Horizon Forbidden West’s map size has been revealed

Excited about the new release? Here’s everything you need to know about the scale of its open world

We answer all your burning questions, including how it compares to ‘Skyrim’ (The Independent)

The release of Horizon Forbidden West (£69.99, Amazon.co.uk) has been eagerly anticipated since news of its existence was first announced in June 2020. And luckily, it’s available to play now.

The action role-playing game continues on from Zero Dawn. The story follows Aloy on her quest through the post-apocalyptic United States to discover the cause of a deadly plague.

Interested to see what gameplay is like? Our gaming writer Jasper Pickering reviewed the release and noted that the developers’ “post-apocalyptic marriage of technology and nature” creates “a beautifully realised vision of a world desperate for rebirth”.

Taking “great leaps in its visual and story presentation”, Pickering noted that “without question, Forbidden West is certainly one of the best-looking games currently available on the PS5.”

The beauty of an open-world game is in its map. And where Horizon Forbidden West is concerned, the map has had an upgrade from its predecessor, Zero Dawn.

Read more:

• Horizon Forbidden West review: One of the best-looking games
• Elden Ring release date, pre-order news and everything we know
• Dying Light review: Zombie survival makes confident leaps

How big is the ‘Horizon Forbidden West’ map?

(Guerrilla Games)

When discussing the game, Mathijs de Jonge, Horizon Forbidden West’s game director, said: “The map is a little bit bigger, but in general, we’ve really looked at increasing the density, and adding more content.”

The map is based on real locations and is split into four main areas – starting in The Daunt (Yosemite Valley) and finishing in The Long Coast (San Francisco Bay Area).

When you first begin, areas of the map are covered by fog, but as you progress, more regions are revealed. Our gaming writer Jasper Pickering did share a tip though – if you climb a “tallneck” (a large robot dinosaur), you are able to scan the local area to reveal areas of interest.

In terms of its size, the map is approximately five miles, making it a little larger than Zero Dawn, and it has plenty more to discover, with Pickering praising the “variation in the local fauna and new creatures, such as giant snapping turtles and elephants”.

Is ‘Horizon Forbidden West’ map bigger than ‘Skyrim’?

Skyrim is often used as a reference point when it comes to comparing open-world games and their sizes. Skyrim has more than 300 hours of gameplay, while the average playthrough for Horizon Forbidden West is around 40 hours. In terms of map size, Skyrim’s map is around 15 miles, while the Forbidden West’s is approximately 5. So clearly Skyrim has the upper hand here.

If you want to play Horizon Forbidden West (£69.99, Amazon.co.uk), it’s available to buy now.

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Looking to learn more about the game? Read our review of ‘Horizon Forbidden West’