Schlagwort: Horizon Forbidden West

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We’re getting ready for the continuation of Aloy’s story, a journey which will be filled with a storm of threats and dangers. But thankfully, she’ll be joined by old friends and exciting new allies. 

Join us as we sit down with our talented returning cast, featuring Ashly Burch as Aloy, Lance Reddick as the enigmatic Sylens, John MacMillan as Aloy’s loyal friend Varl, and John Hopkins as the affable Oseram warrior Erend.

And get a sneak peek at two of the new characters in Horizon Forbidden West’s expanding cast: Noshir Dalal as the Tenakth warrior Kotallo and Carrie-Anne Moss as the mysterious and secretive Tilda.

Aloy will get to know these characters and many more as she strives to stop the red blight and save humankind. Enjoy this behind-the-scenes snapshot now, then venture into the Forbidden West on February 18!

Website: LINK

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The next chapter of Aloy’s story begins on February 18, and she’ll face a storm of new threats: a world-ending blight, Regalla and her rebels, Sylens and his machinations… plus many new dangers that have yet to be revealed.

But as she ventures into the frontier of the Forbidden West, Aloy won’t face these perils alone. She’ll be joined by companions both fresh and familiar, including stalwarts like Varl and Erend, along with new allies like Zo, Alva, and Kotallo.

Today we’re proud to present our new story trailer, which offers an exciting peek at what lies in store for Aloy and her friends as they venture into the Forbidden West.

On top of that, we’re thrilled to show you our new key art, pitting Aloy’s crew against Regalla, her rebels, and some of the most dangerous machines the west has to offer. It also features Sylens, Hekarro, the Chief of the Tenakth tribe, and Tilda, a mysterious new character with a special connection to the ancient past.

Can Aloy and her companions overcome the dangers of the wilds and the sins of the past to save a dying planet? Get a glimpse of their epic journey now, then discover the answer on February 18!

Website: LINK

Reading Time: < 1 minute

On February 18, Aloy will venture into the dangerous frontier of the Forbidden West, confronting a huge variety of deadly new machines. You saw many of these steel beasts revealed last week at The Game Awards, but today Guerrilla offers a closer look at the armored Rollerback, the graceful Sunwing, and the acid-spitting Slitherfang, plus several more. Some serve as guardians of the natural order, while others are built only to kill. Even worse, the power to control them has fallen into the wrong hands… 

We hope you enjoy this sneak peek at the machines of the Forbidden West, but remember – it’s only the beginning. The western wilds conceal new threats around every turn. 

Website: LINK

Reading Time: 10 minutes

The epic landscapes and ruins of the Forbidden West may be breathtaking, but danger lurks around every turn. Aloy’s enemies, both human and machine, have multiplied since the end of Horizon Zero Dawn. Whether she comes across a convoy of cargo machines and their guardians, a squad of rebel warriors looking for a fight, or a pack of Stalkers cloaked in the forest, the heat of combat will bring new challenges… but also opportunities to turn the tables.

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Spoiler Alert: Please note this article may contain some spoilers for Horizon Zero Dawn and its storyline.

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Combat evolved

For the team at Guerrilla, one of the goals for Horizon Forbidden West was to significantly evolve the combat design from Horizon Zero Dawn, and to continue to build on the principles of player freedom and choice during encounters in the open world. 

“Aloy is a smart and agile combatant,” says Charles Perain, Combat Designer. “In Horizon Forbidden West, the tools at her disposal generate a wide array of tactics that allow her to engage with physically stronger opponents — from fully armored humans to very large machines.’

‘Our changes to combat design stayed true to Aloy’s identity. First, we wanted to add additional depth to gameplay and increase the skill cap for players, through skills like melee combos and Valor Surges. Players who spend some time perfecting their combat skills will find some efficient and stylish ways to dispose of their enemies. Second, we wanted to cater to a variety of playstyles and really focus on freedom of choice. Through new weapons and outfits, which can be upgraded at a workbench, players can adapt their tactics. Finally, we wanted to design challenging enemies that encourage players to use all their abilities and skills. A whole new set of machines as well as advanced human enemies will keep players on their toes throughout the game!”

