[CSSer]

I just picked up Forbidden West but haven't had a chance to play it much yet because of a big work push (no spoilers, please). I completely agree with basically everything here. The game is a blast so far but I'm not sure how they could top the first game so I've been trying to measure my expectations.

I was talking to a coworker about it and the first thing he asked me is, "What about all that amazing gear you get by the end of the first game?" which I think perfectly illustrates your point. They took Aloy to the top and although they managed to make it work so far it does feel a bit awkward, like they may have jumped the shark. But hey I'm just excited to have a cool game to decompress with. I guess in the end it's not that different than a sequel to a movie. People who loved the first will more or less come back to see the second.