In Horizon Forbidden West, Guerrilla Games is taking everything that made Horizon Zero Dawn so fantastic and improving on it. With new machines to fight and new ways to traverse the world, there are a lot of new mechanics to wrestle with in Aloy’s newest adventure. This also includes a new Horizon Forbidden West skill tree system.
Since her first outing, Aloy has become more capable and her abilities have only grown. This is reflected in an updated and expanded skill tree system. Horizon Zero Dawn veterans and fans of open-world games will find this a little familiar, but Guerrilla has built on the simplistic skill tree system from the first game to create something much more complex for Aloy’s newest outing.
With over 160 upgrades and abilities to unlock, there’s plenty of progression in the latest Horizon game – and that’s without considering getting your hands on the best Horizon Forbidden West weapons. Here’s everything you need to know about the options you’ll be faced with delving into the Horizon Forbidden West skill tree.
Horizon Forbidden West skill tree
Here’s what we know so far about the six Horizon Forbidden West skill tree upgrade paths available. Each skill tree contains two unlockable Valor Surge, hard-hitting Weapon Techniques, alongside passive skill boosts and new active abilities:
- Warrior skill tree
- Trapper skill tree
- Hunter skill tree
- Survivor skill tree
- Infiltrator skill tree
- Machine Master skill tree
Warrior skill tree
With 31 upgrades and abilities on offer, this is the largest of the six skill trees. It primarily focuses on damage boosts, melee attacks, and aggressive playstyles. If you like to get up close and personal, this is where you want to put your focus.
- Resonator Blast
- Nora Warrior
- Block Breaker
- Resonator Blast+
- Melee Damage
- Critical Strike+
- Energized Duration
- Resonator Damage
- Aerial Slash/Jump Off
- Power Attack+
- Spread Shot
- Resonator Buildup
- Melee Detonator
- Burst Fire
- Halmoon Slash
- The Destroyer
- Spinning Scythe
- Energy Surge
Trapper skill tree
This skill tree is the smallest one available, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Gadgets, traps, and mines are all going to be invaluable in the fight against the machines. If you’re looking to pre-plan your attacks, focusing on this skill tree should help.
- Quick Trapper
- Skilled Salvager
- Nimble Crafter
- Trap Limit
- Resilient Trapper
- Food Duration
- Quick Wire
- Penetrating Rope
Hunter skill tree
If you prefer to take on machines from a distance, the Hunter skill tree should be your first port of call with any upgrades. This skill tree focuses on ranged attacks and new ranged weapon techniques. With 29 upgrades and abilities to get to grips with, it’s worth spending some time unlocking what this skill tree has to offer.
- Concentration+
- Deep Concentration
- Concentration Regen
- High Volley
- Spread Blast
- Valor Surge Master
- Weapon Stamina+
- Stamina Regen
- Ammo Expert
- Heavy Weapon+
- Triple Notch
- Sustained Burst
- Workbench Expert
- Knockdown Shot
- Ultra Shot
Survivor skill tree
The Survivor skill tree does what it says on the tin, more or less – it’s all about Aloy’s survival in the harsh Forbidden West. This means you’ll find healing boosts and additional health upgrades here alongside upgrades for scavenging and crafting. This skill tree should be useful no matter what playstyle you opt for.
- Potent Medicine
- Low Health Regen
- Low Health Defense
- Bouncing Bomb
- Triple Shredder
- Potion Proficiency
- Medicine Capacity
- Valor On Impact
- Burst Dodge
- Shredder Mine
- Low Health Ranged
- Low Health Melee
- Sticky Bomb
- Plant Forager
- Power Shredder
Infiltrator skill tree
Sometimes, stealth is the best option and that’s why the Infiltrator skill tree is so important. With 27 upgrades and abilities on offer, all of which focus on stealth mechanics and surprise attacks, this is a skill tree worth checking out. Machines aren’t the only danger in the Forbidden West and it’s important to be prepared for whatever’s thrown at you.
- Silent Strike+
- Stealth Ranged+
- Stealth Tear+
- Silent Strike Heal
- Smoke Bomb Capacity
- Quiet Movement
- Low Profile
- Quick Spear
- Silent Strike Gain
- Braced Shot
- Double Notch
- Focused Shot
Machine Master skill tree
That being said, machines are a huge part of Horizon Forbidden West and the Machine Master skill tree is the best place to look for upgrades to Aloy’s Override mechanic and overridden machines themselves. If you need a helping hand in a fight, keeping an eye on the upgrades this 26-option skill tree offers is a good idea.
- Mounted Defense
- Lasting Override
- Machine Damage
- Spike Trap
- Propelled Spike
- Machine Health
- Heavy Lifter
- Efficient Repair
- Machine Elemental+
- Splitting Spike
- Override Subroutines
- Mounted Archer
That’s an overview of the Horizon Forbidden West skill tree. If you want to get clued up about the Forbidden West, why not check out our Horizon Forbidden West machines guide for the latest on all the new robots you’ll face out in the wild.