Aloy is bound to get battered eventually thanks to all the machines she faces, meaning it’s important to learn how to heal in Horizon Forbidden West. The system for healing has changed since Zero Dawn, though the broad strokes remain roughly the same. In this guide we’ll outline all the methods for how to heal in Horizon Forbidden West so you can keep that health bar topped up at all times.
How to heal in Horizon Forbidden West
© Guerrilla Games
You can heal in Horizon Forbidden West by tapping up on the D-Pad. This will consume one instance of any healing reserves you’ve stored up. The heal is fast but not instant, meaning you’ll need to get some distance from your foes before activating it.
This main method of healing relies on you collected medicinal plants which are scattered frequently across the map. Look for blue plants like Medicinal Skybrush in the Daunt. You can find these plants rapidly with a quick scan of your Focus (R3). It’ll highlight all resources in your area, including medicinal plants.
Aloy can store up to ten charges of healing plants, as shown in the bottom left corner of the screen. Any more plants you collect will be sent to your stash, though healing items are one of the few you won’t need to return to a stash box to obtain. If you run out of healing plant charge, you can hold up on the D-Pad to refill your supplies after a brief delay.
© Guerrilla Games
You can also heal in Horizon Forbidden West more rapidly using potions. Potions heal large chunks of health in a single use, but you’ll need to craft them using collected resources out of combat. Aloy can access potions she’s crafted from her item list by pressing left and right on the D-Pad. When the potion (shown by a red flask icon) is selected, press down on the D-Pad to drink the potion.
Finally, when hit to critically low health, Aloy will heal a small chunk automatically after a brief delay. This isn’t a great method to rely upon, but it will ensure that you’re not left exploring on a miniscule amount of health after a tough fight.
You can boost all of Horizon Forbidden West’s healing methods via the game’s Survivalist skill tree. You can also upgrade Aloy’s pouches at any workbench to store more potions.
That’s all there is to know about how to heal in Horizon Forbidden West. For more useful inputs, take a look at our full controls guide for PS4 and PS5 or head to our Forbidden West hub page to see all the guides we’ve produced.
