Is There a Point of No Return in Horizon Forbidden West?
Yes, Horizon Forbidden West has a very clear point of no return late into the main story – once crossed, you lose the ability to freely explore the open world. This happens in the final "Singularity" mission when Aloy is prompted to gather allies at a campfire for the last push.
When The Point of No Return is Triggered
The point of no return occurs during "Singularity," after Aloy has defeated Regalla and gained the support of all tribes against the Zenith threat. Upon returning to the Base, she informs her companions of a plan to infiltrate the Odyssey and confront Tilda Sobeck.
This initiates a lengthy sequence of events that builds towards the climax on board the Zenith spacecraft. Specifically, the point of no return is crossed when the quest objective changes to "Call Your Companions at the Campfire."
Heeding this instruction triggers cutscenes that set up the endgame. A notification also alerts players that they are entering the final stages of the story.
Horizon Forbidden West Final Mission Progression
Once the "Call Your Companions" objective is met in Singularity, the following occurs:
- Cutscene of Aloy briefing her allies on the attack plan
- Linear mission to infiltrate the Odyssey posing as a Zenith
- Confrontation with Regalla who has also boarded the ship
- Exploration of the Odyssey to learn secrets of Far Zenith
- Dialogue scene with Tilda Sobeck regarding the colony ship
- Climax against the surviving Zeniths to determine the fate of Earth
This entire sequence offers no option to postpone or exit back to the open world. You must see it through to completion before the credits roll.
Is Anything Permanently Missable?
Fortunately, Guerrilla Games opted to not lock players out of any content after reaching Forbidden West‘s point of no return. Once the story is over, you can continue roaming the world freely to tie up loose ends.
No collectibles, vista points, side quests or activities become permanently inaccessible. Any trophies related to these elements can still be earned. You will lose the aid of allies that were present up until the climax, but the world itself remains explorable.
So nothing crucial is missable if you trigger the endgame before completing all optional content. A catalog of everything left to accomplish is available from the menu to keep track of your progress.
| Horizon FW Content | Missable After Point of No Return? |
|---|---|
| Vantage Points | ❌ |
| Relic Ruins | ❌ |
| Rebel Camps | ❌ |
| Hunting Grounds Trials | ❌ |
| Salvage Contracts | ❌ |
| Machine Strike | ❌ |
| Side Quests | ❌ |
Comparison to Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon‘s first game actually did have missable side quests if players reached the point of no return at Maker‘s End before completing them. These would fail and no longer be accessible after this story mission.
Thankfully Guerrilla Games learned from this limitation anddesigned the sequel to be much more completionist friendly. Forbidden West removes pressure to finish all side content before embarking on the final Singularity quest.
Why Have a Point of No Return At All?
Game Director Mathijs de Jonge explained that a definitive point of no return was a conscious creative decision:
“We wanted to get this story to an end at some point. If you just keep on playing side content, it feels weird that the world is still threatened by the blight and everything… So we really wanted to get to an ending.”
This reasoning makes sense – allowing limitless side questing alongside an impending apocalypse could diminish the urgency and stakes as the climax approaches. Funneling the player towards a conclusion once endgame is initiated preserves tension.
Passionate Gamer Perspective
As an avid fan, I appreciate the clear ramp up towards Forbidden West‘s culmination. The definitive point of no return aligns with Aloy‘s character – her drive to defeat the Zenith threat means postponing less critical missions. She would remain focused seeing this goal through.
Still, I‘m relieved no trophies or collectibles are permanently missable past that final act trigger. As a completionist, I enjoy soaking in every detail of beautifully realized open worlds. Guerrilla eradicates pressure to rush through content before moving the main story along.
Their handling of New Game Plus also merits praise – it lets me carry over weapons and skills to a fresh playthrough. I can replay the story while also mopping up any leftover side ventures. This perfect compromise retains the appeal of a conclusive narrative climax withoutpunishing those seeking 100% fulfillment.
In summary, Horizon Forbidden West strikes an elegant balance between storytelling focus and gameplay freedom. I consider its point of no return a welcome feature implemented thoughtfully and fairly. Guerrilla‘s efforts to improve upon Zero Dawn‘s shortcomings shine through in moments like this.
