Horizon Forbidden West: How to throw rocks

A crucial skill to make use of when hunting machines is learning how to throw rocks in Horizon Forbidden West. You’ll be introduced to the mechanic during the tutorial stages, but the game doesn’t make it clear how to repeat the action. Consider this guide a quick refresher on how to throw a rock in Horizon Forbidden West so you can distract the mechanical menaces.

How to throw rocks in Horizon Forbidden West

To throw rocks in Horizon Forbidden West, you need to tap down on the D-Pad while the Rock item is in your tool slot. At the start of the game, Rock is the only item you’ll have available in the slot, but it won’t be long before you start crafting traps, potions and other items that clog up the bar.

You can cycle through your tool menu using left and right on the D-Pad. Swap through the items there until you reach Rock, visible in the bottom left corner of the screen as shown above. Once the item is selected, you can then aim freely to prepare to throw a rock. You’ll see the projected path of the rock appear on screen, letting you know how far Aloy will toss it. When you’re ready, press R2 to heft away! Make sure you throw it away or past your hiding spot so that your target machine remains unaware as you sneak up close to them for a Silent Strike.

Here are the steps required to throw rocks, covered in brief:

• Swap to Rock in bottom left menu using D-Pad left and right.
• Press D-Pad down to equip a rock to throw.
• Press R2 to throw the rock.

You can find rocks along most paths in Horizon Forbidden West. Just look for the small clumps of darker stone on the ground. Approach and Aloy can pick them up by pressing Triangle. They aren't easy to spot from afar, but a quick scan with the focus (R3) will reveal any you can pick up nearby.

Learning how to throw rocks in Horizon Forbidden West is simple, but it’s taught so briefly that it’s all too easy for players to forget within ten minutes of playing. If you’re ever caught short trying to distract a machine, feel free to drop back here for another quick refresher on how to throw a rock! For more useful inputs, check out our full controls guide for Horizon Forbidden West or learn how to save so you never lose your progress!

Henry Stenhouse

Associate Editor

Henry Stenhouse serves an eternal punishment as the Associate Editor of AllGamers. He spent his younger life studying the laws of physics, even going so far as to complete a PhD in the subject before video games stole his soul. Confess your love of Super Smash Bros. via email at henry@moonrock.biz, or catch him on Twitter.