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Horizon Forbidden West: Release Date, Gameplay, Rumors and Info

Expected by all players on ps4 and ps5, the latest from Guerrilla Games studios is only a few weeks away from its release. Here is all the info you need to know about the new Horizon?

Horizon Forbidden West: Release Date, Gameplay, Rumors and Info
Horizon Forbidden West: Release Date, Gameplay, Rumors and Info

Horizon Forbidden Zone West is the next game from Guerrilla Games and a direct sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn. This is one of the upcoming PS5 console exclusives, which will be released on all generations of the PS4. Release date, gameplay, story, what to expect, here are the essentials!

When Aloy explores the frontier of the Forbidden West on February 18, 2022, she'll discover a wide variety of exciting things to do: Melee pits in villages, scavenging contracts in the wilderness, outposts, and camps teeming with Regalla rebels, as well as mysterious challenges, ruins and more.

Take a closer look at all these activities. But don't forget that the Forbidden West is a huge and dangerous place, with many more secrets and adventures than we can reveal to you today!

When is the new Horizon coming out?

Expected by all players on PS4 and PS5, the new Horizon Forbidden West will be released on February 18, 2022

We do not yet have information about the release date of Forbidden West on PC. But several factors suggest that keyboard / mouse enthusiasts will not stay on the floor for long. Indeed, Sony's recent policy has been to develop the export of its exclusives to the PC. Uncharted 4 and the first Horizon Zeroes game come to mind.

Horizon Forbidden West: A Story of a Journey to the West

Horizon: Zero Dawn was a surprise: with more than 10 million copies sold on PS4 in 2019, and more than 700000 copies sold on PC the month following its release in 2020 (Sony has not communicated on its sales since) , the project originally developed in secret by Guerrilla Games is no longer an outsider, but one of the heavyweights of the PlayStation team. 

Also its direct sequel Horizon Forbidden West, taking place six months later, is above all an improvement and confirmation of everything that has been proposed previously. However, it also imposes a change of place of action. The destination? As the subtitle of this part reveals, it is about the American West of this post-apocalyptic world, and more precisely about California and its San Francisco with its emblematic pots, with the ruined towers now sleeping silent under the ocean, leaving only extremities to appear above the waves, almost caries planted in this reborn world ready to collapse at any moment.

Horizon Forbidden West will be available on the PS5 and PS4 from February 18.
Horizon Forbidden West will be available on the PS5 and PS4 from February 18.

An outcast at the very start of Horizon: Zero Dawn, turned machine hunter during that first adventure, and a character destined to save her world from "birth", Aloy has been on a mission for six months when Forbidden West: The Red Bane begins, a "scarlet niel" according to the trailers, contaminates everything, poisons vegetation, crops, animals, machines, in fact, all beings, threatening to destroy the biosphere, starving populations. At the same time, storms and tornadoes are hitting more often, ravaging everything in their path. Humanity is in danger of disappearing and Aloy is the only one who can prevent this cruel destiny. 

The origin of these evils: the West of the world, of these now desolate United States. En route to elucidate this mystery and undoubtedly understand the past of the planet, Aloy will find some old acquaintances. And, to move around in this world richer in interactions and opportunities for movement, more alive, the heroine is now more skilful, flexible and swift than before, moving from one weapon to another, running , then clinging to a trunk with realism.

Horizon Forbidden West — Gameplay and Trailer

New gameplay

Who says new episode and environment says new machines, adapted to the environment, inspired by animals. The Gyrodorse thus looks like a pangolin with its back covered with metal plates and can curl up to rush at its opponents; the Shellsnapper has the appearance of a turtle and can burrow, awakening to attack whoever passes by; the Bristleback appears to be a warthog and the Rampant, a giant acid-spewing snake. Most of these machines should be hackable and controllable by both Aloy and her opponents. We can't wait to take control of some of them, especially those that fly, and to discover others as we progress.

It will take more than 60 hours to complete Horizon Forbidden West. Horizon Forbidden West's story will be roughly the same length as Horizon Zero Dawn's, according to the game director.
It will take more than 60 hours to complete Horizon Forbidden West. Horizon Forbidden West's story will be roughly the same length as Horizon Zero Dawn's, according to the game director.

