In Horizon Forbidden West, players embark on an exhilarating journey where they encounter a wide array of machines, from fearsome predators to towering robotic wonders. One of the core gameplay mechanics revolves around salvaging machine components, which serve vital roles in crafting, upgrading gear, and trade. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the key types of salvageable components found within the game and their various uses:

Types of Salvageable Machine Components

1. Hearts:
– Description: These are central components of machines and are often required to override and gain control over them.
– Utility: Hearts not only play a crucial role in the storyline, allowing players to tame hostile machines, but they also provide strategic advantages in combat.

2. Lenses:
– Description: These components are primarily used to enhance Aloy’s vision, contributing to her focus abilities.
– Utility: Lenses are essential for crafting various items and improving Aloy’s perception in battle, helping her plan and execute strategies effectively.

3. Weapons and Combat Parts:
– Description: Specific machine parts, such as the Storm Cannon harvested from the Stormbird, can be detached for use.
– Utility: These parts are crucial for upgrading Aloy’s weapons and armor, including notable gear like the Utaru Protector outfit and weapons such as The Final Chapter and Wings of the Ten.

4. Special Components from Apex Machines:
– Description: Apex machines represent tougher, more formidable variants that drop exclusive components, including Apex Hearts.
– Utility: Apex Hearts are exceptionally valuable, not only enabling significant upgrades for advanced gear but also offering a lucrative trade option (selling for 133 shards each).

5. Other Valuable Parts:
– Description: Many machines yield unique components, such as the Rollerback Hammer Tail, Widemaw Tusk, Sac Webbing, Stealth Generators, Scanning Ears, and Tremortusk components.
– Utility: These parts serve as crafting materials, facilitating upgrades to equipment or allowing players to trade for in-game currency (shards).

Uses of Machine Components

– Crafting:
– Players can utilize the salvaged machine parts to create ammunition, traps, potions, and to upgrade weapons and armor. The variety in components allows for diverse crafting recipes, where rarer items enable higher-level upgrades, enhancing Aloy’s effectiveness in combat.

– Trading:
– Salvaged machine components can be sold to merchants scattered throughout the game world. The value of these components varies; rarer parts can yield a substantial amount of shards, serving as an important source of income for players looking to acquire new gear or stock up on supplies.

– Upgrading Gear:
– Specific machine parts, like detachable combat components and Apex Hearts, are vital for improving weapons and armor. This upgrade path not only boosts Aloy’s combat capabilities but also helps her adapt to more challenging foes encountered during the journey.

Conclusion

In Horizon Forbidden West, the act of salvaging machine parts is not just a mechanic but a critical component of the gameplay experience. By collecting hearts, lenses, weapon components, and rare Apex parts, players can significantly enhance Aloy’s skills and gear, optimize strategies, and progress through the game efficiently. This intricate system of crafting, trading, and upgrading creates a rich gameplay loop that encourages exploration and engagement with the vast world and its mechanical inhabitants. Whether for crafting, trading, or upgrading gear, the importance of machine components cannot be overstated, positioning them as fundamental to mastering the art of survival in the wilds of the Forbidden West.