One of the first new tools Aloy gains early in Horizon Forbidden West is the Pullcaster, a device which acts half as grappling hook for traversal and half as a pulling tool to open vents or drag crates. It has a unique control system that can be easy to forget, so in this guide we’ll quickly explain how to use the Pullcaster in Horizon Forbidden West, whatever your circumstances may be.
Horizon Forbidden West: How to use the Pullcaster
© Guerrilla Games
To use the Pullcaster in Horizon Forbidden West, first aim your bow or equipped weapon by holding L2. While aiming, tap Triangle to swap to the Pullcaster instead. Aloy will ready the tool, allowing you to throw it with R2.
The Pullcaster only works on very specific surfaces, however. You’ll need to look for metal grates made of a crisscrossed mesh, or large blue metal supports on beams. Any crates you need to drag, such as in The Daunt Relic Ruin, will be made of the former, making them easy to identify.
Entering your Focus scan mode by holding R3 will also allow you to identify anything that you Pullcaster can grab if you look at it. Aloy will also usually comment when you’re next to something that her Pullcaster could work on. When you aim at the correct place with the Pullcaster equipped, the crosshair will change into a tighter ring. If you miss your aim with it even slightly, Aloy might say that the device isn’t going to work, but that’s only because you weren’t aiming correctly.
© Guerrilla Games
You can also use the Pullcaster as a grappling hook during certain platforming segments or while traversing some areas of the map. Any Pullcaster grapply points will appear on your HUD as a circle. If you jump within range of the Pullcaster, you need to double tap X mid air to latch onto the point. If successful, you can zip over to the point and continue climbing. It’s also possible to leap upwards immediately after reaching the grapply point by tapping Square as you reach it.
Those are the only two methods to use the Pullcaster in Horizon Forbidden West. It’s a little fiddly at first and very easy to forget after you spend hours fighting machines out in the wild. If you ever need a recap, feel free to drop back here or browse our Forbidden West hub page for even more tips and tricks!