It was one of the recurring criticisms on Zero Dawn: a lack of life in the villages and fortresses, too repetitive scripts, faces seriously lacking in emotion. To remedy this, Guerrilla Games first took the bull by the horns to improve the characters encountered by Aloy, and Aloy herself, during the dialogues. All now benefit from motion capture, whether for the animation of their body or their face during these sequences. And it shows immediately, in every discussion shown so far, in facial or bodily expressions, in every gesture, in every look.

Aware that the villages of Zero Dawn were seriously lacking in life, the studio set out to affect more scripts in those that we will cross. First, by integrating more realistic routines with more or less busy inhabitants depending on the time of day, then by drastically improving the crowd system, allowing the members of each tribe to move in their own environment of specific way. Thus, around the taverns, we will come across drunkards wandering and discussing the meaning of life, while inside, everything will be much more lively, some customers singing songs or dancing on the tables. Similarly, the members of each tribe will be perfectly identifiable by their clothing and finery, as well as by their culture or movements, the Tenakths carrying their water on their backs when the Utarus clutch their buckets between their arms, etc. The same will apply to their way of fighting, alone or in a group. It's up to the player to adapt.

MOTION CAPTURED CHARACTERS AND WITH MORE DIALOGUE LINES, MORE DETAILED AND VARIED ENVIRONMENTS: GUERRILLA GAMES BREATHE LIFE INTO THIS OPUS.

However, life is not just about these villagers or tribes with whom Aloy will ultimately have little real contact, it is also the companions. These key characters of the adventure disappeared, in Zero Dawn, once their mission was completed. Meeting too short, too succinct to forge links, create empathy. Guerrilla Games sure has it. As a result, in this sequel, these allies, like Erend, will follow the heroine for longer. 

Even those encountered during side quests have more lines of dialogue and screen time. From there to imagine that the developers were inspired by a The Witcher 3 in which each character, each quest giver, however secondary, was refined, carefully written, there is only one step... To see however if Guerrilla Games, like CD Projekt in its work, will know how to give them a mouth and a memorable voice.

Tribes

In Horizon Forbidden West, there are not only these wandering, monolithic, sometimes aggressive machines, moving in more or less tight herds: tribes live in this California, celebrating nature to sign it (the Utarus), building and party-loving (the Oseram) or trying to take control over these lands, like the Tenakth warriors. 

Divided into three distinct clans by their outfits and territories, the latter has been plagued by conflict since the Regalla, a new faction, opposed them. And if Aloy is to be believed in the latest trailer, another tribe, even more powerful, educated, explorer, would hide beyond the ruins of the ancient world of this forbidden West. And if she was responsible for these storms, at the origin of this Red Plague?

Aloy is more or less 20 years old in Horizon Forbidden West. Aloy was born or created in the year 3021. Horizon Zero Dawn shows her as an infant, cared for by Rost, the man hunted by the Nora tribe. We then move on to a final version six years later. At the age of six, Aloy falls into a bunker built by ancient humans.
Aloy is more or less 20 years old in Horizon Forbidden West. Aloy was born or created in the year 3021. Horizon Zero Dawn shows her as an infant, cared for by Rost, the man hunted by the Nora tribe. We then move on to a final version six years later. At the age of six, Aloy falls into a bunker built by ancient humans.

Erend Vanguardsman is a major supporting character in Horizon Zero Dawn and its future sequel Horizon Forbidden West. A member of the Oseram tribe, he was a member, then captain, of Sun King Carja Avad's vanguard.

Erend is the only character who has a chance with Aloy. Many fans have been wondering about romantic options for Aloy in Forbidden Horizon West. Almost everyone flirted with her in Zero Dawn, but each time Aloy brushed them off. It's not much, but it's the most romantic thing Aloy has ever encountered.

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Diversified and interesting quests

The Witcher 3 proved it. Side quests are only really of interest if they allow the player to gain additional equipment relevant to the continuation of the adventure, while discovering more about the world, the universe and the characters. According to Mathijs de Jonge, director of the game discussing this subject with our colleagues from Gaming TN, "there's a lot more variety in that sense, a greater sense of accomplishment like you actually get something nice in return for those quests". Horizon Forbidden West will obviously not pay into the loot at all costs, nor into the excessive fedex quests. Obviously, it will have to be checked with the joystick in hand.

More immersive exploration and progression

All Horizon Zero Dawn players remember this sometimes rigid Aloy, missing certain contextual actions, certain jumps. Again, Guerrilla Games has of course heard these criticisms and has therefore redesigned the range of movements of its heroine. 