“It was important to us that players feel like Aloy has grown in her skills and confidence coming from her adventures in Horizon Zero Dawn and the Frozen Wilds,” says Richard Oud, Gameplay Animation Director at Guerrilla. “She gained a lot of experience and that needed to show in her animations. Our aim was to show that Aloy is more comfortable traversing her environment – without losing sight of the fact that she’s human, of course, so things don’t always go perfectly for her. The grapple mechanic is a good example of this: she is more agile and resourceful, but at the same time we show the physical struggle when she’s being pulled up on bigger inclines.”

The AI team has played a big role in improving the combat system, especially when it comes to increasing the challenge level. Lead AI Programmer Arjen Beij: “We wanted enemies to feel more authentic by improving the fluidity and continuity of motion, like making enemies (and companions) more capable of traversing rugged terrain. The AI in Horizon Zero Dawn already supported some dynamic terrain changes, but we wanted to take this further by adding jumping and climbing as a systemic part of their behavior. As you are playing the game, the AI will be searching for opportunities to take shortcuts, where it previously was a cumbersome detour.’

‘Another example is that more machines are now capable of swimming and have the ability to dive and chase Aloy underwater. Amphibious enemies can also use jumps to get in and out of the water, so if you are unlucky they will combine this with an attack.”

Authentic animation

As detailed in a previous blog, the skill tree has been overhauled and restructured, featuring many new abilities that promote and enhance different playstyles or combinations of those. From an animation perspective, increased possibilities for Aloy and her enemies presented some unique challenges for the team.

“We extensively research to understand the anatomy and locomotion of a character,” explains Richard. ‘There are lots of differences between animating a human or a machine, however the core pillars for what we wanted to achieve with both were very similar.’

‘First, we wanted to create clarity for players. Each human class or machine is designed around a clear gameplay function, which the animation team communicates to the player through actions, posture, and motion. We rely on readable silhouettes and behaviors that the player can recognize, so you can anticipate or react to an enemy move. We play around with the timing of those movements to not only create windows of opportunities for the player to strike, block, or run, but also to show some personality traits in the animations themselves.’

‘Then we have the player and enemy responses. We work closely with the game designers to make sure we end up with fun yet challenging gameplay, whilst maintaining the authenticity of the characters. Enemies usually have some time to show their intention, so the player can respond accordingly and get that fast and (almost) instant response from the input.’

‘Finally, we look at flow and rhythm for both human and machine enemies to make a combat scenario more interesting. For example, we experiment with different ranges (short or long), multiple directions (forward, sideways, up, etc.), speed and timing (fast or slow strikes) and strength (small or big hits).”

Creating clarity and intent in a combat situation was not just a goal for the animation team. “We try to show the state of enemies through acting, posture, and vocalizations,” says Arjen. “The grace period before you are detected is acted out by having the enemy approach you. Enemies will investigate disturbances such as an arrow landing nearby or spotting a machine that you took out silently.’

‘You can also escape from combat by breaking line of sight and sneaking away. When enemies discover that you are not where they expected you to be, they will start searching. Human enemies team up and search for you as a group, with the team leader giving orders and coordinating the work. Through animation and context-dependent speech, the player will have plenty of cues to figure out their next move!”

This can help create opportunities during combat. “There are many ways to efficiently tackle a combat situation in the Forbidden West; how a player chooses to do so has a real impact on the duration of the fight, the risks involved and the cost in resources,” says Charles. “Some players prefer clearing enemies stealthily, while others will use the focus to analyze their opponents and find the best tactics to dispose of them efficiently. Or they might like to go head on with the spear and bow… at their own risk!”

Bringing battles to life

And those combat cues do not only exist in visual form; Guerrilla’s Audio team plays a pivotal role in breathing life into these epic battles. Senior Sound Designer Pinar Temiz explains how machines, unique enemies to the world of Horizon, have to sound just right.

