravesinger
  A calm and spiritual member of the agrarian Utaru tribe. She is a 'Gravesinger,' tending to the tribe's land-gods (machines that sustain their crops). She joins Aloy to help heal the land and her people.
• Kotallo: Ally / Tenakth Sky Clan Marshal
  A stoic and honorable Tenakth warrior from the Sky Clan who lost an arm in battle. Initially distrustful, he becomes a steadfast ally to Aloy, grappling with his injury and his duty to his people.
• Alva: Ally / Quen Diviner
  A curious and intelligent Diviner from the overseas Quen tribe. She possesses knowledge of Old World technology through her tribe's limited Focus-like devices. She aids Aloy in understanding ancient data.
• Sylens: Ambiguous Figure / Researcher & Schemer
  The enigmatic and highly intelligent researcher obsessed with Old World knowledge and technology. His motives are often unclear, and he manipulates events for his own purposes, sometimes aligning with Aloy, sometimes opposing her.
• Beta: Supporting Character / Elisabet Sobeck Clone
  Another clone of Dr. Elisabet Sobeck, created and raised in isolation by Far Zenith. She is highly intelligent but socially anxious and initially fearful. Her relationship with Aloy is central to the plot.
• Regalla: Antagonist / Tenakth Rebel Leader
  A fierce Tenakth warrior leading a rebellion against Chief Hekarro. She is fueled by a desire for revenge against the Carja and allies herself with Sylens to acquire machine overriding technology.
• Tilda van der Meer: Antagonist / Far Zenith Member
  A prominent member of Far Zenith, an organization of immortal Old World humans who fled Earth. She has a complex past connection with Elisabet Sobeck and plays a key role in Far Zenith's plans.
• Gerard Bieri: Antagonist / Far Zenith Leader
  The apparent leader of the Far Zenith expedition to Earth. Arrogant and dismissive of current human life on Earth.
• Hekarro: Supporting Character / Tenakth Chief
  The wise and respected chief of the Tenakth tribe, seeking to unite its three clans and resist Regalla's rebellion.
• GAIA: AI / Earth's Terraforming System
  The benevolent AI created by Elisabet Sobeck to restore life to Earth. Aloy seeks to recover GAIA's subordinate functions to repair the biosphere and stop the Blight.
• Walter Londra (Burning Shores DLC): Antagonist (DLC) / Far Zenith Member
  A Far Zenith member who established a cult-like following in the Burning Shores region, posing a new threat that Aloy and Seyka must confront.
• Seyka (Burning Shores DLC): Ally / Quen Marine (DLC)
  A resourceful and determined Quen marine encountered in the Burning Shores DLC. She teams up with Aloy to find her missing sister and confront Londra. A potential romantic interest for Aloy.

• Main Story Campaign (The Sarentu Legacy)
  A series of narrative missions following the player Na'vi's journey of rediscovering their lost Sarentu heritage, uniting the Na'vi clans of the Western Frontier (Aranahe, Zeswa, Kame'tire), and leading the resistance against the RDA's exploitation under John Mercer. Involves key story beats, character development, and major assaults on RDA strongholds.
• Clan Contribution Quests (Na'vi Favor)
  Side missions and activities undertaken for the various Na'vi clans. Completing these tasks (e.g., hunting specific animals, clearing RDA pollution, finding lost clan members, participating in rituals) earns Na'vi Favor, which unlocks access to better gear designs, recipes, resources, and progresses clan-specific storylines.
• RDA Facility Sabotage & Liberation
  Infiltrate and destroy various types of RDA industrial facilities (e.g., Gas Harvesters, Mining Operations, Hydro-Extractors). This typically involves disabling security systems, fighting RDA forces (including AMP suits and aircraft), and triggering a catastrophic sabotage. Destroying these facilities heals the surrounding Pandoran environment and weakens RDA presence.
• Ancestor Skill Quests
  Discover locations linked to powerful Sarentu ancestors. By connecting with these sites (often involving environmental puzzles or finding specific viewpoints via Sarentu Totems), the player unlocks unique and potent Ancestor Skills that provide significant gameplay advantages.
• Exploration & Discovery Activities
  Various activities focused on exploring Pandora, such as finding Bellsprigs (to increase max health), Sarentu Totems, Windswept Kites/Dolls, investigating RDA research stations, or discovering unique flora and fauna for the Hunter's Guide. These reward XP, skill points, resources, or lore.
• Resistance Field Lab Quests
  Missions given by Resistance scientists at field labs, often involving research, sample collection, or disrupting specific RDA technological operations. These can reward unique gear or crafting components.

