How to increase max health in Horizon Forbidden West

Upgrades such as maximum health in Horizon Forbidden West can get confusing, especially with all of the systems within the game. Some stats are tied to skills, some are tied to armor, and others are acquired as players explore and level Aloy.

Machines in the Forbidden West will hit hard, especially as players continue to progress through the map. It makes having a higher health pool important if players plan on surviving attacks against the larger machines. But unlike many of the other upgrades, there is really only one way that players can increase maximum health, and it's tied to XP.

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Players can increase maximum health in Horizon Forbidden West by earning more XP points

Max health is crucial for survival. (Image via PlayStation)

When Horizon Forbidden West begins, players will have a Max Health of 200. Regardless of the difficulty that players choose, the starting health pool will remain the same until more is earned. The max health's stats themselves are directly tied to the level that the player has. It's entirely possible to gain some experience in the first mission of Forbidden West and earn some more health.

Each level that players gain with Aloy will provide another 10 points of health added to the full pool. That means anyone who is at level 30 in Horizon Forbidden West will have exactly 500 health points. Of course, that level can continue to increase as players earn more XP, but regardless of their rank, the added health bonus will always be 10.

Earning XP itself is just a matter of time and can be done quickly depending on the activity. Main quests will always be a fantastic way to earn more levels, but that's not the only way. Taking out large machines, like a Thunderjaw for example, can provide huge XP bonuses. When players take out multiple large machines, the levels go up quickly.

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Maximum health can be temporarily increased in Horizon Forbidden West by eating potions and food

There is another way that players can increase their maximum health and does not require any levels, albeit it's temporary in nature. For temporary boosts, players should look towards consumables such as potions and food. Both of these have powerful benefits including a boost to maximum health.

Any time health potions and most food buffs are used, Aloy will be given additional health that turns the bar red. That health acts as a shield that can't be healed back up unless players use another buff. The right potions and buffs can easily give Aloy a 300 point or higher bump in health in Horizon Forbidden West.