“Our main challenge for the machines was to balance the established sonic characteristics from Horizon Zero Dawn with the freshness and complexity of the new surroundings and machine types in the Forbidden West. There are machines with even more expressive animations and world functions in this new frontier — which required even more detailed sound design to match. We had to apply what worked well in the first game and build a sound palette that made each machine come to life, while keeping them unified in their ‘Horizon-ness’.’

‘Machines have unique audio cues that are designed to help the player distinguish between a melee or a specific ranged attack. Melee attacks are communicated by a distinct sound that builds up towards the impact moment, while ranged attacks are communicated through their weapon specific charge up sounds, or projectile sounds. Especially in encounters that involve multiple machines surrounding the player, these audio cues will help attract player attention towards the most imminent attacker or source of danger, allowing them to respond in time.”

Sound Designer Lovisa Bergdahl explains how Adhesive, an elemental effect, required a very hands-on approach to create: “The Adhesive effect starts off liquid, bubbly and gross, and slowly solidifies until it cracks and dissolves. To get that sound right, I spent several days playing with slime and going through the sound library looking for the slimiest and stickiest sounds. There are both my own recordings of stretching rubber, sloshing liquids and slime, as well as sound library assets and sounds my colleagues had recorded. It was simply put, disgusting and fun.”

Awe-inspiring Machines with unique abilities

Sound isn’t the only thing that makes the machines in the Forbidden West more impressive and threatening than before. 

“The team did a lot of research to get to the core personality and character traits of an enemy, as we were looking to make the world as authentic and immersive as possible,” Richard explains. “We’d usually start with a full enemy overview, including its intended strengths and weaknesses as well as keywords and traits that could fit the character. Then we’d start studying nature documentaries, feature films, encyclopedias, comic books, concepts art, and more — anything that will help get to the core of the character.’ 

‘Once we have that overview, we create a moodboard video to clearly show the teams the intended personality, motions, and behaviors. For example, the fast and agile Clawstrider is very vicious and aggressive to encounter. They’re alert and calculated, which was a lot of fun to animate: we added small personality gestures so the player can understand what they are all about.”

Pinar adds: “When the player alerts a machine, intentionally or not, these vocalizations help recognize the mode a machine is in. If a machine is in an idle, non-alert state, you’ll hear much calmer, more sporadic, and stylized natural vocalization to reflect the personality archetype we came up with within their individual sound design.”

New enemies to deal with

Aloy does not just encounter many threatening machines in the Forbidden West… She also has to deal with an increased number of human enemies, for example with Regalla’s rebels, a faction of the Tenakth tribe. This led Guerrilla to focus on a more in-depth combat system for encounters against humans, including new enemy classes with their own combat behavior and functions.

Richard begins: “The goal was to make human combat as deep and challenging as machine combat. This meant extending the combat system and adding more variety in the way you encounter human enemies in the world. We want to give the player the option to engage in their own playstyle, whether they prefer ranged or close combat encounters. Switching between strategies resulted in a lot of transition animations which feel smooth and reactive.”

The combat team added a neat new feature to make switching between ranged and close combat feel even more rewarding, according to Charles. “The resonator blast rewards players for using spear combos: whenever Aloy attacks with melee, the resonator in her spear stacks up some energy. This energy can be blasted at the enemy and will stick to them for a short duration. Shooting it with an arrow before it dissipates will deal a huge amount of damage! This mechanic creates a powerful synergy between close combat and ranged combat, encouraging players to transition smoothly between both.”

“Since there are a lot of new archetypes in human enemies, we had different Mocap sessions to help bring these characters to life,” Richards tells us. “We worked with an experienced Mocap actor who knew how to deal with heavy stunt work and was a master in portraying different combat styles and personalities. We would explore idle behavior for specific classes, as this would tell us a lot about the kind of choices we were making for the character. For example, with the Champion class, it was key that the character came across as confident and experienced. So, the actor moved calmly, looking for gaps in the opponent’s defense and circling around while not losing eye contact and continuously closing in. It almost felt like a wolf stalking its prey!”

