What started as a new IP for Guerrilla Games has become one of Sony’s most popular franchises. Since the release of Horizon Zero Dawn In 2017, Aloy and her post-apocalyptic world took the gaming world by storm, and gamers are more than ready for the next entry in the series. Fortunately, the wait will not last long because Horizon Zero Dawnthe following, Forbidden Horizon West, slated for release in early 2022.
Expectations are high for Forbidden Horizon West, and Guerrilla Games seems keen not to disappoint gamers. From the released trailers, podcasts, and blog posts, it’s obvious that Forbidden Horizon West will greatly develop its predecessor and improve as many aspects as possible. Aloy will travel to the Forbidden West, a dystopian version of San Francisco with huge expanses submerged underwater. Here, Aloy will face dangerous tribes and killing machines she has never seen before. Fortunately, she has also learned a lot from her previous adventures and has new ways to explore the world and fight her enemies.
Travel in style at Horizon Forbidden West
Horizon Zero Dawn offers a vast world filled with a variety of settings, including mountainous regions, desert plains, and lush forests. Aloy, being nimble and quick, can tackle all of these environments with relative ease, and when facing extremely long distances, she can also replace a machine and use it as a mount. However, one annoying aspect of in-game traversal is that mountaineering is a very numbers-colored experience. Aloy is unable to climb freely and she must hold onto yellow ledges or she may find herself falling off the side of a cliff.
Guerrilla Games has noted this issue and is trying to fix it by Forbidden Horizon West. The game will feature free climbing, which will allow Aloy to scale mountains, rocks, and cliffs without the need for grips. As the studio explains in an interview with Game Informer, this will make the world more inviting to explore. Players will also be able to high jump, meaning ledges that are at jump height will be accessible to Aloy with a bit of lifting.
Aloy won’t have to rely solely on her muscles as she also has some new gadgets to help her get around. As part of her toolbox, she will have a grappling hook, known as a Pullcaster, which will help her get to heights quickly. This will certainly come in handy when dealing with machines and using her environment as creatively as possible. The Pullcaster also doubles as a winch that Aloy can use to manipulate objects in her environment.
The descent will also be facilitated thanks to the glider, called Shieldwing, which will allow Aloy to return to ground level smoothly. According to Guerrilla Games, the Shieldwing was originally intended to be part of Horizon Zero Dawn, but he never made the final cut. Fortunately, it will be widely used in Forbidden Horizon West. Used together, the new tools will help make Aloy more agile than ever, and gameplay verticality will be greatly improved.
Perhaps the biggest crossing change in Forbidden Horizon West is the inclusion of underwater environments for players to explore. As the trailers revealed, Aloy will be able to swim underwater where she’ll come across new machines to battle and new worlds to explore. Although the game is available on PS4 and PS5, Guerrilla Games has revealed that the PS5 version will include more underwater effects.
Aloy’s new combat mechanics in Horizon Forbidden West
Although post-apocalyptic, the world of Horizon Zero Dawn is of sublime beauty. There is no doubt that Forbidden Horizon West will be equally stunning. As beautiful as the surroundings are, the world still lurks with all kinds of dangers. Whether it’s aggressive tribes or evil machines, Aloy must always keep an eye out. However, Aloy is better equipped to deal with whatever comes her way this time around.
Fight with humans in Horizon Zero Dawn is lackluster to say the least, and aside from simple melee attacks and arrow throws, there isn’t much Aloy can do. Fortunately, players will have many more options in Forbidden Horizon West. The studio designed the game’s combat system with player choice in mind, which means players will have different ways to deal with enemies depending on their preferred playstyle.
To sharpen her tools, Aloy will have workbenches at her disposal where she can upgrade her outfits and weapons. The skill tree of Horizon Zero Dawn has also been significantly overhauled. By moving up the skill tree, players will be able to unlock more perks and abilities for Aloy, allowing her to take on bigger and tougher enemies.
Aloy will have some new moves available in Forbidden Horizon West. This includes the Resonator Blast, a move that is charged by landing melee hits. Once Aloy’s spear is charged, she will be able to send energy that can be placed on her enemies. When she chases him with a projectile, it will result in a huge explosion.
Valor Surges is another new addition. These are unlocked and upgraded through the skill tree. With 12 Valor Surges available, there’s one to suit every style of play. Value Surges are charged by playing smart; this includes getting headshots and knocking down machine components. Once Aloy has enough bravery, she can unleash a spectacular attack.
There will also be new weapons available to Aloy. This includes a Spike Thrower that launches projectiles that deal high damage. This is perfect for dealing with larger enemies. Returning weapons will also include new ammo types. The Blast Sling, for example, will have cluster and sticky bombs that have been featured in trailers. Aloy will need all these new abilities because the enemies she will face in the Forbidden West are far fiercer and smarter. Humans and machines will work together and human enemies will have better AI.
What was revealed on Forbidden Horizon West suggests it will be an amazing experience whether on PS4 or PS5. Instead of offering more of the same, Guerrilla Games decided to allow more ideas to come to life, resulting in a game that adapted to Aloy’s new experiences and skills.
Forbidden Horizon West out February 18, 2022 on PS4 and PS5.
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