• Main Quests (Aloy's Journey to the West)
  A series of narrative-driven quests following Aloy's quest to find a working backup of GAIA, stop the Red Blight, investigate the origins of new, dangerous machines, and confront the threat of Far Zenith and Regalla's rebels. These missions span the entire Forbidden West and involve major story revelations, character interactions, and boss battles.
• Side Quests (Favors & Errands)
  Numerous optional quests given by various NPCs across all tribes and settlements. These offer unique storylines, explore the cultures and conflicts of the Forbidden West, introduce memorable characters, and reward XP, skill points, gear, or valuable resources.
• Cauldrons
  Large, underground machine factories. Aloy must infiltrate these dangerous, puzzle-filled facilities, fight through machine defenses, and override the cauldron's core to unlock new machine override codes, allowing her to convert more machine types to her side.
• Tallnecks
  Colossal, giraffe-like machines that act as mobile radar towers. Aloy must find a way to climb to the top of each Tallneck and override its sensor array to unfog a large portion of the world map, revealing points of interest, settlements, and machine sites.
• Rebel Camps & Outposts
  Fortified camps and smaller outposts controlled by Regalla's rebels. Aloy must defeat the rebel leader in each camp (often involving a mini-boss fight) and clear out all enemies to liberate the area, earning rewards and sometimes unlocking new allies or quests.
• Hunting Grounds
  Specific arenas where Aloy can undertake timed trials focused on different hunting techniques and weapon usage against various machines. Earning higher marks (Quarter, Half, Full Stripes) rewards medals, XP, and unique resources.
• Melee Pits
  Arenas where Aloy can challenge Tenakth warriors in melee combat duels, testing her spear skills and unlocking new melee combos upon victory.
• Salvage Contracts
  Quests given by Oseram salvagers, tasking Aloy with hunting specific machines for rare parts or retrieving valuable scrap from dangerous locations. Rewards often include powerful Oseram weapons or outfits.
• Gauntlet Runs (Machine Races)
  Mounted races against other machine riders, involving navigating a treacherous course while using weapons and abilities to sabotage opponents.
• Burning Shores DLC Main Quests
  A new main storyline set in the volcanic Burning Shores region, where Aloy teams up with Quen marine Seyka to investigate a new Far Zenith threat led by Walter Londra.

Features seamless drop-in/drop-out two-player online cooperative play for the main story campaign and all open-world activities. Players can explore Pandora together, complete quests, attack RDA bases, and share progression. No competitive multiplayer modes.

Available in Standard, Gold, and Ultimate Editions. Gold Edition includes the Season Pass (two story packs: 'The Sky Breaker' and 'Secrets of the Spires'). Ultimate Edition includes the Gold Edition content plus the Ultimate Pack (cosmetic items like the Sarentu Heritage cosmetic pack and Sarentu Hunter equipment pack) and a digital artbook/soundtrack.

Available in Standard Edition, Special Edition (SteelBook, digital soundtrack, artbook), Digital Deluxe Edition (cosmetic outfits/weapons, digital artbook/soundtrack/comic), Collector's Edition (Tremortusk & Aloy statues, SteelBook, artbook, all Digital Deluxe content), and Regalla Edition (Regalla Tremortusk statue, canvas map, art prints, replica Focus, all Collector's content). The PC version is often the 'Complete Edition' including the Burning Shores DLC.

One major story expansion, 'Burning Shores,' has been released (exclusive to PS5 and PC). It takes Aloy to a new volcanic archipelago region (former Los Angeles) to pursue a new threat. Numerous free updates have added features like New Game+, Ultra Hard difficulty, transmog, and quality-of-life improvements.

