Horizon Forbidden West State Of Play Showcases New Gameplay Mechanics And Challenges For Aloy

Players got their first official look at Horizon Forbidden West, the highly anticipated sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn, during a dedicated PlayStation State of Play which was held on May 27th, 2021 and offered a glimpse into some NEW gameplay mechanics, machines, and more! The entire presentation featured 14 minutes of never-before-seen footage that was captured directly on PlayStation 5 consoles with narration and overview provided by Mathijs de Jonge, Game Director, Horizon Forbidden West and Ben McCaw, Narrative Director, Guerrilla Games towards the conclusion of the event.

The upcoming sequel from Guerilla Games picks up six months after the events of Horizon Zero Dawn and sees Aloy traversing through strange and uncharted lands across the Western United States to investigate a mysterious blight that threatens to eradicate their very existence. Players will encounter dangerous tribes, terrifying enemies, and even deadlier machines including the massive Tremortusk with old friends and NEW companions joining the fight to save all life on Earth.

The gameplay footage shown during the event saw Aloy going after her friend Erend whom had been captured by the Tenakth tribe during his mission to recover an important artifact. The seemingly routine rescue attempt hits a roadblock when it is discovered that the Tenakth have acquired the ability and power to override the dangerous machines that are roaming throughout the land – Sunwings, Clawstriders, Tremortusks, Snapmaws, Burrowers, and more!

Players will need to be smart and creative whilst exploring the Forbidden West in order to traverse the surrounding environments, outsmart the deadly machines, and combat the vicious fighters standing in the way. For instance, the Focus Scanner can identify spots where free-climbing is available for Aloy to explore the area while the Pullcaster helps to speed up climbing efforts in order to get out of trouble in the blink of an eye. Another useful tool is the Shieldwing which allows for players to land safely on the ground from great heights and even ambush enemies from above.

Guerilla Games has also added a Diving Mask to Horizon Forbidden West which allows players to freely explore the underwater regions of San Francisco and stay submerged for an infinite amount of time. This will be a useful tool and tactic to help plan attacks, evade aquatic machines, and reach other areas a little faster with a boost from underwater currents. While on land, players will be able to override a variety of machines – including the raptor inspired Clawstrider – and use them as mounts to traverse the land as well as powerful allies during combat scenarios.

Combat for Horizon Forbidden West puts a strong emphasis on tactics and player choice with certain weapons proving to be far more effective in unique situations, all of which can be upgraded on workbenches. The Spear favoured by Aloy can be beneficial in close range combat with a wide range of combos that have varying degrees of effect; Valor Surges add a unique set of abilities to the Spear including the power to knock back nearby enemies if things get a little overwhelming.

Jonge concluded the State of Play presentation with a brief overview of some of the additional weapons that can be quickly accessed via the weapon wheel including a slingshot that fires adhesive grenades to temporarily stall machines with a sticky substance, bow and arrows that can stripe away protective armour and expose weak points, and a powerful launcher that fires spikes which explode on impact to deal massive amounts of damage. There are many more unique weapons coming to Horizon Forbidden West and the developers will provide more information on them in the near future.

Aloy made an appearance in Fortnite during the Chapter 2 – Season 6 storyline which fittingly featured a prehistoric and primal theme that saw Raptors roaming around the Island and other primitive weapons taking the spotlight. Aloy was available for a limited time in the Item Shop and included the Aloy Outfit, Blaze Canister Back Bling, Aloy’s Spear Pickaxe, Glinthawk Glider, Shield-Weaver Wrap, Heart-rizon Emote, and the Aloy the Skywatcher Loading Screen. Players also had the opportunity to unlock an additional Style variant for the Aloy Outfit – Ice Hunter – by playing at least one game of Fortnite (Solo, Duos, Trios, Squads) on their PlayStation 5 console.

Horizon Forbidden West is scheduled to release sometime in 2021 exclusively for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 Pro, and PlayStation 4 consoles.