Horizon Forbidden West has far more verticality - from flying mounts and vertical traps to the use of the new Shieldwing for gliding. While there are a lot of gameplay aspects that are improved from Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West has also learned (and improved) a thing or two from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, despite the two games being different in many ways. In fact, Forbidden West's Shieldwing glider is just one of the ways it has enhanced the open-world exploration found in games like BOTW.
The Paraglider in Breath of the Wild was used to propel Link far distances from great heights, and it's a feature that has been repeated in many games since (like Genshin Impact and Pokémon Legends: Arceus). Horizon Forbidden West is the latest open-world game to feature a glider, and it takes the mechanics seen in BOTW and makes them even better.
Called the Shieldwing, this glider in Horizon Forbidden West functions in the same way as BOTW's Paraglider and Legends: Arceus' Hisuian Braviary. Aloy can use the Shieldwing glider when jumping from any height, and it will allow her to travel larger distances faster - and with more ease. Thankfully, though, players won't have to worry about a stamina bar when using the Shieldwing as Aloy in Forbidden West.
Aloy's Shieldwing In Horizon Is Better Than Link's Glider For One Reason
Using the Paraglider was a great way to cover long distances in Breath of the Wild, but like almost everything else in the game, it was affected by Link's stamina. Running out of stamina while in the air could result in Link falling to his death or dropping into a group of enemies with his health depleted from the fall (which usually resulted in death, too). It was one of those minor annoyances that players eventually got used to, but other games like Horizon Forbidden West have since improved on this gliding mechanic.
Because players don't have to worry about stamina while using the Shieldwing to glide in Horizon Forbidden West, it keeps things more relaxed and also allows them to take in the beautiful scenery around and below them. There's no stamina limit to Aloy's Shieldwing, which means players can use it for as long as they want until they reach the ground. And while there are still flying enemies to worry about, using the Shieldwing in Horizon Forbidden West feels like a great improvement over BOTW's Paraglider.