Horizon Forbidden West Gameplay: Horizon Forbidden West will release for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on February 18, 2022, and we have your next look at it right now. Aloy, the machine hunter, will face off against a wide variety of new machine threats in a fresh new gameplay clip set to premiere at the 2021 Game Awards.
In addition to a new teaser, this year’s Game Awards featured a live performance of “Promise of the West” (original composer Joris de Man) by the stunning Julie Elven, with an arrangement by the legendary Lorne Balfe, written especially for this program.
Among the lucky nominees for the Most Anticipated Game category was Horizon: Forbidden West. In addition to congratulating the FromSoftware team on their victory with Elden Ring, we’d want to thank everyone who voted for us.
Horizon Forbidden West Gameplay
As far as gameplay goes, Horizon Forbidden West is a third-person action role-playing game. The player assumes the role of the hunter Aloy as they make their way through a hostile environment populated with terrifying, animalistic machines. She is free to explore the post-apocalyptic West, specifically the states of California, Nevada, and Utah, in her quest to learn more about the mysterious Forbidden West.
Horizon Forbidden West Gameplay map in this game is much larger than the one in the previous game. Thanks to innovations such as the Valor Surge system, freeform climbing, and gadgets like the Shieldwing, Focus Scanner, Diving Mask, and Pullcaster, adventuring and combat have been pushed to new heights. The quest mission framework allows for a wider variety of goals and more enticing reward systems.
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Horizon Forbidden West Story And More
The events of the original game take place six months prior, and players follow Aloy on her quest to find a cure for the Red Blight, which is polluting the world.
Clever allusions and explanations are made to the events of the first game, but newcomers to the environment and characters may experience culture shock. Still, it’s tough to resist becoming sucked in by the mystery, what with the quality of the writing and the personalities on display.
Players won’t have trouble empathizing with the game’s protagonist or supporting cast members. Even Aloy’s ostensible adversaries are interesting. These technological achievements and clever design choices are largely responsible.
On the other hand, some sections are simply written beautifully and with great feelings. Aloy and other one-off characters are so endearing because of the care and attention put into their portrayals. The variety and depth of her interpersonal connections with other characters are crucial to the story and to comprehending her as the protagonist.
Having a few light role-playing elements like dialogue choices is a nice touch. Although they may not sound revolutionary, allowing players some control over Aloy’s reactions to certain events is a welcome addition to her characterization.
This also applies while actively playing in the real world. Based on the player’s actions, Aloy will make perfectly reasonable statements. For instance, in situations where silence would be preferred in other games, she provides lighthearted relief by saying, “That’ll keep me awake” after emerging from the water.
Characterization and world-building are given ample attention outside of the main goal. One of the best parts of the adventure is the relaxing, gradual pace at which side storylines and map sections can be explored. There is an early side quest with full-fledged cinematics and story beats for newly-met characters, making it feel worthwhile to do not merely for the reward but also the tale.
This isn’t your standard post-apocalyptic gaming environment, either. Although humanity has recovered from the catastrophe in fascinating ways, Aloy will encounter the crumbling remnants of certain real-world locations from the American West on her travels.
Settlements and municipalities have personalities all their own. A political dispute is causing tension in a busy market. One is steadily reestablishing order from the ground up while keeping an eye out for enemies beyond the city gates. The atmosphere of a potential next-gen Witcher game can be gleaned from a quick visit to any establishment, be it a pub, armorer’s store, or anything else, thanks to the abundance of NPCs, meticulous attention to detail, and bustling atmosphere.
The towns have the standard fare of open-world games, such as a Gwent-like game called Machine Strike, and a variety of arenas for duels. And as they venture out into the environment, they’ll find vistas to discover, towers to climb, salvage to unearth, and other open-world tasks that will seem familiar but with a distinct Horizon flavor. Players can choose to do things if they wish to, and doing so will yield rewards and provide new experiences, but they are not required to do so.
Fortunately, the game’s advancement system is player-friendly. As with other modern games, there is a rarity system, however, it does not waste the player’s time. Exploration and side battles are encouraged by the need to acquire components from machines in the wild for use in weapon upgrades, crafting, etc. Furthermore, the game features a rich RPG system with six distinct skill trees, allowing players to tailor Aloy’s development to their play style.
While there are a plethora of weapons to choose from in Forbidden West’s combat, not all of them feel equally powerful. The effort required to fire the Tripcaster and lay traps, for instance, is rarely rewarded.
The PlayStation controller has one of the best implementations of haptic feedback that we have seen, and it is amazing no matter what a player chooses to use. It creates sounds, but they aren’t loud or annoying, which is a positive.
Despite this, there are still problems with the game. Rarely, do graphical issues manifest, such as missing hair textures. One time, behind a dramatic cutscene, a body went berserk and glitched all over the place adjacent to a malfunctioning computer. It seems like there are some moments where sound is absent, such as when Aloy almost falls down a precipice. These are minor issues, though, and Forbidden West still comes out of the gate in a far superior form to the vast majority of modern video games.
The designers deserve praise as well for including a tutorial that doesn’t feel like one. And for those who have never played the series before, there is a comprehensive notebook section in the menus where players may go through the mechanics behind pretty much everything.
Conclusion
Almost nothing about Forbidden West is bad. While some viewers may find the tale or location uninteresting, others may be drawn in by the compelling cast of characters, thoughtful design choices, and overall impressiveness. When gamers have been accustomed to a “fix it later” attitude to releases, it is a welcome change to see a game arrive without major issues or controversies.
There’s no shame or doubt in Forbidden West’s identity. This game is so amazing that even players who are sick of open worlds might find it difficult to put down once they get their hands on it. Forbidden West, at its core, is a release full of heart, top-tier industry trappings, and evident benefits that offers a positive picture of the industry’s future.
Check back with the Techballad.com in the coming weeks for updates on the game and additional Game facts, and share your thoughts on the trailer in the comments below.