Seamless gameplay is an essential component of any release. While highly improbable for a developer to implement every mechanic flawlessly, it is generally expected of games to emphasize the accessibility of most elements. Horizon Forbidden West did a phenomenal job in almost every department, building solidly on the foundation Zero Dawn laid to the delight of fans and critics alike. However, Forbidden West had a fundamental problem with its item management system, retaining some functionality issues from the first game. The inventory management in Zero Dawn was tedious at best, and the same problem reared its head in Forbidden West. Other games like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and Monster Hunter: World could contain some insight for Guerrilla Games to implement in future releases.
RELATED: Horizon Forbidden West Sets Up What Could Be a Really Fun Co-Op Game
Horizon Forbidden West’s Accessibility Was a Let-Down
Imperfections come with the job description in any creative industry. The practice is to keep these inconveniences as few and far between as possible for optimal user experience. Upon release, Horizon Zero Dawn received widespread critical acclaim, but its cumbersome inventory system was a bit of a letdown. The cap on resources proved confusing due to an arbitrary approach limiting the numbers, the iconography for different items lacked sufficient distinction, and there were inconsistencies in sorting.
For Forbidden West, the expectation was for Guerilla Games to find a resolution to most if not all of these annoyances. However, Forbidden West only dressed the wounds of a few problems, even creating a bigger one in the process. Guerrilla heard some of the complaints of its fans and added upgrades to the item section in Horizon Forbidden West from Zero Dawn, adding a resizing option to the inventory screen and new categories for sorting items.
Unfortunately, as part of the features gracing Zero Dawn’s sequel, the developer only created a single item slot, which posed a more serious problem of UI accessibility. Scrolling through usable items such as food, potions, and the fast travel pack is nearly a mini-game of its own accord, as players almost have to button-mash in the left and right directions to arrive at their desired item. During a regular stroll through the map, this treasure hunt could be mildly annoying, but it could mean death in the heat of battle. For the future, a solution could be found in the Item Wheel featured in Monster Hunter: World.
RELATED: Games After Horizon Forbidden West Need a New Approach to Traps
Horizon Could Model Its Item UI After Monster Hunter and Skyrim
The Radial Wheel might not be the easiest mechanism to come to grips with, but once the somewhat steep learning curve is overcome, it is infinitely better than the rudimentary item slot of Horizon Forbidden West. Monster Hunter: World is stacked with a wide variety of weaponry, and Capcom came up with a strategy to ensure efficient storage - allowing gamers to categorize items. Capcom provided players with an Item Box and an Item Pouch for their travels in Monster Hunter: World. The Item Box was intended for long-term storage and was only available in defined locations on the map.
The Item Pouch, as the name implies, was made for players to carry around with them, so players could select the items they deemed essential to use in battles. The game also uses customizable Item Wheels, which allowed item categorization according to a player’s favorite weapon choices in Monster Hunter: World. On the other hand, Horizon Forbidden West disappointingly maintained the UI from its prequel, an outdated feature in comparison to some the highest quality AAA games on offer.
In the case of Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, Bethesda made perhaps the smoothest item management system in recent memory. Instead of using an Item Pouch like Monster Hunter: World - a mechanism that required a learning curve - Skyrim employed an inventory system that let players sort items by weight, value, and type, designing an easily-navigated interface to match. Additionally, Bethesda allowed players to assign items to hotkeys, making switching between items and weapons more convenient. Skyrim’s inventory system came with a weight-limit caveat, so gamers had to be mindful of the number of accessories they were carrying.
Horizon Forbidden West may have built on the successes of its predecessor, but its item management system still leaves a lot to be desired. Other games like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and Monster Hunter: World provide valuable insight for Guerrilla Games on how to improve item management ahead of Horizon Call of The Mountain’s release, as well as the expected Horizon 3. By taking inspiration from these other games and implementing similar features, Guerilla Games can make Horizon’s item management system more accessible and user-friendly for all players.
Horizon Forbidden West is available now for PS4 and PS5.
MORE: Horizon Forbidden West: The Case For a Survival Spin-Off