If it is now equipped in such a way as to be able to move with more fluidity (see box), it also has an expanded skill tree, segmented into six branches/styles of play. 

Yes, a bit like in Assassin's Creed Odyssey. On the program, we will find the categories warrior (for melee combat), hunter (to improve ranged weapons), trapper (for setting and disarming traps), master of machines (which includes hacking skills), Survivor (for all things health and resources) and Infiltrator (for improving stealth skills). If the studio has not yet revealed the number of skills in each branch, it can be estimated at around thirty each, with passive or active skills.

In addition to experience points to distribute in these skills to unlock new possibilities, the player will also have the opportunity to increase them by up to 300% by donning certain outfits. Armors that should also make Aloy less susceptible to fire, cold. 

IF IT IS EQUIPPED SO THAT IT CAN MOVE WITH MORE FLUIDITY. IT ALSO HAS AN EXPANDED SKILL TREE SEGMENTED INTO SIX BRANCHES/ STYLES OF PLAY.

A concept torn from certain RPGs which should allow the most explorer of players to have on hand an Aloy perfectly adapted to their needs. Finally, Guerrilla Games had the idea of ​​integrating into this opus a kind of gauge of fury, Thrust or Burst of combat. These are weapon-related special attacks that you can buy and charge (in a purple gauge at the bottom of the screen) while playing in style. On this point, once again, it will be necessary to check pad in hand that this system works perfectly.

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Horizon Forbidden West: A Significant Feature Enhancement

To make Horizon more accessible, more obvious and more ergonomic Guerrilla Games has applied itself to a certain number of elements of the game. A specific material can be launched from the crafting menu, which will create a specific quest on the fly with a clear path to reach the machines providing it.

No more searching for hours to increase the damage of this or that weapon, or to create this or that potion. This mechanism will be all the more valuable as, as the developers have revealed, it will be necessary to search for specific elements torn from certain machines to build.

some weapons and armor. The hunt for machines is likely to be fierce!

Same desire for clarity for the HUD. Overloaded with information in the first episode, it now wants to be clearer and more readable here, like what Ghost of Tsushima offers for example. Better, the title starts in its most minimalist form, letting the day immerse itself in the sets. And to find the inventory or health menus, all you need to do is push up on the touchpad to make them appear. Lovers of beautiful panoramas will be delighted.

GUERRILLA GAMES HAS APPLIED TO MAKE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF GAME ELEMENTS MORE CLEAR AND ERGONOMIC.

Another notable development: Aloy's scan. Already useful for observing the scenery, it now allows you to highlight the possible attachment points of the grappling hook, to move as smoothly as possible. 

Better, in the manner of what we find in certain RPGs such as Final Fantasy, this scan passed on the machines will make it possible to know more about them: their strengths, their weak points, more broadly their statistics, but also their indestructible elements or the parts of their body/armor that will specifically need to be blown up. 

We can mark the said pieces, which will then be painted purple to aim them with precision. This tint remaining after the fight, it will thus be easier to distinguish it and to collect it in the jumble of carcasses and metal on the ground, once the assault is over.

Stars in the cast of the new Horizon

Angela Bassett in Horizon Forbidden West
Angela Bassett in Horizon Forbidden West

In the latest trailer recently unveiled by the Guerrilla Games studio, we learned that two Hollywood actresses play characters in Horizon Forbidden West. This is Carrie-Anne Moss, made famous, among other things, for her role as Trinity in the Matrix saga. The other actress is none other than Angela Bassett, who we saw in Black Panther, where she played Queen Ramonda. As she will play a very old character, not sure that we recognize her.

HORIZON: CALL OF THE MOUNTAINS

HORIZON: CALL OF THE MOUNTAINS
HORIZON: CALL OF THE MOUNTAINS

With the announcement of Playstation vr 2, Sony also highlighted Horizon: Call of the Mountains, the result of a collaboration between Guerrilla Games and Firesprite. If we do not know much about this variation, it will stage the Horizon universe, and in particular these gigantic machines, within a narrative and, a priori, linear experience: the only game sequence unveiled showed our avatar embarking on a boat to go up the course of a river… To be seen.

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Written by Dieter B

Journalist passionate about new technologies. Dieter is the editor of Reviews. Previously, he was a writer at Forbes.

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