Reach for the Stars is the 1st Main Story Quest in Horizon Forbidden West (HZFW). This walkthrough will guide you through all objectives of the Reach for the Stars main mission.
Starting Location: The Cut
Quest Giver: Varl (automatically triggered after initial cutscene)
Quest Level: Level 3
Requirement: Automatically triggered after initial cutscene
Reward: +500 XP
Mission Info: A long search has led Aloy to a mysterious ancient facility. Together with her friend Varl, she must comb through the ruins for a backup of GAIA – her last hope for repairing the terraforming system that can heal the world.
Objectives:
- Gather Medicinal Skybrush
- Eat the Medicinal Berries
- Go to the Ancient Ruins
- Examine the Machine Carcass
- Craft Arrows
- Go to the Ancient Ruins
- Find an Entrance to the Ancient Ruins – Scan the Machine (Optional)
- Find an Entrance to the Ancient Ruins – Kill the Machine (Optional)
- Find an Entrance to the Ancient Ruins
- Search the Ancient Ruins for a GAIA Backup
- Examine the Rubble in the Collapsed Wall
- Examine the Corpse
- Search the Camp for Parts to Repair the Tool
- Craft the Tool
- Clear the Rubble with the Pullcaster
- Scan the Area
- Use the Grapple Point
- Search the Ancient Ruins for a GAIA Backup
- Lower the Ladder
- Search the Ancient Ruins for a GAIA Backup
- Kill the Burrower with a Silent Strike
- Search the Ancient Ruins for a GAIA Backup
- Kill the Machines
- Search the Ancient Ruins for a GAIA Backup
- Examine the Console
- Talk to Varl
- Go to the Data Center
- Go to the Shuttle
- Search for the Shuttle Clamp Controls
- Climb up the Launch Tower
- Shoot the Shuttle Cable Connectors
- Kill the Machine – Destroy the Slitherfang’s Acid Sac
- Go to the Data Center
- Search the Data Center for a GAIA Backup
Starting Location: The Cut
Gather Medicinal Skybrush
Once you can control Aloy, make your way forward to the nearby berries of Medicinal Skybrush (violet flower). In order to proceed to the next objective, you only need three berries, but feel free to collect more.
Eat the Medicinal Berries
Simply press 
to eat the Medicinal Berries and heal up.
Go to the Ancient Ruins
Once you’ve grabbed enough Medicinal Berries, cross the river and climb up the ledge to reach a fork in the path.
Choose any direction to make your way forward. If you decide to zip-line your way down, make sure to search the small supply cache found under the start of the zip-line. Once you’ve zip-lined all the way down, continue on to the next waypoint.
Examine the Machine Carcass
You’ll eventually reach a wide, open area with some machine remnants. Approach the carcass to examine it. The machine was recently taken down.
Craft Arrows
Follow the on-screen prompts to craft some arrows. Hold 
to open the Weapon Wheel. Now, while holding , select the arrow slot and then hold 
to craft some arrows until you can’t craft any further. Before proceeding to the next waypoint, feel free to scout the area for resources.
Go to the Ancient Ruins
Aim at the red lock on the ladder opposite the machine carcass to release it, then climb it up to continue forward.
Find an Entrance to the Ancient Ruins – Scan the Machine (Optional)
In the next area, make your way forward until Aloy and Varl will hide in some red grass to avoid being spotted by a Burrower machine.
Now you’re given the option to study the machine. To do so, follow the on-screen prompts: use 
to activate Focus and study the machine, then use the d-pad to identify its weak spot (eye) and its elemental weakness (Fire). Additionally, you can use the D-pas arrow keys to switch through the different machine parts and identify those that are detachable, those that create explosions on impact etc.
Find an Entrance to the Ancient Ruins – Kill the Machine (Optional)
Once you’ve studied the Burrower, the game gives you the option to kill it. We suggest doing so to obtain parts and resources. Here you can choose to go the stealthy way or go for an on-target approach. If you choose the latter, we suggest aiming for its eye, which is its weak spot. After killing the Burrower, another one will appear. Up to you if you want to keep practicing or continue forward with the next objective.
Find an Entrance to the Ancient Ruins
Climb up the hill the second Burrower came from and shoot down the red lock from the ladder to release it. Climb it up and continue on the linear path to the left until you can crouch under some rocks. After crouching under the rocks, you should find a ladder you can push down to create a shortcut at the end of the path.
Then head to the right where a hologram receptionist awaits you.
Search the Ancient Ruins for a GAIA Backup
Approach the red door at the end of the entrance to pry it open.
Examine the Rubble in the Collapsed Wall
Once you’ve pried the door open, you’ll find yourself at a burning camp. Approach the rubble in the collapsed wall to examine it.
Examine the Corpse
Now, approach the corpse lying next to Varl.
Search the Camp for Parts to Repair the Tool
We need to repair the tool. Aloy’s Focus will have already scanned the parts we need (glowing purple triangles). Approach them to pick them up.
Craft the Tool
Now approach the workbench, as shown by Varl, to start crafting the tool we need. In the crafting screen, simply hold to craft the Pullcaster, a new tool introduced in Horizon Forbidden West.
Clear the Rubble with the Pullcaster
Now approach the fallen debris to clear the rubble with the Pullcaster. Follow the on-screen prompts to cast it (hold 
, tap 
, hold 
to throw and pull). In order to completely clear out the rubble, make sure you aim the Pullcaster at the rust on the blue parts. You need to do this twice, left and the right.
Scan the Area
In the next area, scan the area with your Focus for points of interest. Activate the console there and listen to the hologram. Then look up for a yellow piece of a broken ladder and scan that too.
Climb the Grapple
Now walk up the stone ramp. Jump off the ramp and the use while in midair to automatically grapple onto it.
