What Are Cauldron Cores?

Discover what Cauldron Cores are in Horizon Forbidden West, how Hephaestus uses them, and the risks involved in overriding them. Learn about machine fabrication and override codes.

Alright, let's talk about Cauldron Cores in Horizon Forbidden West. Think of these as the secret factories where the AI Hephaestus is busy churning out all those increasingly dangerous machines. He's doing it because he sees humanity as a threat to his more peaceful creations, so yeah, these places are pretty risky to explore. You're basically venturing into the belly of the beast, and they're usually swarming with hostile machines.

Your main goal in each Cauldron is to make your way through the dungeon – whether that means sneaking, platforming, or fighting your way in – until you reach the Cauldron Core itself. Once you're there, you'll need to override it. Keep in mind that every Cauldron is unique; their layouts and the machines inside vary, so the best way to tackle each one will be different. Some will test your puzzle-solving skills, others will reward stealth, and some are just straight-up combat challenges. A heads-up: once you're inside, you often can't just turn around and leave the way you came, so make sure you're ready to commit before you enter.

Besides the regular machines hanging around inside and outside, the core itself is usually guarded by some seriously tough machines. You'll have to take them down before you can safely override the core. When you successfully override a Cauldron Core, you'll typically get a quest reward and, more importantly, an override code. This code is what lets you override specific types of machines out in the wild.

Quick Note: Just so we're clear, corrupting a machine and overriding it are two different things. You can corrupt a machine without needing its specific override code first.