That starting point of idle behavior and linking the acting to a certain animal really helped clarify the different personalities and approaches for the team, Richard continues. “The Rebel Soldier enemy behaves a lot like a hyena, which resulted in a rowdy and versatile personality with a lot of uncontrolled and ungraceful motion. The posture is hunched over and from a behavior point of view we think of them as being aggressive in groups, but at the same time hesitant in small numbers. They don’t always exactly behave like this from a combat and AI perspective, but it gave the team a better understanding of the character and helped us define choices in poses, combat attacks and personality.” 

Gear up for the Forbidden West

Despite all the danger that lurks in the Forbidden West, Aloy will have plenty of opportunities to gear up and prepare before facing the worst of foes. It’s up to you to decide how to approach a situation, by using your skills, the surroundings, and the cues that the world gives you.

“There are many things players can do to be best prepared for combat,” Charles smiles. “Have Aloy wear the appropriate outfit and weapons, and use the workbench to upgrade them and unlock additional stats, perks and ammo types.’

‘The scanning mechanic from Horizon Zero Dawn is still in place, and will highlight your opponent’s weaknesses as well as their movement path. Don’t forget to craft potions and keep your berry pouch filled to the brim in case things go awry. And lastly, mix all the new traversal tools with our combat mechanics to create truly spectacular action!”

“We hope players are just going to have a lot of fun fighting these enemies,” says Arjen. “Initially outnumbered, but then to find their own solutions to the obstacles that the enemies provide. The machines can be formidable enemies, each with their own pacing and unique attacks, yet it should be possible for players to take control of the situation and win by using different tactics. Melee combat has gotten a significant upgrade and in combination with the resonator blast system allows you to string together some pretty impressive moves.”

Richard agrees: “We’re really looking forward to players discovering new machines and all their capabilities. We’ve focused on variety and different gameplay experiences for players to explore as they head into the Forbidden West. We love to see player reactions as they encounter new human enemies and machines, especially really intimidating ones like the Tremortusk!”

If you are a returning player, we hope you will feel a sense of familiarity and appreciate the variety and depth that’s been added to all combat and player progression systems, and for new players, this is a chance to enjoy an immersive and challenging system full of different combat encounters.For more information about Horizon Forbidden West, please visit here.

Website: LINK

Reading Time: 10 minutes

The Forbidden West is vast and deadly, filled with ancient ruins, awe-inspiring machines, and hidden threats. Surrounded by danger, its human inhabitants need places to train, rest, and improve their gear. The game’s settlements form these sanctuaries, and they are just as vital to Aloy as they are to the tribes that live in them.

The living world in these settlements is a complex character of its own. Every detail establishes credibility, creating an authentic environment through visual storytelling. For example, the Nora live in relative solitude in the isolated valley of the Sacred Land, making it difficult for them to communicate with the outside world. As a result, they are less technologically advanced than other tribes, and more wary of outsiders. Their settlements are made of wood and rope, featuring minimal furnishings other than what is needed for daily life. Food and resources are obtained through hunting and gathering, so there’ll be pelts, baskets, or sheaths full of arrows lying around. All the objects and people within such a settlement feel like they belong, and more so: like they’ve always been there.

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Spoiler Alert: Please note this article may contain some spoilers for Horizon Zero Dawn and its storyline.

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World building with intention

With hours and hours of exploration in the Forbidden West, how do you create a lush and thriving world filled with activities, but without overwhelming people, or detracting from the overarching story? Espen Sogn, Lead Living World Designer at Guerrilla, explains how his team is central to this very question.

“When you walk through the Forbidden West, everything should feel like it belongs there. The Living World team at Guerrilla works on aspects of the game that make the world feel authentic and alive:  the tribes, the settlements, and the people within them. There’s an intention behind everything we place within the world.”

Clarity on those intentions comes from collaboration with the narrative team. “At the start of a project, we put a lot of thought into every tribe we’re going to encounter,” says Annie Kitain, Senior Writer at Guerrilla. “What their conflicts are, how they fit into the story, and how they interact with the world around them. Take the Tenakth, for instance. Many of their beliefs are influenced by the ancient ruins of the Forbidden West, and unlike other tribes, they’re comprised of three distinct clans. Their shared history, convictions, disputes – all of that is important to developing the characters that Aloy will meet on her journey.”

