As the official release date for Horizon Forbidden West approaches, Sony is beginning to divulge more details. In a recent PlayStation Blog article, some of Guerrilla Games’ devs go into detail on Aloy’s new gear and powers, combat styles, and difficulties in Horizon Forbidden West.
Bo deVries, Guerilla’s Community Lead, wrote the blog post, which goes into great length about the studio’s aims while creating Horizon Forbidden West and what they expect fans to accomplish in the world. Guerrilla Games is putting more emphasis on dynamic interactions and providing additional layers for players to navigate, combat, and solve puzzles.
Aloy’s newest gadgets, the Pullcaster and the Shieldwing, are discussed in depth in this post. Not only may Aloy use the Pullcaster to grab onto higher constructs, but it can also be utilized as a winch to pull down some of the world’s structures. This adds a new strategy to solving puzzles or combating opponents.
Although the Pullcaster appears to be a fun addition to Aloy’s arsenal, it was not the only one mentioned in the piece. Horizon Zero Dawn had a habit of allowing players to plummet down from high cliffs and structures via specified grappling locations.
When there were none, it was either a clumsy scurry down the side of a mountain or a quick escape. The Shieldwing will make falling from high objects without a grappling point easier and more graceful. The Shieldwing will also play a role in the battle, as it can provide Aloy with extra attack-from-above options when used in conjunction with the Pullcaster.
Aloy’s Valor Surges were also mentioned in the blog post. According to Dennis Zopfi, Lead Battle Designer, there will be a total of 12 that will have diverse purposes in a variety of combat settings. Valor Surges will have levels that improve the ability’s explosive output.
The “Valor Bar,” the purple bar initially seen in the May 2021 gameplay reveal film, will charge by hitting enemy weak places and ripping off armor, according to Zopfi. Higher Valor Surge levels will, of course, require more charge, but the payout will be enormous when it’s completely full.
The Tenakth, a new faction in Horizon Forbidden West, can also control machinery. This presents Aloy with a fresh task. Because humans may operate a big group of machines simultaneously, the “humanoid encounters,” as Dennis Zopfi puts it, will require an extra element of strategy to defeat:
The primary takeaway from the blog post is that Horizon Forbidden West has improved on its predecessor in ways that will provide fans with more dynamic options in all aspects of the game, including exploration, traversal, and combat. This, combined with the new Forbidden West area and the secrets it conceals, adds to the anticipation for the sequel.
