Horizon Forbidden West arrived earlier this year and gave us another opportunity to hang out with Aloy and hunt robot dinosaurs in an even bigger and richer world. The good thing about Forbidden West is that unlike the other big early 2022 release – Elden Ring – it offers a great selection of difficulty levels and a wide range of accessibility options.
In addition to the standard difficulty selection, Horizon Forbidden West also brings two different modes for “Quest Pathfinding” and “Waypoint Pathfinding.” You have the choice between two settings – “Explorer” and “Guided” – which each provide a unique experience.
Difference Between Explorer and Guided Difficulty in Horizon Forbidden West
The Explorer and Guided settings have some similarities, but there are a few variables to consider when determining which pathfinding mode in Horizon Forbidden West is the best for you. Let’s examine both modes first.
What is Explorer Mode in Horizon Forbidden West?
Choosing “Explorer” ensures the experience with the fewest distractions. When you opt to be an explorer, the game’s HUD will be substantially decreased, forcing you to find objectives and waypoints on your own, relying solely on your explorer spirit. You will have to memorize the world using only your eyes and the information accessible to you from NPCs without any further assistance.
Prepare to spend substantially more time in the game because this mode guarantees a lot of aimless wandering around the map, but it still provides an entirely distinct experience and the opportunity to soak up the beautiful environment without relying on navigation and the HUD.
What is Guided Mode Horizon Forbidden West?
The “Guided” option represents a common navigation approach found in many other open-world games. When you set the quest or waypoint pathfinding to this, you will get clear instructions in the HUD and on the map showing you where to go and how to get there by the ideal route. There is minimal likelihood that you will miss anything if you use this mode, so with the “Explorer” setting, you will save time and make much faster and more complete progress.
Of course, you are free to experiment with different combinations of these settings and adjust the game to best suit the experience you are looking for. Let’s say you want to know the locations of quests, but you want to find your own way to get to the starting locations. Set quest pathfinding to guided and waypoint pathfinding to explorer.
Now that you understand the differences between these settings, you may pick which mode to begin your journey in, and even change it later on the go. Also, as you gain experience and get to know the game better, there are many additional higher-difficulty settings that can bring even greater challenges in the dangerous world of Forbidden West.
For more Horizon Forbidden West help, check out our guide on how to breathe underwater.
