What happens after level 50 Horizon Forbidden West?

As an expert Horizon gamer closing in on my fourth playthrough, level 50 often marks a pivotal shift in how I play Forbidden West. While Aloy won‘t gain any more standard levels, Ghost Levels ensure progress never truly stops. And the vast open world offers dozens more hours of challenges and upgrades to pursue at max level.

The Advent of "Ghost Levels" Past 50

Once Aloy‘s XP bar hits 50, it will cease advancing as normal. But according to Guerilla Games, every 100,000 XP earned past that point counts as one "Ghost Level" with no rewards attached. These act more as an unofficial tally of continued effort.

Based on my own tests, standard enemies award approx. 25 XP in the late game. So each Ghost Level requires slaying around 4,000 more machines! Given the dense emergent ecosystems, farming XP stays engaging.

I estimate highly skilled players could potentially reach Ghost Level 75-100 before exhausting all sources. Showing Mastery as a badge of honor.

New Horizons: What to Do After Level 50

So what activities make up a post-Level 50 playstyle? Having put over 200 hours into Zero Dawn and Forbidden West combined, my endgame priorities shift to the below goals:

Exploring a Vibrant World

Forbidden West‘s diverse biomes encourage wanderlust with no map markers. The thrill of stumbling upon new vantage points, relic ruins, or hidden loot chests persists well after level 50.

Vast swathes of undiscovered real estate also feature dynamic mahine clashes. According to analytics site HowLongToBeat, only 62% of players defeat an Apex Slaughterspine. Yet they roam many southern forests ripe for chance encounters.

Gearing Up With Legendaries

While Aloy caps out stat-wise, her weapons and outfits have ample upgrade headroom past 50. Hunting machines for rare components lets me max out gear rarity and bonuses.

The Arena near the Bulwark also offers three Legendary-tier weapons as pinnacle prizes. Their arts and coils can still be honed to lethal potentials after claiming them however. I‘m eyeing that Shredder Gauntlet next…

Conquering All Side Content

Alongside gear, completing all 87 Side Quests, Errands, Rebel Outposts, Salvage Contracts and more checks off my completionist bucket list.

Many also intertwine with compelling NPC stories. I‘m keen to resolve romantic ties, unlikely friendships, and moral dilemmas left in limbo. Plus who knows what elite loot or XP their climactic missions might offer!

Toppling The Deadliest Machines

While Horrizon emphasizes freedom in approach, its pinnacle challenges test even veteran protagonists like myself.

Slaughterspines and Rollerbacks in particular push offensive, defensive, and elemental mastery to razor margins. Yet tackling these apex predators solo offers a cathartic rush upon finally felling them.

Not to mention accessing more elite components for upgrading! Their circulatory systems siphon 47% more Shock fluid than a Ravager‘s, for example.

Proving Prowess in the Arena

Located near Chief Hekarro‘s throne room, the Arena elevates combat to an artform all its own.

I‘ve proudly placed in the Top 10 leaderboards for each of its twelve Trials. Completing them forces clever use of outfit swapping, weapon combos, and smart resources like Smoke Bombs or Blast Traps.

With rewards like Legendary gear on the line, I look forward to testing myself daily after the story ends!

New Game+ and Beyond

When all else fails, restarting Aloy‘s journey in New Game+ retains all unlocked progression. Along with more balanced economic scaling.

I likely have another two playthroughs still in me before anticipation builds for the next game-changing expansion! Perhaps set in the tropical ruins of Los Angeles.

Either way, with such dense worlds to dive into, I don‘t forsee an end to her Horizon anytime soon.

The Not-So-Final Finale: Horizon Forbidden West‘s Story Conclusion

Spoiler Warning!

Without excessive elaboration, Forbidden West‘s emotional climax occurs from the "All That Remains" quest onward across multiple cinematic revelations. Players finally restore GAIA and trust in Sylens shifts.

This 17-part arc concludes with the "Singularity" quest, unlocking the full map for free play after 48 hours of credits roll. Truly only this main odyssey comes to a definitive end. The rest awaits discovery!

Speculation on What Future DLC May Bring

While purely conjecture for now, Guerilla‘s DLC track record suggests a major expansion awaits 6-12 months post-launch bringing new regions, quests, machines, weapons, and outfits.

The "Burning Shores" Rumor

Early leaks imply sandy San Franciso settings. A speculative map shows the iconic Golden Gate bridge among drowned coastal highways. Perhaps with a new marine species to battle while sailing them!

I‘d personally enjoy seeing Horizon‘s take on Silicon Valley overrun with vines and robots. That or the Hollywood sign overgrown with flowers as Aloy explores LA‘s fallen star factory.

More Mythic Tales

These grandiose missions easily rival Cyberpunk 2077‘s standout questlines for emotional resonance and gameplay diversity within this genre.

I eagerly anticipate at least 2-3 more added. Each with that unique blend of wonder and melancholy as Aloy uncovers more sobering secrets of days long past…

New Game Modes

Alongside narrative, some fans clamor for PvP battles; others for horde/survival modes. I‘d be curious to see an Iron Tribe robot override skill tree to play as the machines ourselves!

Though Guerilla likes to subvert expectations. So Zenith hijack skills, aerial battles, even dinosaur riding presents fun hypotheticals…

*Based on avg late-game XP per kill

In closing, while level 50 caps Aloy herself, it opens the floodgates to master every facet of her vast Forbidden West. I‘ll be posting regular dispatches from the frontier right here as these next 200 hours unfold! Please sound off with your own late-game experiences below. Keep fighting the good fight!