Given the size of Horizon Forbidden West, players may have missed out on some of the most important knowledge about the game. Forbidden West provides a lot of information based on Zero Dawn knowledge. Despite the fact that Forbidden West is an exciting game, regardless of its plot, understanding the events that preceded the game gives players a deeper understanding of the machines, cities and flora inhabiting the vast and carefully thought-out world of Forbidden West.
[Attention: This article contains spoilers for Horizon Forbidden West.]
In the distant future of the Horizon series, after a swarm of rogue robots destroyed life on Earth in 2065, a terraforming system called GAIA breathed new life into the planet. GAIA was created by a scientist named Elizabeth Sobek to ensure the existence of life on Earth. GAIA created a new generation of people, but without the APOLLO program, which contained all human knowledge, these people had to start almost from scratch. GAIA has developed the iconic Horizon series machines inspired by animals to perform terraforming tasks. Huge civilizations developed among these machines. When a mysterious signal forced GAIA to disconnect, she cloned Elizabeth Sobek in the hope that she could restore GAIA and save life on Earth. The clone, whom the adoptive father named Eloy, is the main character of the Horizon series.
Horizon Forbidden West answers most of the questions that Horizon Zero Dawn left unanswered. As in the previous game, knowledge can be found throughout the Forbidden West map in the form of data points. While the biggest discoveries in the game occur in commercials or in character dialogues, details about the event can sometimes be discovered by scanning nearby data. Although completing the main plot of the game gives players most of the knowledge about the game, understanding the full chronology of the events of Horizon Forbidden West requires players to dig a little.
Far Zenith Returns to Earth in the Forbidden West
Although Far Zenith occupies a prominent place in Forbidden West, loyal Horizon Zero Dawn fans remember the mysterious Odyssey project, in which the organization built a spaceship under the guise of space exploration. In truth, the intention of the project was described in five data points found around the world. The author of the most famous of them was Elizabeth Sobek. In the note, she informs her staff about the destruction of the ship and tells the staff that the New Dawn project is now the only hope of life.
The Odyssey project and Far Zenith are central to Forbidden West. Eventually, Eloy learns that the destruction of the Odyssey ship was staged, and instead it successfully reached its destination, and the members of Far Zenith used technological advances to become immortals. In Forbidden West, Zeniths seek to obtain a copy of GAIA’s terraforming AI and its auxiliary functions.
Why did the Zeniths create another clone of Sobek
Although Zeniths associate the story of Horizon Forbidden West with Zero Dawn, one of their biggest surprises was the appearance of another clone of Elizabeth Sobek, who shocked Eloy. However, the clone (named Beta) turned out to be a long-awaited addition to the Horizon series, and her sisterly relationship with Ela became the heart of the Forbidden West story. Her background and the reason for her creation are among the most important knowledge in the game.
The Zeniths created Beta because they knew that the terraforming objects they would need to access would be sealed. To enter them, they will need someone with a genetic code identical to Elizabeth Sobek’s, who has access to all Zero Dawn objects. The Zeniths also created a clone of Elizabeth with the intention that she could control GAIA for them, and rarely interacted with her.
Beta’s entire life was devoted to preparing for this task, and she spent her days studying many related topics. After meeting Eloy and realizing that the reason the Far Zenith returned to Earth in the Forbidden West was to use GAIA to wipe the planet off the face of the earth, Beta deserted from the faction and sent a disguised distress signal. GAIA received the challenge, Eloy followed, and Beta joined Eloy’s team. Together, the sisters worked to thwart Far Zenith’s destructive plans.
How Regalla’s Rebellion got the Better of the Machines
Only a few people in the Horizon world can drive cars. Thus, when the rebel Tenact Regalla appears riding a Claw Runner, players understandably do not understand how she acquired her vehicle. The Forbidden West eventually reveals that the army of machines possessed by Regalla’s rebellion was provided by Silence. However, players won’t know why Silence did this until he explains himself at the end of Horizon Forbidden West.
From Hades, Silence learned about the Distant Zenith and about the catastrophic threat from which they were fleeing— a fraudulent AI controlling an army of machines called NEMESIS.
