How to use Greenshine in Horizon Forbidden West

One of the new upgrade resources in Horizon Forbidden West is called Greenshine, and players will find it early on as they enter The Daunt. The bright green crystals can be found throughout the game, but it can be hard to tell exactly what they are used for.

Like many of the resources that can be collected in Horizon Forbidden West, Greenshine is an upgrade item at its core. Players should absolutely take the time to stop and pick up the crystals whenever they see them within the western wilds. But until players get far enough in their own story, there is no true description for this resource.

---

Upgrading with Greenshine in Horizon Forbidden West

Chunks are the largest versions of the crystals. (Image via Playstation)

Armor and weapons will both have multiple upgrade tiers in Horizon Forbidden West, and Greenshine is needed to reach the maximum potential on some of them. Overall, armor upgrades tend to ignore the use of these crystals and instead require rare Apex variant hearts from tougher machines. Weapons are the pieces of equipment that will task players with finding these green rocks as they explore the west.

Much like titles such as Dark Souls, Greenshine is specifically saved for upgrading weapons on workbenches. They can't be sold and are only reserved for the upgrade process within the game. Early on, players will encounter Greenshine Slivers, but the size and rarity of the resource will gradually get larger the farther west Aloy goes. Slabs end up being the largest and the rarest, so players will need to keep an eye out for them as they travel.

Once players get into the purple tier of weapons, it's likely that the second or third level of the weapon will require a green crystal upgrade. Obtaining a full upgrade will require a mix of the crystal along with other machine parts and plenty of shards.

---

How to find the green crystal in Horizon Forbidden West

Finding glowing green crystals isn't always easy, but it helps to know where to look for the resource. In general, the resources can only be collected in the open world, but some quests will give them out as rewards. Much of the time, though, players will need to search hidden spaces.

Many spots in the desert and mountains will contain hidden crystals. If players can't see them, these crystals make a sound so that they can be located through audio. Once players get the right upgrades, they can acquire crystals from hidden and blocked-off caves and entrances in Horizon Forbidden West.