How to enable Easy Loot in Horizon Forbidden West

Horizon Forbidden West dropped on February 18. (Image via Guerilla Games)
Horizon Forbidden West dropped on February 18. (Image via Guerilla Games)

Horizon Forbidden West is a certified hit, just like its iconic predecessor was before it. Since the first game was launched five years ago, the expansive open-world and unique robotic enemy design have stuck with fans.

Like any massive triple-A game, there are an absurd amount of options to ensure every player can customize their experience. Crafting is a huge part of the game, and this setting can make it much easier to get crucial items.


Easy loot in Horizon Forbidden West

Easy loot mode in the menu. (Image captured by Horizon Forbidden West)
Easy loot mode in the menu. (Image captured by Horizon Forbidden West)

Horizon Forbidden West's Easy Loot mode is located in the Settings menu under the General tab. Pause the game, select settings, then general, then set the difficulty to custom.

By setting a custom difficulty, players can change the challenges of their experience through a variety of options. Easy Loot mode is a binary on and off.

Easy Loot can be turned on without changing the difficulty of any other part of the game. Those who still want a maximum challenge in the game's combat while reducing the difficulty afterward can do so easily. Setting custom difficulty is an option that is perfect for any player.


What does Easy Loot mode do in Horizon Forbidden West?

In the game's default difficulty settings, enemies must be attacked in specific ways to get the most loot. Easy Loot mode turns off this extra challenge and guarantees players get the most out of every kill.

Much like a Monster Hunter title, Guerilla's new game requires targeting weak points to break off enemy parts. If the player slays an enemy without first breaking its best parts, Aloy is unable to retrieve those pieces. On normal difficulty, players must specifically target small weak points to earn valuable crafting items.

Crafting is a huge part of the game, and the key to most improvements. Most of the game's achievements require some specific crafting improvements to Aloy's weapons and tools. Some items are much harder to get than others, but Easy Loot equalizes all possessions.

A variety of the game's best items can't be crafted without help from specific pieces of monsters. Targeting specific external parts of deadly robotic creatures is a significant challenge. With Easy Loot mode, everything on an enemy is available to loot from its corpse.

Horizon Forbidden West's mixed-and-match approach to difficulty is a brilliant accessibility option. More games should allow players to customize around elements they struggle with.