Aloy can use Special Gear throughout Horizon Forbidden West to complete story missions and explore the game's vast open world, and there are five Special Gear items in total that are all obtained or crafted during main missions. Once these items are unlocked in Horizon Forbidden West, they can be used at any time. A few of the Special Gear items are unlocked early in the game, like the Pullcaster and the Shieldwing, but some of them will require a lot of progression through the main story.
Aloy can use the Pullcaster, Shieldwing, Igniter, Diving Mask, and Vine Cutter in Horizon Forbidden West. Each Special Gear item serves a unique purpose that will allow Aloy to travel more easily, reach new areas, or destroy objects that block paths around the Forbidden West. Due to each of the items being story-locked, there will inevitably be a lot of backtracking for those that explore early or want to get 100% completion in Horizon Forbidden West.
For all of the Special Gear items to be unlocked, players will need to complete 12 of the 17 story missions in the game. It's likely that players will come across Firegleam or Metal Flowers, which need Horizon Forbidden West's Igniter and Vine Cutter respectively, before they're able to destroy them. Unlocking the Special Gear items is an unmissable part of the story in Horizon Forbidden West, but they each have extended uses outside of the missions they unlock in.
The Pullcaster Is Horizon Forbidden West's Grappling Hook
The Pullcaster is the earliest Special Gear tool unlocked in Horizon Forbidden West. This item can be used as a grappling hook to reach high points that Aloy can't jump to. Grappling to a high point will allow Aloy to boost upward, so climbing tall structures will go faster using the Pullcaster. This Special Gear item can also be used to grab crates, levers, or other items and pull them through pools of water or activate them from a distance. Anything that can be moved or grappled to will be indicated in-game when aiming the Pullcaster.
The Pullcaster is unlocked during the "Reach for the Stars" opening story mission. Aloy will be tasked with finding parts to repair the tool, which can be found around the camp. The Pullcaster then needs to be crafted at the workbench before it can be used. Once crafted, players will be able to use the Pullcaster while completing main missions, exploring the large open world, finding collectibles, or finishing side quests in Horizon Forbidden West. Many of the available activities will require the Pullcaster, which is why it's unlocked at the beginning of the game.
Aloy Can Glide With The Shieldwing In Horizon Forbidden West
The Shieldwing is the second Special Gear tool that can be unlocked in Horizon Forbidden West, and it's extremely useful for quickly getting around the map. During the fourth main story mission, "The Embassy," Aloy will gain access to the Shieldwing, which can be used anytime she's in the air to gently glide toward the ground. Initially, Aloy needs the Shieldwing to get over the walls and into the Forbidden West, similar to how Link needs the Paraglider in Zelda: Breath of the Wild to leave the Great Plateau.
Throughout Horizon Forbidden West, Aloy can use the Shieldwing to easily get down from high structures or rock formations as well as fly over machines that players don't want to engage in combat. The Shieldwing can also be set to deploy automatically from the menu, so whenever Aloy gets too close to the ground, it will save her from taking fall damage without having to be activated manually. Although a flying mount can be unlocked in Horizon Forbidden West, this doesn't occur until one of the last missions in the game, so the Shieldwing is still extremely useful.
The Igniter Destroys Firegleam In Horizon Forbidden West
Like the other Special Gear items, obtaining the Igniter is part of the main story. Getting this tool will occur fairly early on during the fifth main story mission, "Death's Door". The Igniter is an add-on to the Champion's Spear that Aloy carries in Horizon Forbidden West. Once it's unlocked, the Igniter can be used to detonate any Firegleam found around the map or during missions. Firegleam are easily identified by their red crystals and orange flowers, and they are typically found on one side of a breakable wall.
There are a lot of missions and side activities that require the Igniter to complete. For example, players will need to use the Igniter to complete the Relic Ruins. There are Ornaments in each of the Ruins that can be collected to change the Las Vegas lights, and completing all of them will unlock a legendary weapon in Horizon Forbidden West. There are a large number of Firegleam walls to destroy, and players may come across them before unlocking the Champion Spear upgrade. Once the Igniter is crafted during "Death's Door," players will be able to mark Firegleam on the map.
Aloy Can Swim Underwater With Horizon Forbidden West's Diving Mask
Unlocking the Diving Mask is the only way for Aloy to swim underwater and complete various side quests around the Forbidden West. Collectibles like Relic Ruins and Vista Points can't be completed until the Diving Mask is crafted. The Diving Mask isn't unlocked until the second half of the game when players complete the "Sea of Sands" mission in Horizon Forbidden West, which is the eleventh main story quest. A Compressed Air Capsule and some machine parts are needed to craft the Diving Mask, and there are spots to find these resources during the mission if they aren't already in the player's inventory.
There are plenty of underwater spots to explore throughout the Forbidden West, and having the Diving Mask opens up many new areas on the map. This Special Gear item will be used for other main story missions and side quests following the "Sea of Sands" mission. The Diving Mask is also required for less obvious areas, like inside the Isle of Spires Ruin in Horizon Forbidden West. With the Diving Mask unlocked, Aloy will permanently have the ability to explore every underwater area across the Forbidden West.
The Vine Cutter Destroys Metal Flowers In Horizon Forbidden West
The Vine Cutter in Horizon Forbidden West is the last Special Gear item that Aloy will obtain while adventuring. During the twelfth main story mission, "Seeds of the Past," Aloy will need to craft the Vine Cutter to destroy a Metal Flower, which will break apart the vines blocking the path. After completing the mission, players can use the Vine Cutter to destroy any of the Metal Flowers found around the Forbidden West.
Horizon Forbidden West's Vine Cutter is used in a few Relic Ruins as well as side quests and later story missions. Like the Firegleam and Igniter tool, players will probably come across Metal Flowers before they have the Vine Cutter to destroy them, but it will take much longer to unlock than the Igniter does. Players will be more than two-thirds through the main story before they're able to craft and use the Vine Cutter, but once it's unlocked, it will be available to break apart Metal Flowers at any time in Horizon Forbidden West.