Search the Ancient Ruins for a GAIA Backup
Continue up the ramps until you can find a second grapple for your Pullcaster. Then, follow the on-screen prompts to continue ( 
to sprint and double tap for long jump).
Lower the Ladder
Now we need to lower a ladder for Varl to rejoin us. Simply drop down and use to lower the ladder for Varl.
Search the Ancient Ruins for a GAIA Backup
Open the doors opposite the ladder and a cutscene will start. After regaining control of Aloy, continue through the next set of waypoints until you need to use your Pullcaster to pull down some rubble. Continue on.
Kill the Burrower with a Silent Strike
Follow the on-screen directions. First, study the Burrower’s path by activating the Focus and then 
. Then, equip a rock by pressing 
and throw it when Aloy says so. Make sure your rock lands near where you’re crouched, so you can easily approach and stealth-kill the Burrower with silent strike , without being spotted. Varl will stealth-kill the other Burrower in the area.
Search the Ancient Ruins for a GAIA Backup
After getting rid of the Burrower, continue on up the cliff.
Kill the Machines
Now that you’ve mastered the two main ways of killing machines, it’s up to you if you want to go for their weak points or for a silent strike takedown.
Search the Ancient Ruins for a GAIA Backup
Continue on to the next set of waypoints and make sure to search the Burrowers for parts and resources. Disarm the traps by shooting an arrow at them.
Inside the cave, Varl offers you to craft some Blast Traps in case of running into machines. First, collect the necessary resources found in the area and then, if you’ve heeded Varl’s advice, hold to start crafting.
Once you’re done crafting, continue on up the wall and be ready to crouch in some grass as some Scrounger machines (weak to Frost and Acid Damage) will wait for you.
Time to use the traps we’ve just crafted. Scan the machines with your Focus, then for their path and once you’re out of their sight, place a blast trap on either one’s path. Once you’ve done so, hide in the grass and wait for the machine to be blown up. Now take care of the other Scrounger any way you like and don’t forget to scout for parts once the area is clear.
Now make your way up the ramp and to the door to open it and access a new area with a new door to open.
In this new area, Varl will kick down a ladder for you to use as a shortcut. Next to the opening with the ladder, there’s a climbable wall (the climbable part is colored in yellow). Next, shimmy across the ledges until you can reach a meeting room.
Examine the Console
Now approach the console to examine it with to trigger a new cutscene.
Talk to Varl
After the cutscene, approach Varl to talk to him. He will give you the Blastsling, a weapon that launch bombs affecting large areas. This weapon in particular fires Frost Bombs. You can use the bombs against any enemy type to build up to the Brittle state. While in this state, enemies are more vulnerable to any arrow damage.
Go to the Data Center
Open the door to go back outside and find a Scrounger.
Defeat it any way you like and then continue on to the next set of waypoints until you come across some more machines.
Again, choose the approach you like the most. In the back of this area, shoot the red lock on the yellow ladder that’s hanging from the ledge above. Climb up the ladder as suggested by Varl and then up a second ladder and then keep going up until a new cutscene starts, revealing some Slitherfangs.
Go to the Shuttle
Before you rappel down, you can mark all enemies and their paths. Press , hover over an enemy and press to tag them and to mark their paths. Now rappel down. In the next area there will be some machines for you to take down. This area has a lot of parts and resources for you to scavenge, so don’t miss out on them. Proceed to the next waypoint to release yet another ladder (shoot red lock on it).
Keep climbing up by double-tapping and pressing 
to boost up before grabbing the ledge.
When you reach the top, do a sprint-jump and double-tap to grapple to the ledge on the other side.
Keep climbing across the yellow parkour objects. You’ll eventually reach a new area where Aloy mentions a new console station being nearby.
Search for the Shuttle Clamp Controls
In this new area, don’t forget to gather whatever resource you find and get rid of the Scrounger and Burrower machines. Once you’ve gotten rid of the machines, approach the console to release the clamps. However, things won’t go as planned.
Climb up the Launch Tower
To climb up the tower, approach the lift (main rusty tower9 and start by releasing the lift by pulling the blue brick with your Pullcaster. Then, climb through the hole in the middle of the lift’s roof and keep going up until a new objective appears.
Shoot the Shuttle Cable Connectors
For the next couple of minutes, you need to climb up the tower and shoot the two cable connectors. The first cable connector is halfway through the top (follow the waypoint). Follow the directions in the screenshots below if you get stuck.
The second one is at the very top of the Launch Tower (follow the waypoint). If need be, use your Focus to highlight the yellow ledges and grapples to find out where you need to go. Also, feel free to check the screenshots below if you get stuck.
Kill the Machine – Destroy the Slitherfang’s Acid Sac
A Slitherfang survived! Time to kill it. As usual with any new machine, start by scanning it for its weak points and elemental weaknesses. Doing so will also add it to the Machine Catalog.
The Slitherfang is weak to Fire, Frost, and Plasma damage. It’s strong to Shock, Purgewater and Acid damage. To start dealing some damage, you want to target the Slitherfang’s Acid Sac, which is found in its lower area (yellow part when scanning for weak points). Once you’ve gotten rid of its Acid Sac, keep scanning it for other parts you can hit until it is no more. Don’t forget to scavenge the carcass for a considerable amount of parts and resources. Time to go back to the Data Center.
Go to the Data Center
Climb up the rubble by double-tapping (only waypoint in the arena where you’ve fought the Slitherfang) and open the door.
Search the Data Center for a GAIA Backup
In this new area, keep climbing down until you can interact and open a new door. This will start a new cutscene.
This finishes Reach for the Stars Main Quest in Horizon 2: Forbidden West.
For all other Side Quests and Main Quests, check out the complete Horizon Forbidden West Walkthrough.
I cannot scan the machine carcass? There’s no prompt.