Horizon Forbidden West‘s latest expansion Burning Shores, available for PS5, continues the theme of lush environments, albeit this time in Los Angeles. While we did see some overarching conclusions to the story of Horizon Forbidden West, it was left at a note where we knew more tales could be told.
While the story of Burning Shores explores the iconic Hollywood sign, a theme park, and other notable locations in Los Angeles, it somehow ties in nicely with the base game’s massive open world and story.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores Story
While the Burning Shores’ DLC story isn’t as extravagant as the base game, it’s the perfect length for players looking for more content. However, this isn’t just filler content for players to experience as Aloy embarks on a mission to learn more about Walter Londra. This person from the older civilisation is a famous stereotypical entrepreneur from L.A., now known as Burning Shores. He loves the limelight and is married to a famous actress. However, it is Londra’s work that Aloy is most interested in, i.e., the space exploration business.
While the main story will take about 7-8 hours to complete, it will be a roller coaster ride. Aloy teams up with Seyka, a new character, to look for her missing sister. Their quest leads them to investigate the space playboy and discover he was in a hurry to leave the planet, but they don’t know why.
Without giving too much away, players will see Aloy develop a new friendship with Seyka and see her connect with an outcast similar to her. Culminating with a challenging boss fight, Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores’ story can be best described as ‘short & sweet.’
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores Gameplay
The gameplay loop in Burning Shores is nearly identical to Horizon Forbidden West. You will be climbing hills, fighting robot dinosaurs, and collecting new artefacts for PlayStation trophies. However, Aloy also gets access to new armour and weapons that she can use to defeat new machines and bosses, such as the Stingspawn. One of them happens to be a homing missile which makes battling powerful foes highly enjoyable and slightly easier due to its overpowered nature. 
Aloy also learns a new way to traverse the world of Horizon Forbidden West, where she can use her shield to ascend to higher viewpoints by using geysers. This new traversal method really helps save time when you are looking for hard-to-reach collectables or need to make a quick escape during battles. In Burning Shores, Aloy can also learn three new skills in addition to the plethora of skills already unlocked from the base game.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores Graphics & Performance
Since the Burning Shores DLC for Horizon Forbidden West is exclusive to the PlayStation 5, it is expected to look top-notch. And to everybody’s expectations, the DLC delivers on the front. As mentioned before, the game takes place in Los Angeles, unlike the concrete jungle we know today. Instead, the entire city has been flooded, and overgrown flora has reclaimed popular sights like the Hollywood sign. In most cases, the post-apocalyptic L.A. looks idyllic, even with skyscrapers sticking out of the ocean. 
Much like recent releases on the PlayStation 5, the Burning Shores DLC offers players three modes; i.e., resolution, performance (60 fps), and balanced. In most cases, using the Balanced preset will give players the best experience, as the game looks stunning while providing players with the most amount of frames possible (40 fps in most cases). However, it is worth pointing out that displays with HDMI 2.1 input only support this mode and support a 120Hz refresh rate.
If players prefer to play in a pretty environment and are willing to sacrifice frames, they can always use the Resolution mode. In this mode, the game is capped at 30fps but looks absolutely stunning in 2160p resolution.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores Verdict
While the Burning Shores expansion for the Horizon Forbidden West isn’t as expansive as some recent DLCs, it does deliver a fulfilling experience for the fans of the franchise. The DLC adds new skills, weapons, and even new enemy types to make it worthwhile for players to invest 7-8 hours into the new story. With beautiful graphics, incredible performance, and a new map to explore, there’s enough content here for the fans of the franchise. However, there’s still no logical reason why PlayStation 4 players couldn’t experience the Burning Shores DLC, especially since the base game, a far larger and more complex title, is playable on the previous generation console.
Editor’s Rating: 3.5 / 5
Pros:
- Gorgeous New Environments
- New Weapons, Skills, and Collectibles
- New Types Of Enemies
- Other Meaningful Gameplay Additions
- Engaging Story
Cons:
- Exclusive to PlayStation 5
- Story Could Have Been Longer
