Aloy's spear has been given an upgrade in spear in Horizon Zero Dawn could be upgraded and replaced by completing the "Her Mother's Footsteps" side-quest, but this iteration of the weapon didn't boast sizeable differences from the original during actual combat. Thankfully, Forbidden West makes Aloy's trademark melee weapon better, giving players a greater variety of attacks to employ while it is equipped.
Horizon Forbidden West is the first follow-up to Guerrilla Games' Horizon Zero Dawn, a PlayStation exclusive title set in a post-apocalyptic world that has been reclaimed by nature and animalistic AI machines. The sequel sees Aloy venture to the titular Forbidden West in search of a cure for a disease that's been ravaging the lands, equipped with a new set of abilities and weapons. Her trademark bow will be the weapon Aloy utilizes most in Horizon Forbidden West, but the spear is also a staple of her arsenal and will inevitably be called upon in close-quarters confrontations.
Guerrilla Games has introduced multiple gameplay changes in Horizon Forbidden West that set it apart from Zero Dawn, with the spear being one of them. As players attack human and machine enemies in the game, the spear will accumulate charge, changing from purple in color to blue. Once it's blue, players can use a heavy attack to add a resonance charge to their chosen target. After that, Aloy will be able to hit that particular spot with an arrow and unleash a powerful blast of energy, dealing significant damage toward their enemy. It's one of the smaller gameplay features Horizon Forbidden West has changed from Zero Dawn, but one that helps the spear feel more like a core component of Aloy's arsenal, and encourages players to make full use of her move-set.
New Combos Make Aloy's Spear Better In Horizon Forbidden West
There are other ways that Guerrilla Games has improved on Aloy's melee output in Horizon Forbidden West as well, as the spear now has unlockable melee combos that have different effects on enemies. By progressing through the game's warrior skill tree, players will be able to unlock new combos in Forbidden West that perform varying amounts of damage and sometimes unique effects on enemies. There are new radial attacks to deal with multiple of Horizon Forbidden West's animal-inspired enemies in a given area, as well as those that can target specific threats in order to break their block or deal mass amounts of damage. It makes a difference from the simple mixture of light and heavy attacks from Horizon Zero Dawn, and gives players extra choice as to how they wish to tackle a given objective or group of enemies.