“Our main challenge is translating this narrative framework  into visuals that are integral to the world itself,” says Espen. “For example, the Tenakth are known to be competitive and combat-focused, but so are other tribes. So how do we distinguish them, and how do we communicate that visually?”

‘It then becomes all about the details, the animations, and the behaviors. Within their settlements, you’ll see the Tenakth working out, readying themselves for battle. They’re often younger because they need to be capable warriors. Their base is an ancient ruin, from which they’ve picked up certain Old World gestures that they may not fully understand – like using a military salute to say hello.’

‘Ultimately, our goal is to make sure NPCs feel connected to where they live, and we work closely with other internal teams, such as Narrative, Quest, and Environment, to make sure that every location feels authentic.”

“The Living World team does a fantastic job, and it’s so great to see it all come together,” says Annie. “Each tribe starts as a bunch of ideas, then is translated into these amazing settlements. Like the Utaru, who were imagined as an agrarian society that’s deeply connected to the land around them. Once the tribe is in-game and the Living World team has done their magic, you’re walking around the Utaru’s fields, interacting with them, and you think, ‘whoa, they nailed it.’ Now this tribe feels real.”

Authenticity through behavior

With a world as vast as the Forbidden West, it was important for the team to maintain the level of authenticity that was achieved in Horizon Zero Dawn. “Every non-combat NPC in Horizon Forbidden West is part of a crowd system,” says Espen. “Within that system, you can create rules such as reactions, walking paths, and other animations. We then also have the attitude system, which determines a personality. This means we can create unique people who behave like individuals within the world.’

‘We are constantly adding layers of authenticity within the world through animations and behaviors. When members of a tribe are in their settlement, their safe spaces, they can act like themselves. The Oseram are a social and historically patriarchal tribe, so their animations are more about shoulder punches and high fives. The Utaru, on the other hand, are laid back, so they will often sit down together and be a bit more touchy-feely. As the player moves around, these are potential subconscious hints that will help you visualize where in the world you are.’

‘All of this happens within the game’s narrative framework. You should be able to identify from a distance which tribe you’re looking at. The way that different tribes hold or transport water: the strong Tenakth will carry it on their shoulders; the peaceful Utaru will hug it closely; and the crafty Oseram will carry it with their hands.”

Heading to Chainscrape

One of the first places Aloy will visit as she travels west is Chainscrape, an Oseram outpost settlement on the border. It offers abundant natural resources and opportunities for adventure and risk. Its tenants have come here for many reasons: to flee problems back home in the Claim, to make a few quick shards, to embrace a dream, or for the thrill of exploration. It’s a busy hub, featuring a town bar where Aloy can meet some interesting new characters.

Espen continues: “With so much activity, so many visual cues, Chainscrape was a place where we could demonstrate many new systems and animations that make the world and its people feel much more alive. In Horizon Zero Dawn, there were a lot of assets and things in the background. In Horizon Forbidden West, they’re not just textures: they’ve been elevated into actual objects that are being used by people in-game.’

‘Where you previously saw a person standing in front of a forge, they will now actively engage with what’s around them: moving materials, leaning on walls, drinking from cups, talking to friends, and just living their daily lives. They move and exist with purpose.”

Settlements of the Forbidden West

Of course, the world isn’t just visually detailed – it’s a constant threat. Aloy relies on settlements and NPCs to sustain and equip her. Progression, skills, upgrades, health, and tools are all part of a larger  ecosystem that structures the huge and intricate open world of the Forbidden West.

“When designing the core features that form the progression systems of a game, these features always have to be built in dialog with the rest of the game’s design!” says Steven Lumpkin, Senior Designer at Guerrilla. “Beyond the narrative of Horizon, it’s imperative that all our systems work together in harmony to give our players a fantastic experience from the first time they pick up their controller.’

