By Chris Jackson
PLATFORM: PS5 | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Burning Shores picks up after Forbidden West‘s credits have rolled, as Aloy finds herself in LA in search of a solution to the events that occurred at the end of the main game (so you do need to have completed the base game’s campaign before you can move on to this DLC). That’s probably as much as it’s possible to mention without wandering into spoiler territory, but it’s safe enough to say that if you enjoyed Forbidden West then Burning Shores adds around 8-10 hours worth of… well, more of the same, really, but with a few new additions that expand the game’s combat in some rather neat ways.
A handful of new skills allow you to grapple onto stunned enemies from a distance before hitting them with a powerful follow-up attack, or tag machines with a series of shots before shooting a weak spot to chain explosive damage across multiple enemies. The new Specter Gauntlet weapon locks onto targets and fires volleys of homing projectiles, and several new bows add new options for dealing with the machines. Speaking of which, there are a few new additions on that side of things too, from smaller flying insect-like beasts to the huge lumbering Bilegut, a surprisingly agile mechanical toad that leaps around spraying corrosive damage in its wake. Forbidden West‘s Sunwing – the machine you get to fly around on – also gets a new variant, the Waterwing, which allows you to dive underwater while sitting on the machine’s back.
Forbidden West is one of the most stunning games available on new-gen consoles, and Burning Shores very much lives up to its predecessor in the visual department. One area in particular might be a high point for the series as a whole, as you’re dropped into a dilapidated dinosaur theme park with its ruins drenched in neon lights and gigantic holograms flanking a volcano in its centre. If you enjoyed the main game’s underwater take on Las Vegas, this crumbling yet still beautiful version of LA will be right up your street.
Elsewhere, there are a few new relic ruins to puzzle your way around too, and a couple of platforming-based cauldrons, all of which are always a pleasure to experience, and a handful of new characters including your new co-star, Seyka. One of the game’s stronger characters, Seyka is extremely likeable with just the right amount of humour, and the relationship that builds between her and Aloy provides some genuinely touching moments. Overall, Burning Shores is a fantastic expansion to one of the current generation’s finest games. If you’ve finished Forbidden West‘s story and have been hankering for more, this is pretty much everything you could possibly need.