• Q: Is Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora connected to the James Cameron movies?
  A: Yes, it is set within the official Avatar canon, taking place in a new region of Pandora (the Western Frontier) roughly concurrent with the events of 'Avatar: The Way of Water.' While it features a new story and characters, it respects and expands upon the established lore, flora, fauna, and themes of the films.
• Q: Do I need to have seen the Avatar movies to play the game?
  A: While familiarity with the movies will enhance appreciation of the world and lore, the game is designed to be accessible to newcomers, introducing key concepts about Pandora, the Na'vi, and the RDA through its narrative.
• Q: Is the game first-person or third-person?
  A: The game is primarily played in first-person when on foot. However, it switches to a third-person perspective when riding mounts like the Ikran or Direhorse, and during certain cinematics or interactions.
• Q: How does combat work? Can I only use Na'vi weapons?
  A: Combat features a dual system. Players can utilize traditional Na'vi weapons like bows, spear-throwers, and staff slings, which are often better for stealth and hunting. They can also use scavenged RDA firearms like assault rifles and shotguns, which are more effective against RDA technology and armored units. Players can switch between these styles fluidly.
• Q: Is there crafting and gathering in the game?
  A: Yes, crafting and gathering are core gameplay mechanics. Players gather resources from Pandora's diverse flora and fauna, as well as scavenge RDA tech. These materials are used to craft and upgrade weapons, gear, ammunition, and cook food for temporary buffs. The quality of gathered materials can affect the stats of crafted items.

• Q: Is Horizon Forbidden West a direct sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn?
  A: Yes, Horizon Forbidden West directly continues the story of Aloy, picking up approximately six months after the events of Horizon Zero Dawn.
• Q: Do I need to play Horizon Zero Dawn before Forbidden West?
  A: It is highly recommended. Forbidden West heavily builds upon the lore, characters, and plot threads established in Zero Dawn. While there's a brief recap, playing the first game provides essential context and enhances the emotional impact of the sequel.
• Q: Can Aloy swim underwater in Horizon Forbidden West?
  A: Yes, underwater exploration is a major new feature. Aloy can dive and swim in various bodies of water, discovering submerged ruins, resources, and new machines. She uses a rebreather for extended underwater exploration.
• Q: What is the Shieldwing?
  A: The Shieldwing is a new piece of gear that functions as an energy glider. Aloy can deploy it mid-air after jumping from heights to safely glide across large distances or descend slowly, opening up new traversal possibilities.
• Q: Are there flying mounts in Horizon Forbidden West?
  A: Yes, later in the game, Aloy gains the ability to override and ride Sunwings, which are Pterodactyl-like flying machines, allowing for aerial traversal across the Forbidden West.
• Q: What is Machine Strike?
  A: Machine Strike is an in-universe turn-based tactical board game that Aloy can play against various NPCs. Players collect machine-themed game pieces, each with unique stats and abilities, and battle on a holographic board.

Powered by the latest iteration of the Snowdrop Engine, the game delivers stunning, highly detailed visuals of Pandora. It features dense, bioluminescent environments, realistic weather systems, incredibly detailed character and creature models, and advanced lighting and particle effects. Supports ray-traced global illumination, reflections, and shadows on PC and current-gen consoles for enhanced realism.

Powered by an updated version of the Decima Engine, the game is renowned for its stunning visual fidelity. It showcases incredibly detailed machine designs, lifelike character animations, lush and diverse environments (from dense jungles to arid deserts and underwater biomes), advanced lighting, volumetric clouds, and realistic weather systems. The level of detail in flora, fauna, and tribal settlements is exceptional. Offers multiple graphics modes on PS5.

Original score composed by Pinar Toprak, capturing the wonder, danger, and cultural richness of Pandora, blending orchestral themes with tribal and ethereal elements. Sound design is critical, with rich ambient sounds of Pandora's unique flora and fauna, distinct weapon effects for both Na'vi and RDA tech, and immersive environmental audio. Features Na'vi language dialogue.

Original score composed by Joris de Man, The Flight, Niels van der Leest, and Oleksa Lozowchuk, featuring epic orchestral themes, tribal chants, and ethereal melodies that capture the beauty and danger of the Forbidden West. Sound design is intricate, with unique vocalizations for each machine, realistic environmental sounds, and impactful weapon effects.

Immersive first-person HUD with contextual information. Na'vi Senses highlight interactive objects, resources, enemy weaknesses, and trails. Menus for inventory, crafting, skills, map, and journal are intuitively designed. Minimalistic on-screen elements to enhance immersion in Pandora's world.

Features an immersive HUD with health, Focus meter, weapon/ammo selection, and contextual prompts. The Focus (AR device) highlights machine weak points, tracks, and hackable objects. Menus for inventory, crafting, skills, map, and collectibles are detailed. The world map is extensive with various filters. Dynamic HUD options allow for customization.

Offers a wide range of accessibility options, including customizable controls (full remapping), various subtitle options (size, background, speaker names), colorblind modes, aim assist, adjustable difficulty, options to reduce motion sickness (e.g., reduce camera shake), audio cues, and more. Co-pilot mode allows two controllers to act as one.