‘Balancing progression is a leading focus for us,  making sure that every player is readily able to acquire a set of gear that feels great to them in combat, while remaining powerful enough to tackle all of the challenges over the course of the game. We’ve built an ecosystem that rewards the player for engaging deeply with the whole world of Horizon Forbidden West, while remaining friendly for those who want to stay focused on the core narrative.”

At the heart of that are the settlements in Horizon Forbidden West: bustling hubs where you can find weapons, outfits, and all the upgrades you need to continue your journey. “We wanted the towns and villages across the Forbidden West to feel lived in, vibrant, and useful,’ continues Steven. ‘In each settlement across the world, you’ll find opportunities for adventure. They are filled with merchants and vendors: Stitchers, who can sell Aloy powerful (and beautiful!) new outfits in exchange for shards and machine parts; Hunters, who offer an array of tactical new weaponry; Herbalists, who sell potent potions that Aloy is definitely strong enough to handle; and Cooks, who prepare invigorating meals that Aloy can carry with her for a boost.”

For the Narrative team, it was also important that the merchants fit into the context of their respective tribes. “A Hunter from the Oseram tribe might act more like a blacksmith, forging weapons for hunters to use in the wilds,” says Annie. “Whereas a Tenakth Hunter functions more like a quartermaster, ensuring that their clan’s warriors are armed for battle.”

“You’ll see this reflected in the individual characters, as well. There’s an Oseram Cook you meet in one of the early settlements who has a buoyant personality and puts a lot of emphasis into how food tastes. Later, you meet a stern Tenakth Cook who mainly focuses on how a well-fed warrior is better prepared for a battle. These differences make them feel like they’re a part of a unique culture.” 

Customize to survive

“Weapons and outfits are even more potent and stylish than before,” says Steven. “Weapons now have extra perks to make them even more specialized – you can read more on that in one of our previous blogs. Also, Aloy can now carry up to six weapons at the same time, along with her trusty spear.’

‘Outfits do not only provide resistance to the many damage types Aloy will face in the Forbidden West, but also stack bonuses on top of Aloy’s skills on the Skill Tree. With the right outfit boosting the right skills, the sky’s the limit. Plus, you can swap weapons and outfits on the fly, so you can change your approach at any time.’ 

‘The narrative of Horizon and the vibrant cultures that inhabit its world were a huge source of inspiration for Aloy’s outfits. Clothing reflects a unique style, as well as the materials a tribe has access to and knows how to use. Hunters from the Nora tend to favor ranged combat and stealthy hunting. Carja excel at the use of traps and tripwires. The boisterous Oseram love fighting up close and personal with a hammer. The Tenakth and Utaru have their own preferences as well — and the outfits Aloy can acquire from each culture tend to reflect and support these unique approaches to combat.”

In the Horizon Forbidden West gameplay trailer, we mentioned a new feature called Workbenches, which can be found all over the world. Steven explains: “Aloy can forge the machine parts she’s harvested into her weapons and outfits, upgrading them to be even stronger. As you travel the Forbidden West, take note of machines that have visible horns, claws, tusks, or tails. While early upgrades may just need a bit of braided wire or sturdy hardplate, if you want extra mod slots, the strongest perks, or the biggest resistances… you’ll want to make sure you shoot off the Tremortusk’s parts before you take it down.”

Whether from downed machines, animals Aloy has hunted in her travels, plants she’s harvested, or even rare crystalline growths called Greenshine that can be discovered around the world — every resource she comes across will be valuable in some capacity.

“More advanced upgrades will require resources from specific machines, and Aloy’s Focus can help her scan the machine, identify key resources, and tag them for easy tracking,’ Steven says. ‘If you’re ever short on supply, merchants will happily take valuables to sell off your hands. And if you need even more, external machine parts can be harvested and sold for a fair price. A consummate crafter, Aloy can use animal skins and bones to sew new Pouch and Quiver upgrades, letting her carry more ammunition or resources with her in the field. All of these systems reward Aloy for exploring the world even as she travels deeper into the Forbidden West.”

