Guerrilla Games leaned into the RPG genre even more with its recently releasedHorizon Forbidden West, compared to its PS4 and PC predecessor. While the series’ first entry admittedly employed RPG mechanics, the overhauling of the sequel’s skill treeson the PS4 and PS5is the biggest indicator of the studio’s expanded efforts.
As a result of the shakeup, players can mold their version of Aloy into six distinct class-like builds. Each fundamentally alters the gameplay ofHorizon Forbidden Westin a number of ways, thanks to the unique play-styles they each promote. Despite seemingly being overlooked by many fans on the internet, the “Trapper” build stands out as being one of the best, thanks to advantages that can be gained from it on the battlefields of the post-apocalypse.
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The Trapper’s Best Skills
As the Trapper’s moniker suggests, the build’s skill tree is dominated by perksthat enhance Aloy’s abilityto create and place traps. Out of the 10 that can be purchased through leveling up, most offer some form of buff to the speed and capacity ofHorizon Forbidden West’s sneakiest weapons. The “Quick Trapper” and “Trap Limit” Passive Boosts are by far the most effective, due to how they enable the battlefield to quickly become overrun with explosives. It’s recommended that players take the “Resilient Trapper” perk for this scenario though, as it reduces the damage Aloy takes if she falls prey to her own traps.
Unlike a lot of the other builds that players can create inHorizon Forbidden West, the Trapper isn’t as much of a one-trick pony as its name suggests. Looking through the build’s tree, players will discover that Guerrilla has sprinkled in options that buff Aloy’s crafting and food-related skills as well. These can often come in handy during the game’s endgame missions due to their extended length and difficulty. The improved ‘Food Duration’ and ‘Nimble Crafter’ perks are particularly useful as they offer buffs to healing and crafting respectively, which canenable Aloy to stay on the front footfor longer.
In contrast toHorizon Zero Dawn’s “Forager” skill tree, which is where the Trapper originated, the new build’s perks have also been expanded even further to include several complementary concepts. Thanks to the “Penetrating Rope” and “Quick Wire” Weapon Techniques for example, players have the option to invest in abilities that make it easier for machines to be pinned-down and tripped up respectively. Both can come in handy when they’re combined with the “Elemental Fury” Valor Surge, which exponentiallyboosts all of Aloy’s elemental attacks.
The Trapper’s Best Gear
Like each ofHorizon Forbidden West’s build classes, Guerrilla has created several armor sets and weapons that compliment their core characteristics. For the former specifically, Trapper build players will want to keep aneye out for the Carjaoutfits that can be purchased from merchants throughout the world. These tend to offer buffs to Aloy’s pouch capacity and ability to scavenge materials.
In terms of class-specific “Weaves,” players can’t go wrong with the “Trap Limit” ones that expand ammo even more. Based on how preparation is key to any effective Trapper play-style though, “Low Profile” and “Quiet Movement” are excellent alternatives that can allow players to plan out better strategies.
When it comes to the Trapper build’s endgame armor options, players can’t go wrong with the “Carja Stalker Elite” set that can bebought from the Arena. Even though it will set them back 54 Medals, the effort required to unlock it is well worth it. In total the Legendary armor offers six 2x buffs for example, to skills such as “Trap Limit,” “SIlent Movement,” and “Quick Trapper.”
With resistances for most of the game’s elements also being part of the equation, a case can be made for it being one ofForbidden West’s best. Acquiring an additional 80 Medals is a sound bet for the build at this juncture too, as it’ll allow players to purchase the “Forgefall” Bow which meshes well with the Trapper’s Valor Surges.
While the Trapper’s focus is going to be on making sure there are plenty of traps on the battlefield at all times, one extra backup weapon can be put into the build to create extra versatility. Unlocking the “Perimeter Tripcaster” from the “Blood for Blood” quest is highly recommended, as it takes advantage of Aloy’s aforementioned “Quick Wire” perk. The “Draw Speed” Coil is a solid option for the weapon too, as itallows Aloy to quickly unleashmore traps, in situations when a machine is charging her down.
Horizon Forbidden Westis available now on PS4 and PS5.
