Anyone that has completed the main story in Horizon Forbidden West knows that Aloy is no stranger to the water and she even ends up getting equipment specifically for diving. For some players, diving into the unknown can be off-putting to say the least, and that’s where the new Thalassophobia mode comes in.
Along with the launch of the Burning Shores DLC for the game, some fresh accessibility and performance settings were added to the game to help players with the base experience. Our guide will cover exactly what the Thalassophobia accessibility setting does and how it looks within the latest Horizon Forbidden West patch.
Horizon Forbidden West – What Does Thalassophobia Mode Do?
The mode in question is an accessibility setting for the game, which means a way for players to tune their own playthrough to make the experience more manageable. For players who have Thalassophobia, diving deep into the water, which is murky most of the time, can be too much to ask. This new setting helps reduce some of the “murky” aspects of the water in Horizon.
When this setting is enabled, Aloy will swim as she usually does, but the overall area will be a bit more bright. If you look down at the ocean floor, or the bottom of where you’re swimming, you’ll notice that there is a constant scan from the focus that highlights all the objects in the area. It’s subtle and it allows everything in the water to have a slight glow.
Related: Horizon Forbidden West: 1.21 Patch Notes Listed
Thalassophobia mode in Horizon Forbidden West will also give Aloy unlimited oxygen underwater, so players won’t have to worry about drowning at any point. I can tell you in my own experience, trying not to drown in the early caves is scary enough without any angry crocodile robots in the area. Hopefully now every player will feel fine swimming around the warm waters of the Burning Shores this month.
