Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition Maps & Locations Guide: Every Area Covered

Q: What is included in the Complete Edition?

The base Horizon Forbidden West game plus the Burning Shores expansion, released together on PC on 21 March 2024. There is no separate Burning Shores purchase needed on PC.

Q: Should I play Horizon Zero Dawn first?

Yes if you care about the story. Forbidden West picks up after the first game and assumes you know its cast and setup. The systems carry over too, so the first game doubles as a tutorial for scanning, tearing and elemental play.

Q: How does the PC port run?

Nixxes handled the conversion and the feature list is thorough: DLSS 3, FSR, XeSS, DLAA, unlocked framerate, DirectStorage, ultrawide up to 48:9, full mouse and keyboard rebinding and Steam Input controller support. Presets run from very low to very high to cover older hardware.

Q: What is new compared to the first game's combat?

Underwater traversal and combat, the Shieldwing glider, Valor Surges as chargeable ultimates, six skill trees instead of three, and a wider weapon list including the Shredder Gauntlet, Spike Thrower and Boltblaster. Machines are larger and more varied, headed by the Tremortusk, Slitherfang and Slaughterspine.

Q: Is Burning Shores worth playing right away?

You cannot. It unlocks only after the main campaign, and it raises the level cap from 50 to 60 while introducing apex machines tuned for a finished build. Treat it as the endgame rather than a side trip.

Complete Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition maps and locations guide. Every area with difficulty, rewards, progression order, and what to do in each zone.

EarlyGuides Editorial Team

Researched and editorially reviewed. Updated August 12, 2026.

Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition is the PC version of Guerrilla's 2022 sequel, ported by Nixxes and released on Steam and the Epic Games Store on 21 March 2024 with the Burning Shores expansion included. This is a different game from Horizon Zero Dawn: Aloy travels west into drowned and buried stretches of old America where Tenakth clans, Utaru farmers, Oseram forge towns and the newly arrived Quen all hold ground, and machines such as the Tremortusk, Slitherfang and Slaughterspine set the ceiling for what a fight can throw at you. The PC build adds DLSS 3, FSR, XeSS and DLAA support, an unlocked framerate, DirectStorage, ultrawide up to 48:9, and graphics presets from very low to very high.

Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition features distinct areas with increasing difficulty. This guide covers every major location in progression order: what to do, what to get, and when to move on. For the step-by-step path, see our walkthrough.

Area Progression Order

Order	Location	Difficulty	Key Rewards	Recommended Role
1	Chainscrape	Roughly levels 5 to 10	First real merchant access, early weapon upgrades, side quests that hand out skill points	Warrior Melee Brave
2	Barren Light	Roughly levels 8 to 14	Tenakth gear introduction, gateway to the wider Forbidden West map	Warrior Melee Brave
3	Plainsong	Roughly levels 15 to 22	Herbalist supplies, cooking recipes for permanent health and stamina bonuses, mid-game weapon tiers	Hunter Sharpshooter
4	The Memorial Grove	Roughly levels 20 to 30	Arena medals traded for exclusive weapons and outfits, plus repeatable machine practice	Hunter Sharpshooter
5	Legacy's Landfall	Post-campaign, around level 40 and up; the level cap rises from 50 to 60 with the expansion	Burning Shores weapons and outfits, new machines including the Bilegut and Waterwing, and the expansion's apex encounters	Hunter Sharpshooter

Chainscrape: Starting Area

An Oseram mining settlement and the first major town Aloy reaches, built and maintained by Oseram hands. It sets the template for later settlements with a hunting goods merchant, a workbench and stash access.

Attribute	Detail
Difficulty	Roughly levels 5 to 10
Key Rewards	First real merchant access, early weapon upgrades, side quests that hand out skill points
Recommended Role	Warrior Melee Brave
Key Weapons	Hunter Bow

What to Do Here

Learn the basics of Focus scanning and weak points. This is where you practice without heavy punishment.
Collect starting resources and your first weapons upgrade.
Clear all main content before moving to Barren Light.
If you're struggling, read our beginner's guide.

Barren Light: Early Game

The border fort controlling entry into Tenakth territory, filling the same structural role that Daytower did in Horizon Zero Dawn. Reaching it marks the point where machine difficulty steps up sharply.

Attribute	Detail
Difficulty	Roughly levels 8 to 14
Key Rewards	Tenakth gear introduction, gateway to the wider Forbidden West map
Recommended Role	Warrior Melee Brave
Key Weapons	Hunter Bow

What to Do Here

Focus on mastering elemental status buildup. It's critical from this point on.
Farm for Hunter Bow if you don't have it yet.
Complete all objectives for maximum rewards.
Prepare for the difficulty spike in Plainsong.

Plainsong: Mid Game

A Utaru settlement built around cultivated land, offering a hunting goods merchant, an herbalist, a workbench, a cook and stash access. Scalding Spear sits directly west of it, so the pair make a convenient supply loop.

Attribute	Detail
Difficulty	Roughly levels 15 to 22
Key Rewards	Herbalist supplies, cooking recipes for permanent health and stamina bonuses, mid-game weapon tiers
Recommended Role	Hunter Sharpshooter
Key Weapons	Hunter Bow

What to Do Here

This is the main skill check. Bring an optimized build.
Sharpshot Bow becomes accessible here. Prioritize getting it.
Master Valor Surges for the boss encounters.
Check our boss guide if you get stuck.

The Memorial Grove: Late Game

The Tenakth site holding the Maw of the Arena, where you fight machine encounters under fixed rules for arena medals. It is optional content but the reward track is one of the better gear sources in the mid game.

Attribute	Detail
Difficulty	Roughly levels 20 to 30
Key Rewards	Arena medals traded for exclusive weapons and outfits, plus repeatable machine practice
Recommended Role	Hunter Sharpshooter
Key Weapons	Sharpshot Bow

What to Do Here

Full build optimization is expected by this point.
Sharpshot Bow should be your primary, fully upgraded.
Cauldron overrides mastery starts mattering here.
Farm resources for the push into Legacy's Landfall.

Legacy's Landfall: Endgame

The main settlement of the Burning Shores expansion, set on the drowned remains of the Los Angeles coast. The expansion is included in the Complete Edition but only unlocks after you finish the base game's main story.

Attribute	Detail
Difficulty	Post-campaign, around level 40 and up; the level cap rises from 50 to 60 with the expansion
Key Rewards	Burning Shores weapons and outfits, new machines including the Bilegut and Waterwing, and the expansion's apex encounters
Recommended Role	Hunter Sharpshooter
Key Weapons	Sharpshot Bow

What to Do Here

This is endgame. Best-in-slot gear and a perfected build are mandatory.
See our boss guide for endgame fight strategies.
The reward loop: clear content → upgrade → push harder content.
Experiment with Machine Master for variety once you've mastered the meta.

Exploration Tips

Clear areas in order: Chainscrape → Barren Light → Plainsong → The Memorial Grove → Legacy's Landfall. Skipping areas means missing resources you'll need later.
Check every corner: Hidden caches and secrets are often in non-obvious locations.
Match your weapons: Some areas favor different weapons types.
Read the walkthrough: Our walkthrough provides exact progression milestones for each area.
Don't rush: Clearing an area fully gives more resources than speedrunning two areas.

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