PlayStation released a blog post this week from Guerrilla Games’ Community Lead, Bo de Vries, that dives deep into all the technical upgrades and improvements the developer has made for Aloy’s next adventure in Horizon Forbidden West. The post discusses a wide range of topics from deeper combat potential to more immersive animations and audio cues and reveals some interesting details about what players can expect when the game launches next February.
One of the highlights from the post was the section on enemy AI and how adversaries will react to Aloy’s actions in the world. Enemy humans will now navigate terrain more naturally, allowing them to find shortcuts and pressure Aloy in ways they never have before. More machines will also be able to chase Aloy into bodies of water, and certain ones will even have the ability to leap out of the water and attack from a distance.
The post also reveals that human encounters will be more varied and challenging than in the previous game, with the human factions receiving a class overhaul to make different units feel more distinct. The two examples given were the Champion class and the Rebel Soldier, with each class featuring notably different styles of combat.
One way Guerrilla has improved Aloy’s battle capabilities is by increasing the synergy between transitioning from melee to ranged combat. She sports a new, spear resonator ability that builds up energy with each spear strike. After it’s fully charged, Aloy can blast it at the enemy, then shoot it with a bow to dish out massive damage.
Stealth gameplay is also seeing some upgrades alongside the enemy AI, with human opponents searching for Aloy in groups with clearly defined hierarchy and hostile machines investigating unusual sights and sounds. Breaking line of sight will also prompt an enemy to search the immediate area of the last place they spotted Aloy, providing new opportunities to take them out.
The post closes with a note about how gear enhancement will have a more direct role in a player’s chosen style of play, and will still be upgradeable with the right resources. Horizon Forbidden West will launch exclusively on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on February 18, 2022.
