Dive into the massive open world finally on PC in our Horizon: Forbidden West Complete Edition review!

After a strong start of releasing previously console-exclusive games onto PC, PlayStation had some hiccups as of late. The Last of Us: Part I‘s PC port was one of the worst I’ve ever experienced at 1.0, and Helldivers 2, while a blast to play, is still fighting server woes and cross-platform connectivity issues months after its launch.

However, experiencing Spider Man: Miles Morales and Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves on a computer with extra bells and whistles made it worth replaying several years on in a different light.

Aloy’s back on PC, but not everyone is happy to see her.

The only games I’ve preordered in the last 5 years are AAA PlayStation releases. Between Spider Man 2 and God of War: Ragnarok, I know the high seal of quality will be worth the full price point.

Horizon: Zero Dawn and Horizon: Forbidden West also deserve to be in the same conversation, as these large-scale open-world jaunts are bolstered by behemoth enemy encounters and vast worldbuilding. Now that Forbidden West has released on PC in its Complete Edition format, is it a win out of the box unlike the last few ports?

Horizon: Forbidden West Complete Edition Review – Graphics Options

The most important part of a PC port of an already-existing game is how customizable its graphics options are to fit the wide array of configurations it will be played on. Maximizing the high-end of rigs is a priority, but it is no longer the highest priority when Nvidia’s DLSS and AMD’s FSR are doing the heavy lifting in all modern titles. In the case of Horizon: Forbidden West, as with all PlayStation titles on PC, the gamut is run and there are a bevy of graphics to tinker with to make your experience as smooth and/or pretty as you’d like.

With super-ultrawide support, HDR, and DLSS, you’ll have all the tools you need to run Horizon: Forbidden West on even modest hardware.

While the graphics screen is sorely missing how much VRAM is being utilized at any one time, as well as no benchmark to run, there is some guesswork to be made in adjusting settings to make performance perfect. It’s a relief, then, that with its auto-detecting graphics configuration found a happy medium for me in defaulting to High, and setting my refresh rate to my monitor’s maximum.

I tend to struggle with performance due to utilizing a super-ultrawide, but I am glad to say that the only frame drops I experienced were in less than a handful of cutscenes, and never in gameplay – even in crowded cities or tense fights.

Full remapping of keybinds is a huge plus in Horizon Forbidden West, as there’s so many vital controls that this is bound to be messed with by a lot of players.

With a gigantic open world in Horizon: Forbidden West, it’s almost unavoidable that bugs are going to pop up here and there. With Nixxes at the helm, though, I can’t say they could have done a better job squashing any of these that could have come up.

My only gripe is that certain textures flash in and out in uncommon cases, leading to immersion breaking. Otherwise, the last time I played a AAA PC game that was largely in great shape has been years – this is a home run in the performance department.

Horizon: Forbidden West Complete Edition Review – Graphics

When Horizon: Forbidden West launched on PlayStation 5, it had some of the best graphics I’ve seen to date. Being able to see the tiny bits of hair on Aloy’s face, water droplets bounce off her in the rain, and the see-through bodies of water was legitimately breathtaking back in 2022. With a more powerful setup on PC in 2024, it’s safe to say Nixxes spared no expense in ensuring that visual wow-factor made its way to computers.

Jaw-dropping scenery is the norm in Horizon: Forbidden West, and it never gets old.

Thanks to the optimization and aforementioned spread of display/graphics settings, modern PC’s are going to broadcast some beauty to screens. Horizon: Forbidden West features several biomes, so whether it’s the frozen mountains, desolate deserts, or vast grasslands, it’s a joy traversing this huge world and taking in the sights when you can. Past that, face textures, elaborate tattoos/paint, and more attention-to-detail than can be analyzed all come together for a winning formula for the eyeballs.

Cutscenes show characters up-close and personal, so the intricate outfits, array of facial expressions, and real-time backgrounds make every conversation worth listening through.

The usual vital improvements on PC that PlayStation touts are present in Horizon: Forbidden West. Unlocked framerates, DLSS 3/FSR/XeSS upscaling, and up to triple monitor support means this game can be visually pushed to the limit. It’s a breath of fresh air to experience a game of this scale and esteem in near-perfect visual performance from the start on PC.

Horizon: Forbidden West Complete Edition Review – But is the game good?

So far, I’ve covered how Horizon: Forbidden West performs on PC. But is this a game worth buying? The super short answer is yes. In one of the most ambitious open worlds offered in a PlayStation game to date, you’ll traverse a map that is as humongous as it is rich with things to do.

Avoiding some of the bloat that other open worlds have, each side quest has a story to it and its own urgency. The main quest is grand in scope and takes you to enthralling locales – I loved my stay in a long-gone Las Vegas. And with one of the most memorable climaxes in recent memory, I was hooked start-to-finish.

With a world as well-developed as this, each NPC in need is worth talking to in Horizon: Forbidden West.

With more weapon and enemy types than you can shake a spear at, I found Horizon: Forbidden West hard to put down, even with it being my second playthrough. I echo the sentiments of our PlayStation 5 review of the game – it’s a blast. It’s nailed that addictive open-world formula to a T, and with this being the Complete Edition, adds another 10 hours to the already 50-hour experience. If you’re ready to tackle a game this long, now’s a good a time as any on PC.

Conclusion

From top to bottom, Horizon: Forbidden West’s PC port is a great thing for PC gaming. Not only does it show that a feature-complete, well-polished AAA port on PC should become the norm and not a diamond in the rough, it’s a grand time to have with its enhancements on the platform. It’s must-play territory for anyone who enjoyed Horizon: Zero Dawn or wants to sink their teeth into a large adventure in the shoes of a protagonist that gets things done.

So, why should you play Horizon: Forbidden West on PC?

• A polished PC port from release day.
• Some of the most striking realism visuals available today.
• An open world that’s enjoyable and worth scouring.

But why shouldn’t you play Horizon: Forbidden West on PC?

• You’ll need a SSD with a staggering 150GB free.
• Steep minimum requirements mean you’ll have to have a PC from this decade.
• You don’t have the time for a 50+ hour expedition.

A review code was kindly provided by Sony Australia for the purpose of this review. Want to find out even more about the game itself? Review our detailed Horizon: Forbidden West review for PlayStation 5 and join us over on the Qualbert Discord to chat about the game!