In addition to the new main story campaign, the Burning Shores DLC expansion pack also brings some new side missions to Horizon Forbidden West. One of these side quests is called Friends in the Dark and sees Aloy reunite with an old friend from the frozen wilderness. It was a brief but pleasant encounter with considerable rewards.
Before players can start Friends in the Dark, they first need to complete the Murmuring Hollow Relic Ruins puzzle, then open the door next to where they picked up the decorations. This will lead Aloy to meet her old friend Gildun, who she asks for her help in rescuing digging partner Olvar trapped deep below.
Friends in Dark Portal Code #1
Going down the tunnel for a short while, the player will eventually come to a locked door. For those in a hurry, the three-digit code required to unlock the first door is 117. Players can find out for themselves by going back into the tunnel a bit and then using Aloy’s focus to scan the purple data points ahead of them. It’s hard to miss because it’s right in front of the player as they approach the first left turn.
Friends in Dark Portal Code #2
After opening the door, the player should walk down the stairs into the large cave. They’ll notice a ledge ahead, but before they can get to it, they’ll first need to find themselves a crate. Thankfully, it’s fairly simple, players just have to ask Gildun to help them push a nearby railcar. They can then pull the crate up the rocky slope and use it to reach the upper area.
From here, the player needs to enter the room to the left of the locked door and use the Pullcaster to remove the blue grille and access the vent. This will allow them to get to the other side of the rail car, at which point they should use the nearby yellow beam to get to the other side of the cave. Here, they should scan the purple data point for the next door code (1247), then use the pull casters on the blue grille near the ledge to reveal the yellow wheels that control the elevator.
Now that the player has mastered using the elevator, it’s time to take Gildun to the second floor. Once he’s there, the player should go back to the rail car and push it forward with him. Then it’s just a simple case of descending back to the first floor and pulling the previous crate into the elevator, at which point Gildun will turn the wheels and transport the crate and Aloy to the second floor.
Players should make sure to explore all side chambers of the main cave. Many of these contain Brimshine, which is required to purchase and upgrade some of the expansion’s best weapons.
Players can now push boxes next to railcars and use them to climb onto the roof. From there they can jump to the area above the locked door, where they need to hold down the R2 button to ignite some Firegleam crystals. On the other side of this wall, players will find Ron’s spare key module and a Deathbringer gun. They’ll want to pick up both, and use the latter to take down the waves of Burrowers now appearing at their feet.
After all the Burrowers are resolved, the player can finally open the door, using both the key module they just picked up and the previous combination. For those who have forgotten, the second door code for Friends in the Dark is 1247. After scanning the data points on the other side of the door, the player should use the Pullcaster to remove the blue grille, then walk through the vent to find Orva.
Should Aloy tell Gildun the truth about Olvar?
Upon entering the room, the player will find Orva’s body. Examination of the body reveals that he stole Gilton’s mirror, which reaffirms Aloy’s suspicion that Alva doesn’t actually like Gilton that much. After crawling back from the vent, the player will be asked to choose whether to tell Gildun the truth, encourage him to figure things out on his own, or let him continue to believe that Olvar really cares about him.
Although the resulting dialog will vary depending on the options the player chooses, it doesn’t matter what the player decides to do. Whatever they choose, Aloy gives Gildun Focus and introduces him to Gaia, who seems less concerned about Gildun’s overzealousness than the others. In return, Gildun will give Aloy the Last Argument: a legendary Spike Thrower capable of dealing some serious damage to the machine. Players will also earn 13,650 XP and two skill points for solving their troubles.
Horizon Forbidden West is out now on PS4 and PS5.