Horizon Forbidden West: Tallneck (Salt Bite) - location Horizon Forbidden West guide, walkthrough
On this page of the Horizon Forbidden West guide you will find the location of the Tallnecks available in the Brine region.
Last update: 02 June 2022
This page of the Horizon Forbidden West game guide provides the location of the Tallnecks in the Salt Bite region. This is a special activity that reveals a sizable portion of the map. However, it is worth remembering that it only shows the terrain and does not unlock individual activities. This means they'll fill your map with question marks you'll have to discover on your own.
Quest rewards
- 7,500 XP
- 2 skill points
- Revealing a part of the map
Location
This Tallneck is part of Cauldron: IOTA. This cauldron can be found in the mountains in the northern part of this region. The above screenshot shows its exact location.
Start
The Tallneck will appear in the main arena, right next to the core. This sequence will start once you override it. Before that, you'll be doing cauldron-related tasks that will seemingly end when you take over the core. "Seemingly", because once the cauldron is completed, you'll receive information from the core and even earn an achievement, but you'll be unable to leave until you've completed the Tallneck quests. It will bring you back to the surface.
Keep in mind that you won't be able to use fast travel while inside the cauldron. By the way, you will only get points for completing the cauldron once you reach the surface.
Reaching the top
When the Tallneck's core is activated, it will come to life. Your task is to jump into the gap between it and the arena. We've marked it on the screenshot above.
The rest of the task isn't too different from the other cauldrons. In order to progress, you'll need to override the red mechanisms. After the first mechanism, you'll need to complete a section requiring dexterity. Aloy will need to jump over the moving and hiding platforms. To make sure she gets to the opposite side of the chasm safely, plan your jumps carefully.
Continue on and you will encounter opponents. You don't need to fight them if you don't want to. You'll be able to progress without issue by crossing the nearby bridge. However, killing the enemies is very useful. This way, you'll earn additional XP points and resources to upgrade your weapons or craft ammo.
Ahead of you are two climbing sequences. During one sequence, you'll need to climb over two moving structures, but make sure not to fall off. Wait until the glowing pieces come up, so you can walk over them without any problems.
A little further on, you'll come across something that has never been seen before in the cauldrons. Your task will be to reach the higher floor by jumping on the vertically moving elements. Your best bet is to jump on the first one, get as high as you can, and then slowly jump to the left until you reach a stable platform.
Your next task is to get even higher. To do this, use your grappling hook on the right element. We've marked this spot on the screenshot above so it will definitely catch your eye.
At the top, you'll see the mechanisms that you need to grab onto. Wait until the mechanism is in front of you, then jump towards it. Aloy should grab onto it without a problem, as long as you don't make any unnecessary moves.
This mechanism will take you straight over the arm, from where you can jump to the top of the Tallneck. All you have to do is let go of it the moment you are directly above the arm. This way, Aloy will land in the right spot.
If you jump too fast, you may fall straight into the chasm, forcing you to repeat the whole sequence all over again from the last save point.
After climbing on the Tallneck's head, get ready to shoot. Enemies will immediately begin swarming around. Their attacks can throw you off the machine.
However, along the way, you'll eventually come across a large shield blocking the path forward. You'll have to jump off the Tallneck and take a different route.
It's really not that difficult. All you have to do is override the two mechanisms that are blocking the door and go through the corridor made out of cables. This will get you past the shield.
Afterwards, simply stand on the edge and jump on the Tallneck when it reaches the area. You will land on its back, but Aloy will have no problem climbing back up. Once you override the Tallneck, you will complete this activity. As a reward, you will receive 10000 XP and 3 skill points.
A large area around the Tallneck will be revealed to you. However, note that you have to discover these question marks and check what they represent yourself.