As players begin exploring the vast open-world in Horizon Forbidden West, they’ll quickly find that some markers on the map lead to secrets that require additional tools that Aloy doesn’t have yet. Luckily, she audibly remarks whenever the player is trying to access areas without the proper equipment, but roadblocks like that make players wonder when they’ll ever be able to gain access to the secrets.
There are four essential tools that Aloy can add to her arsenal throughout Horizon Forbidden West, opening up even more secret locations. Given how big Forbidden West is, however, it’ll take some time for players to progress far enough to unlock them all. That said, all four are unlocked through making progress in the game’s main questline so anyone looking for them should get them soon enough.
We warned, mild spoilers for Horizon Forbidden West‘s main questline below!
More Horizon Forbidden West guides:
Explorer and Guided Mode Explained | Horizon Forbidden West Difficulty Trophies | ‘Reached the Daunt’ Trophy Guide | How to Get God of War Face Paint | Best Skills to Get First | Relic Ruins Locations and Puzzle Solutions | How to Upgrade the Resource Pouch | All Tallneck Locations | All Signal Lens Locations | How to Get the Flying Mount | All Machine Locations | Legendary Weapons Locations | How to See Items Without Scanning the Focus
All Tool Locations
Pullcaster Location
The Pullcaster is the first tool that Aloy makes. It can be used as a grappling hook/hookshot, zipping her to hard-to-reach ledges and making certain climbing sections a breeze. Additionally, the Pullcaster can be used to drag crates towards Aloy and open sealed vents and destructible walls. It’s obtained during the tutorial in the mission “Reach for the Stars” and isn’t missable.
Igniter Location
The Igniter allows Aloy to light the red crystal Firegleam on fire to make it explode, opening up new paths and secrets across the world. It becomes an essential part of puzzle-solving as the game goes on and is crafted relatively early on. The player gets access to it during the “Death’s Door” mission of the game.
Vinecutter Location
Similar to the Igniter, the Vinecutter clears away vines that block Aloy’s path and revealing secrets and puzzle solutions. The player acquires it around the halfway point in the game during the main quest mission “Seeds of the Past.”
Diving Mask Location
Swiming is a mechanic introduced in Horizon Forbidden West that allows the game to make new, underwater pathways for Aloy to explore. Unfortunately, she has a limited amount of breath, but the Diving Mask fixes that, allowing her to spend more time beneath the surface. The Diving Mask is obtained at a similar time to the Vinecutter around the halfway point during the mission “The Sea of Sands.”
