This second installment in the post-apocalyptic series that began with 2017’s “Horizon Zero Dawn” presents players with a challenging mix of moral values demanding mature discernment. Its heroic protagonist (voice of Ashly Burch), a young hunter leading a band of companions in the 31st century across what used to be the western United States, strives to be upright. Yet, along with some advanced weapons and herds of mechanical animals, her primitive civilization has inherited from its more technologically accomplished, though ethically challenged, predecessor the products of human cloning — of which she herself is one. Together with the gore that appears as puffs of red mist, that element of its narrative makes this title safest for grown-ups, though it’s possibly acceptable for well-catechized older adolescents. Playable on Playstation 4 and Playstation 5. Mature themes, mostly stylized violence with some blood effects, occasional crude and crass language. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Entertainment Software Rating Board rating is T — teen.
Horizon Forbidden West