Offers a comprehensive suite of accessibility options, including fully remappable controls, extensive subtitle and caption customization, difficulty settings (including Custom mode), aim assist options, options to simplify QTEs, options for motion blur/camera shake, co-pilot mode, dead zone adjustments, auto-sprint, auto-heal, auto-concentration, and various visual/audio cues for gameplay elements.

• Official system requirements from Ubisoft. Performance can vary depending on specific hardware, settings, and background applications. An SSD is required. The game supports AMD FSR and DLSS upscaling technologies. Ray tracing features (shadows and reflections) are available and demanding.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop models of listed desktop GPUs may work if their performance is comparable, but TGP (Total Graphics Power) and cooling are critical. **Modern high-end laptop GPUs (NVIDIA RTX 3070 Mobile / RTX 4070 Mobile and above) are needed for enjoyable experiences at higher settings and resolutions. This is a demanding title.**
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP is crucial for performance in demanding titles like this.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: Excellent cooling is essential to prevent severe thermal throttling.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: Laptops with sustained high CPU power limits will perform better.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: Using a MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is highly recommended for optimal framerates.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: Supports AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR 2 and 3 with Frame Generation) and NVIDIA DLSS Super Resolution (DLSS 2 and 3 with Frame Generation).
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Ray Tracing Quality, Shadow Quality, Volumetric Clouds, Environmental Detail, and Texture Quality heavily impact performance. Using FSR/DLSS is recommended for higher resolutions/settings.
• Game Name: Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

• Official PC system requirements from Guerrilla Games/Nixxes. Performance can vary significantly depending on specific hardware, settings, areas in-game (especially dense jungles or machine-heavy encounters), and background applications. An SSD is MANDATORY. The game is visually stunning and very demanding at higher settings.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop models of listed desktop GPUs will require comparable performance, high TGP (Total Graphics Power), and excellent cooling. **Horizon Forbidden West is a demanding title on PC; high-end laptop hardware is necessary for higher resolutions and settings to maintain smooth framerates. Upscaling is highly recommended.**
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP is crucial for performance.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: Robust cooling is essential to prevent severe thermal throttling, especially with detailed environments.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: Laptops with sustained high CPU power limits will perform better due to complex world simulation and machine AI.
• Laptop Consideration: R A M Speed Dual Channel: Fast dual-channel RAM (DDR5 preferred for newer systems) is highly beneficial.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: Using a MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is highly recommended for optimal framerates.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: Supports NVIDIA DLSS 3 (Super Resolution & Frame Generation), AMD FSR 2.2, and Intel XeSS. DirectStorage API support for faster loading on compatible NVMe SSDs.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Texture Quality, Model Quality, Shadow Quality, Reflections Quality, Volumetric Clouds, Level of Detail, Hair Quality, and Anisotropic Filtering heavily impact performance. Using upscaling is highly recommended for higher resolutions/settings.
• Game Name: Horizon Forbidden West

• Upscaling Tech: Supports AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR 2 and 3 with Frame Generation) and NVIDIA DLSS Super Resolution (DLSS 2 and 3 with Frame Generation).
• Key Settings Impact: Ray Tracing Quality, Shadow Quality, Volumetric Clouds, Environmental Detail, and Texture Quality heavily impact performance. Using FSR/DLSS is recommended for higher resolutions/settings.

• Upscaling Tech: Supports NVIDIA DLSS 3 (Super Resolution & Frame Generation), AMD FSR 2.2, and Intel XeSS. DirectStorage API support for faster loading on compatible NVMe SSDs.
• Key Settings Impact: Texture Quality, Model Quality, Shadow Quality, Reflections Quality, Volumetric Clouds, Level of Detail, Hair Quality, and Anisotropic Filtering heavily impact performance. Using upscaling is highly recommended for higher resolutions/settings.

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP is crucial for performance in demanding titles like this.
• Cooling Thermals: Excellent cooling is essential to prevent severe thermal throttling.
• C P U Power Limits: Laptops with sustained high CPU power limits will perform better.
• M U X Switch Optimus: Using a MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is highly recommended for optimal framerates.

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP is crucial for performance.
• Cooling Thermals: Robust cooling is essential to prevent severe thermal throttling, especially with detailed environments.
• C P U Power Limits: Laptops with sustained high CPU power limits will perform better due to complex world simulation and machine AI.
• R A M Speed Dual Channel: Fast dual-channel RAM (DDR5 preferred for newer systems) is highly beneficial.
• M U X Switch Optimus: Using a MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is highly recommended for optimal framerates.