Horizon Forbidden West is less than a month away (barring any unexpected delays) and some new footage of the Guerrilla title’s gameplay has just been shared with the anxious masses. IGN had the chance to play the game for around four hours, and the footage is showing off new combat details, scaling mechanics, and more. According to the team, compared to Horizon Zero Dawn, “combat is more complex, exploration is more free, and the world is teeming with more intriguing life (both robotic and human.)”
Check out the video below:
The video highlights Aloy’s Focus ping, allowing players to hit R3 to see clearly mapped-out routes up cliffs and similar obstacles, making it less of a headache to explore the vast landscape. The Pullcaster, “a fancy sort of grappling hook that lets the player pull Aloy to harder to reach or further points,” also takes center stage. According to the footage, it can be used along with the Shieldwing, a glider Aloy will pick up at some point in the game. Combat against monsters has been improved, with the Focus making it easier to see what can be detached from robots and how to do it best. If you missed our breakdown of the new skill tree system, be sure to give it a read.
IGN’s Jonathon Dornbush finishes his playthrough with a shining review. “Nearly every misgiving I had about Zero Dawn seems to have been thought through, and then some, while everything I loved has only been improved upon. Aloy’s new journey seems more robust and rewarding than I expected while retaining the wonder and awe that its predecessor delivered on. I still don’t know quite what the Forbidden West itself will hold, but after my hands-on, I’ve never been more excited to find out,” he said.
Horizon Forbidden West is scheduled to release on February 18, 2022, for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. According to a recent remark from industry insider Tom Henderson, a State of Play event focusing heavily on the new title may be coming in early February. In a departure from other recent RPGs, Horizon Forbidden West will have only one ending, with the game’s narrative director Benjamin McCaw stating that the finale will be very “strong and impactful.”
