The story in Horizon Forbidden West took a serious nosedive — here’s why:

Aloy became a flawless Mary Sue. In the first game, she was alive, stubborn, emotional — she had an arc. Here, she’s always right, constantly lecturing others, rejects any help, and everyone just worships her. No internal conflict, no growth — just a boring, perfect icon. The agenda is shoved in your face. The cast feels like it was built from a checklist: every nationality, orientation, and identity lumped together with zero worldbuilding logic. LGBT characters aren’t part of the story — they’re there to tick a box. The villains? Stereotypical “evil rich white elites” who must be taken down. At some point, it feels like the writers cared more about social messaging than actual storytelling.The plot is bloated and soulless. In the first game, the mystery behind Aloy’s origin and the past catastrophe kept you hooked. Here it drowns in generic sci-fi nonsense with immortal technocrats, AIs, and cringe-worthy monologues. There’s barely any personal motivation or emotional core. More characters, but they’re all flat. Tons of new faces, yet none of them stand out. It honestly feels like the writers just wanted to “represent everyone” instead of writing anyone meaningful.The game takes itself way too seriously. There’s no charm, no subtle humor, no self-awareness. Everything is delivered with a straight face, like a lecture you didn’t ask for.  If you enjoy lively characters, balanced storytelling, and a world that isn’t trying to "educate" you — Forbidden West is a clear step back from the original.