InHorizon Forbidden West, Aloy travels to the Forbidden West where she learns the secrets of the Old Ones, explores new environments, and helps GAIA save the world. The machines inHorizon Forbidden Westare bigger than ever, and they include the mighty Tremortusk, the deadly Slitherfang, and the vicious Shellsnapper. When going against these foes, it is hard to not take a hit or three. However, if players have a good Survivor build, they can ensure that their health never drops to zero.
Horizon Forbidden West’s skill treeis divided into six categories, and the Survivor category is for players who always want just a little health left to stay in the fight. Unlocking the right skills for Aloy will make sure she can always take another hit, and with the right outfit and weapons, she will have endless endurance.
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The Survivor Category Helps Aloy Stay Alive
Manyskills inHorizon Forbidden Westcan be unlocked to give Aloy new abilities. Players focused on keeping Aloy’s health up should focus on the Survivor category. Useful skills contained in this category include Potent Medicine, which makes medicinal berries provide more healing at a faster rate, Medicine Capacity, which lets Aloy carry more medicinal berries in her pouch, Plant Forager, which lets Aloy gather more resources from plants, and Low Health Defense, which lets Aloy take more damage when her health is below 25%. The Survivor category also contains a few offensive tricks, including Low Health Melee which lets Aloy deal more melee damage when her health is low, and Low Health Ranged, which allows Aloy to deal more damage using ranged attacks when her health is low.
Weapons inHorizon Forbidden Westare varied enough to please all gamers. Fans of Shredder Gauntlets will also want to invest in the Survivor category, as it has a few benefits for the weapons. The Triple Shredder skill lets Aloy launch three shredders at once, while Shredder Mine causes shredders to hover in place and deal shock damage to nearby opponents, and Power Shredder launches an extra-powered shredder that does not return. The Survivor category also has plenty to offer for players who are fond of Blastslings. Useful skills to unlock include Bouncing Bomb, which lets Aloy fire an explosive bomb that becomes more powerful with each bounce, Burst Dodge, which lets Aloy hurl a bunch of bombs forward while she dodges backward, and Sticky Bomb, which allows bombs to stick to their target before detonating.
Horizon Forbidden Westintroduces Valor Surges, which are powerful moves Aloy can use when things are not going in her favor. The Survivor category offers two Valor Surges that allow Aloy to rise after taking the hardest of hits. Toughened is perhaps the better of the two Valor Surges, as it both restores Aloy’s health and gives her resistance to status effects. However, Overshield is still a very powerful Valor Surge which protects Aloy with a damage-absorbing shield that recharges with Valor if there is some available.
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The Best Outfit and Weapons
Unlocking skills will bolster Aloy’s health, but she can be made into even more of a tank with the right outfit. One of the best outfits for a good survivor build is the Nora Thunder Warrior. It comes with a host of useful skills that make Aloy lethal when it comes to ranged combat. However, its best use for the Survivor build comes from the fact that it has high resistance against every type of damage and element except for frost and plasma. The outfit will ensure Aloy is well protected, but it is hard to acquire, as players have to earn 54 medals inthe Tenakth Arenato unlock it.
Aloy will also need a good Blastsling and Shredder Gauntlet to complement her new skills. Arguably the best Blastsling in the game is the Wings of the Ten, which is obtained by snagging all12 Black Box collectibles. It lobs explosive bombs and adhesive bombs, allowing it to both trap and destroy targets. It is an amazing weapon when paired up with the Ancestor’s Return, a Legendary Shredder Gauntlet that fires both Acid Shredders and Tear Shredders.
It is also possible to upgrade your gear using coils, which are applied to weapons, and weaves, which are applied to outfits. The Wings of the Ten has five coil slots, and players may want to consider filling them with the following coils: Reload Speed, Long-Range Damage, Concentration Damage, Critical Hit Chance, and Adhesive. The Ancestor’s Return also has five coil slots which can be filled with the following coils: Reload Speed, Long-Range Damage, Shock, Acid, and Critical Hit Chance. TheNoraThunder Warrior outfit is good on its own, but it can also be improved with some weaves to fill its two slots. Weaves to consider include Potent Medicine, Medicine Capacity, Low Health Defense, and Ranged Defense.
WithHorizon Forbidden West,Guerrilla Gamesdecided to divide Aloy’s skills into categories that align with different play styles. For players who value Aloy’s health and want to ensure she can always take another hit, it is worthwhile to focus on the Survivor category. With the right weapons and outfit, it can be an excellent build.
Horizon Forbidden Westis available now on PS4 and PS5.
