How to unlock shops in Horizon Forbidden West

Shops are nothing new to the Horizon games, but unlocking them can be confusing as Horizon Forbidden West begins to open up. Early on, many of the shopkeepers will be visible, but access to them will be denied until Aloy reaches a certain threshold in The Daunt.

After completing the initial main quest that opens up the game, The Daunt is the first truly-open area that players can explore. It won't be until players reach Chainscrape, the first major town in the area, that shops and shopkeepers even become visible. Some of the shopkeepers will respond to Aloy, but none of them will be willing to sell for a while.

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Two quests will need to be completed for shops to open up in Horizon Forbidden West

Quests must be completed first. (Image via PlayStation)

Shops such as the Stitcher, Hunter, or the Cook will be locked behind progression in Horizon Forbidden West. Most players will be itching to see which new gear they can buy, but that'll have to wait until Chainscrape is dealt with. A foreman named Ulvund is in charge of all of the operations in the town, and he places everyone at risk due to his greed. He must first be dealt with before the shops open up in Horizon Forbidden West.

This means that a couple of quests must first be taken on, and they can be found in Chainscrape. The two quests are called "Deep Trouble" and "The Bristlebacks," respectively. There are only three quests in Chainscrape to start, so finding them won't be difficult, and they are all marked with green exclamation points. One can be found by walking up to Ulvund, and the other can be received from a miner in the northern part of the town.

Aloy will be tasked with investigating a mine and helping the miners, as well as dealing with dangerous Bristleback machines. In the end, her conclusion will help push Ulvund into paying the workers more and opening up their operations.

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Shops in Chainscrape and Horizon Forbidden West

After Ulvund gets dealt with to some degree, the shops that were visible in the town will finally become available to interact with. Players can then head over to them to buy new weapons, armor, and materials. Selling items for Metal Shards will also be an option with each of the shops.

In Chainscrape specifically, players can find merchants that sell armor, weapons, food, and remedies. More shops in the game will open up for players as Aloy heads farther West, but most of the options will remain the same in Horizon Forbidden West.