Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores The Splinter Within walkthrough
Help Theoa stand up to some less than ideal rules.
The Splinter Within is one of the Burning Shores DLC side quests for Horizon Forbidden West. You can pick up this side quest almost instantly after starting the DLC and arriving at the Burning Shores.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores introduces a whole new section of the map that's available after completing the main game. Alongside the new area there are new machines to fight, new characters to meet and new problems to solve. One problem involves a Quen Marine called Theoa and a small rebellion that's starting to take shape.
Without further ado, we're going to show you how to complete The Splinter Within side quest in Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores. We're also going to show you how to start it, recommendations for things to do before beginning the quest, and how to scale the Tower you encounter.
Spoilers Ahead: This walkthrough is for one of the side quests for the Burning Shores DLC for Horizon Forbidden West. There are potential spoilers ahead for the end of the main game and for the DLC.
On this page:
- Things to do before beginning the Splinter Within quest in Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores
- How to start the Splinter Within quest in Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores
- How to beat the Machines near the Smoke Signal
- How to clear the Waterwings from the Survivor's Island
- How to find the missing Quen soldiers
- How to climb the Tower
- How to get the Focus from the Tideripper
- Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores, the Splinter Within quest completion rewards
Things to do before beginning the Splinter Within quest in Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores
Before heading out on this quest, there are a few things that you should consider doing first. The recommended level for this quest is Level 39, though it is possible to do it a lower level if you have enough high-level weaponry and traps with you.
You're going to encounter a lot of powerful machines on this quest, so before you go we recommend that you do the following things:
- Stock up on ammunition supplies - You're going to be going up against a lot of machines in a small area during this mission. Some are in the sky, others are lethal machines prowling the ground. The last thing you want is to run out of materials/ammunition while facing them.
- Fill up your medicinal pouch - There are medicinal plants hidden around the areas you will be going to, but picking berries in the middle of an intense fight can be risky. So, filling up your pouch by going foraging (or by visiting your Stash) before you go will be helpful.
- Switch your weapons - Now, as you are at Burning Shores, you've definitely fought Ravagers, Stalkers, and Leaplashers before. These are all machines you will be facing again. Use the notes on each machine found in your Notebook and equip any weapons you have that are effective against those machines. However, make sure you are still comfortable with using the weapons you've selected.
- Stock up on Smoke Bombs - These little contraptions give you just enough time to escape the gaze of a machine. This can allow you to slip away to safety, gain back some health, place a trap or two, and even can help you attack a weak spot on a machine to get the upper hand. You're going to be fighting a lot of intense machines on this quest, so having a quick getaway option is useful.
Once you've made any of the preparations that you need to do, head to Fleet's End. This is where you can begin this quest.
How to start the Splinter Within quest in Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores
To start the Splinter Within quest in Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, you need to speak to Theora in Fleet's End. You can find her when you first arrive at Fleet's end. She can be found in the lower section of the settlement, slightly east of the Herbalist.
If you're struggling to find Theora, look for the green '!' floating above their head.
Speak to Theora and then meet them at the Burial Grounds just outside of the settlement. Stand at the fire marked by the quest marker and then interact with it to skip time to the evening. Then, Aloy will speak to Theora again.
This is the beginning of the quest, and you will have a few options on how you want to proceed. We've written this guide based on the route we took through the quest, though you can choose another route if you want to.
Need some help getting through the Burning Shores DLC? Check our out main quest guides that show you how to disrupt the tower weapon, find the door code in Heaven and Earth, how to find the words of Attainment, disable the lockdown, and how to find the Armory and open the Volcano doors. If it's a side quest you're stuck on, take a look at our a Splinter Within and a Friend in the Dark walkthroughs. We also have guides that show you all aerial capture locations, plus a Cauldron THETA and Murmuring Hollow walkthrough too.
How to beat the Machines near the Smoke Signal in the Splinter Within quest in Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores
The first place we went to was the location of the Smoke Signal.
On the island where the signal is coming from, a Quen is trapped and surrounded by Apex machines. There will be Apex Ravagers, Apex Leaplashers, and a Stalker.
We found the easiest way to deal with these was to target the Ravagers first. We used a Tearblast arrow to remove the Cannons on top of the Ravagers and then use the Cannons against the bigger machines. This inflicts a lot of damage on them in short space of time.
However, the area where the Quen is trapped is quite small. This means that all of the machines can have you backed into a corner. If you feel yourself being surrounded, use a Smoke Bomb to conceal yourself for a moment and find a better position to be in.
While concealed, you can also scan the machines to find their weak spots. We recommend doing this and tagging all of the machines in the area so you can keep an eye on them. Remember, the bits on the machines that are glowing yellow are their vulnerable points and these are the bits you should focus your attacks on.
Apex machines tend to have more armor on them, and often you will need to break off the armor to reach the weak spots.
Focus on bringing down the Ravagers first as they are the ones that can easily kill you in a few blows, but always be aware of your surroundings. The Leaplashers and Stalker can sneak up on you.
After bringing down the Ravagers (congratulations!), you can deal with the rest of the machines surrounding you. Stalkers can blend in to the environment, but there's an easy way you can track them even when they 'disappear'. Set fire to them using elemental bombs or arrows and, even if they turn invisible, you will still see the smoke and flames of the machine which will tell you exactly where it is.
