Sizable chunks of its map are more reserved for sidequests, leaving little to explore afterwards. The Burning Shores aren’t too densely populated with things to do, though. There are a few new open-world activities to discover around the islands, like a flying challenge that unlocks new lore. There are flashes of creativity, like when Aloy stumbles into a Universal Studios-like theme park, but the city’s personality feels a bit too buried under all that debris. It’s not too distinct from the main campaign’s version of San Francisco, reusing its beach aesthetic in a way that feels disconnected from its real-world inspiration at times. While some of the city’s landmarks pop up in surprising ways, it rarely feels like I’m exploring its ruins. What’s a bit less awe-inspiring is its use of Los Angeles as a setting. Even with some lingering pop-in, flying around and soaking it all in is a pleasurable experience in itself. It really feels like Horizon’s art style has fully come into its own between this and Horizon Call of the Mountainthis year, doubling down on the contrast between colorful natural landscapes and decaying architecture. You can’t go two steps without walking into a gorgeous, sun-soaked vista. The main attraction here is its new location, a densely detailed chain of tropical islands that’s about 20% the size of the base game’s sprawling map. The DLC is a bite-sized version of Forbidden West with only a few new tricks of its own. If you aren’t already sold on the Horizon formula, Burning Shores isn’t likely to win you over. It’s a breezy spectacle that balances tender character moments with the series’ most exciting action set piece to date, letting Aloy ride off into the sunset until her next full adventure. Though its take on LA feels a bit bare and its short story is too rushed to fully pay off its crisscrossing thematic threads, Burning Shores gives Horizon Forbidden Westa neat Hollywood ending.
It’s a reflective island getaway where she finally gets to picture what settling down looks like for a lone wolf who’s always on the move. While she’s once again fighting massive robot dinosaurs and rich elites in a high-stakes summer blockbuster, Aloy gets to do some much-needed soul searching in LA.
The open-world sequel’s reasonably sized DLC tells a sweet (if not a little hokey) story that caps off an important emotional journey for its heroine. If that all sounds like a bit of a drag, don’t worry.
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