Horizon Forbidden West nerfs didn't stop this player from three-shotting a Thunderjaw

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Aloy is still a force to be reckoned with

Screenshots from Horizon Forbidden West running on PS5
(Image credit: Sony)

Horizon Forbidden West's legendary weapons may be nerfed, but that doesn't mean you can't still take down a Thunderjaw in three shots.

Ammo is a valuable resource in Horizon Forbidden West, and battles with some of the game's fiercer enemies can see you massively run down your supply. But highly powered weaponry and accurate shots can cause even the most formidable foes to quickly fall, as demonstrated by DewyMossEmpire on the game's subreddit page.

The Reddit user's video shows them destroy a fearsome Thunderjaw in only three strikes. It looks like DewyMossEmpire uses a spike thrower, presumably souped-up with weapon coils, to infuse it with additional damage. Their shots are also incredibly exact, as the player manages to strike the towering mechanical beast right where it hurts, the glowy weak points on its head.

annoying_crying_nerds_boohoo_weapons_got_nerfed from r/horizon

DewyMossEmpire clarified that the feat was achieved on Horizon Forbidden West's hard difficulty setting, sharing another video that shows the selected difficulty before the battle begins.

There's been a lot of debate around Guerrilla Games' recent decision to reduce the effectiveness of many of Horizon's legendary weapons, with some taking to the video's comments to express their dissatisfaction. "I'm just glad I finished the game before the last patch," says one viewer. "I just don't feel the nerfed stats are worth the insane grind over epic weapons now", says another.

But not everybody is saddened by the changes to the legendary weapons, including HiFiMAN3878, who commented, "The Legendaries were nerfed by like...5%. It's pretty inconsequential to gameplay. The effectiveness of the weapons before and after the nerfs are not really significantly changed."

And as the video demonstrates, with the right use of gear and abilities, Aloy can still cause extreme damage to Horizon's mighty mechanical beasts.

Last week Guerrilla released the Horizon Forbidden West 1.09 patch, which reduces the game's loading screens.

Aloy's surroundings are a wonderful blend of past and present. Learn how the remnants of the old world in Horizon Forbidden West awakens a sense of wonder. 

Anne-Marie Coyle
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and Games Radar. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.