Also, if you detach its 'Stealth Generator', it will lose the ability to vanish altogether.
With the Leaplashers, we found it easiest to keep your distance and use ranged weapons with them where possible. These machines are more dangerous up close, so staying back and attacking from a distance gives you the upper hand.
Once you have cleared all of the machines out, go and speak to the Quen. You will learn that their name is Rokomo and you will find out the fate of Enki.
How to clear the Waterwings from the Survivor's Island in the Splinter Within quest in Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores
We then went to the island where the Survivors might be (we elected to leave the Shipwreck task till last). Once you get close to the island, you should notice some winged machines hanging about on a structure.
Get as close as you need to be to scan these machines with your Focus without them spotting you. Your Focus will register them as Waterwings and, like some Glinthawks, they are vulnerable to Fire.
They are strong against Purgewater and Shock Damage, therefore weapons or traps with these elemental effects are essentially useless against them.
They are fast machines, so we advise staying away from any weapons that are slow to load and use.
Scan them with your Focus and tag them to keep track of where they are. They tend to attack as a group, so be ready to dodge out of the way of incoming attacks. We found it easiest to attack their Gular Pouch (the bottom half of their beaks) as this removes a few of their more brutal attacks.
Then, it's simply a case of continuously setting them on fire and shooting their weak spots from a distance. Getting too close to the Waterwings, especially when there's a few of them, can be lethal.
Once you've dealt with the Waterwings, head to the structure in the middle of the island and pan the camera up to look for a Grapple point. When you find one, pull yourself up onto the structure.
Head to the area marked with the quest marker. Then, look around you at the three marked areas on the raised platform. Head to each one and interact with them.
After doing this, it's time to look for the missing Soldier. Don't worry, there's no fighting in this bit.
How to find the missing Quen soldier in the Splinter Within quest in Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores
To find the missing Quen Soldier, use your Focus to scan the raised area you're standing on until you see the tracks. Then, press R1 to highlight the tracks so that they stay visible when you deactivate the Focus.
From here, simply follow the tracks until they finish. When you reach the end of the set of tracks, investigate what you find and then continue to follow the new set that appears that lead you down to the beach.
Investigate what you find at the end of these tracks and then get ready for a climb.
How to climb the Tower in the Splinter Within quest in Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores
From where you are on the beach, turn around to face the quest marker. You should see a the ruins of an old Tower:
Walk over to the Tower and you should find a Geyser on the southern side of it.
Jump on top of this Geyser as it's erupting and activate your Shieldwing to be boosted into the air. Then, you should see a climbing hold on the side of the Tower. Float over to it and grab onto it.
From here, climb to the left until you cannot climb anymore and pan the camera up until you see another Grapple point. Jump and use your Grapple to pull yourself up to the platform.
On the platform, carefully walk around to the right until you see this:
There is another Geyser here. This time, jump off the platform towards the one on the other side and activate your Shieldwing. The Geyser will boost you enough to get you over there safely.
From this platform, pan the camera up to find another Grapple point. Then, pull yourself up onto the next platform and pulse your Focus to highlight the climbing holds in the area.
Head out onto the bar sticking out from the far side of the platform carefully. Stop in the middle of the bar and look right, towards the Tower again. You should see some more climbing holds.
From here, simply follow the climbing trail the rest of the way up and interact with the console at the top of the Tower to complete this section of the quest.
How to get the Focus from the Tideripper in the Splinter Within quest in Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores
It's time to head to the Shipwreck! If this sounds a bit daunting for you, check out the Thalassophobia setting that can help with this section. Head to the marker on your map:
Once you get here, you'll notice a powerful swirling potion of water in the ocean. The Shipwreck is below this, buy you will need to dive below the water outside of this section.
When you dive below the water, use your Focus to look for the Tideripper. A signal is coming from the tail of this machine. Do not attempt to fight it - Tiderippers have the advantage in water. This section is about stealth.
You need to have a closer look at the signal that is coming from the machine's tail. Dive down deeper (being careful to not be spotted), and then hide yourself in some of the ruins on the outside edge of the path the Tideripper is using. It swims in circles, so if you want to monitor it to figure out where it's going, you can.
Once you've dove down, hide in one of the ruins surrounding the Shipwreck (we hid in an old bus) and get your Focus ready. Once the Tideripper swims past, look at its Tail.
Of course Enki's Focus is caught on the tail of the big underwater machine. Now, you can stay where you are and wait for the Tideripper to swim past again. Then, once it has swum past, you can carefully come out of your hiding spot and press Circle to boost yourself to its tail to grab the Focus.
Alternatively, you can follow the Tideripper by swimming from ruin to ruin until you get close to its tail. This way is a bit riskier, so we recommend going with the first option.
Once you've grabbed the Focus and completed the other tasks for this quest, you're almost finished. All you have to do is speak to Rokomo and report back to Theoma.
Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores, the Splinter Within quest completion rewards
After completing the Splinter Within quest in Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, you will be rewarded with:
- 31,200 XP
- 2 Skill Points
- Imperial Gold Dye Pattern
- Quen Deadeye Armor
The Quen Deadeye armor boasts high base stats for armor, so we recommend giving it a look when you can.
We hope you enjoy your adventures with Aloy around the Burning Shores!