An authentic, vibrant world…

It’s not easy to create an immersive open world, filled with adventure, culture, and opportunity, and sustained by detailed and well balanced systems of progression and commerce. It took a true team effort from start to finish.

“When you’re out in the Forbidden West, our hope is that the story is reflected in every detail of the world,” says Annie. “And we strive to make that happen through collaboration with the many talented teams at Guerrilla. Aloy’s journey will take her through some really gorgeous settlements, allowing her to meet many interesting characters, trade for cool new gear, and prepare herself for the challenges ahead.”

“We’re very proud of what we have achieved together,” says Espen. “We hope the player will encounter a world that feels more alive and more real than ever. We have put so much detail into the daily lives of our people: from groups of people gossiping on a street corner to rowdy customers in the bar who burst into spontaneous song. From children playing tag outside to play fighting with the town guard. We hope players will take a moment to watch what is going on around them and come away with their own favorite moments.”

Steven adds: “To work with so many teams to make sure that everything sings just right all together has been such a highlight. Our goal was to make sure that Aloy feels embodied in and engaged with the world around her, whether she’s relaxing in our settlements or hunting in the wilds. We’re proud of the results: from outfits and the boosts they give to player skills, to Workbench upgrading and hunting for machine parts — there are so many cool new systems that draw you into the world, and we hope you will love the game from start to finish.” For more information on Horizon Forbidden West, please visit here.

Website: LINK

Reading Time: 8 minutes

The world of Horizon is inhabited by highly advanced machines — technologically advanced robots that have become Earth’s dominant species. They come in all shapes and sizes, based on various life forms that existed throughout history, such as dinosaurs, prehistoric mammals, and birds. Awe-inspiring yet ferocious, they pose a serious threat throughout Aloy’s mission.

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Spoiler Alert: Please note this article contains some spoilers for Horizon Zero Dawn and its storyline.

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Some of the machines encountered during the events of Horizon Zero Dawn will also be present in the upcoming sequel, Horizon Forbidden West. The Watcher, for example: resembling a small theropod, these machines often patrol larger herds and scan for potential threats. Or the Snapmaw: lethal, crocodile-like beasts which were originally created to purify water and went feral as a consequence of the Derangement.

The Forbidden West is also filled with new dangers… in the Horizon Forbidden West gameplay trailer, Aloy meets a few of them, such as the fast and agile Clawstrider and the deadly mammoth-like Tremortusk. Of course there will be many more machines to fight, mount, or run from, so Aloy – and you – should be prepared for any circumstance in these forsaken lands.

Awe-inspiring metal beasts

Principal Machine Designer Blake Politeski has been with Guerrilla since the first machines were concepted at the start of Horizon Zero Dawn. Together with Asset Art Lead Maxim Fleury, their teams (among others) have been working on some great additions for the upcoming sequel.

“We’re getting to explore a new area within the world of Horizon,” begins Blake. “It was interesting to figure out what type of machines would live in different ecological zones, and how they would interact with each other, their environment, and of course humans. Machines are the so-called caretakers of this world, so how they perform their roles and what the player can do to use these behaviors to their advantage was always interesting to consider.

“During Horizon Zero Dawn’s development, we had a ton of ideas — of course not everything could make it into the first game, but now with Horizon Forbidden West we’ve been able to match some exciting ideas that previously weren’t feasible with new and interesting concepts!”

Maxim elaborates: “Blake’s team provides us with a design document that describes the general look of the machine, what type of (interactive) parts it has, and what sort of attacks it can do. There’s some top-level drawings to explain the document further, but then the real visual design moves to the Robot and Weapon Asset team.

“Concept Artists will then make a 3D concept which goes through several reviews with art direction, game design, animation, and technical art teams, until we’re all happy. We’ll create, rig, and animate a model to see if everything would work as needed, after which the modelers on the Robot and Weapon Asset Art team will work on it, adding in all the details. After a few more iterations with various teams, the model is fully animated, painted, textured, and reviewed again before being added to the game and replacing the temporary model. The process for developing each machine takes a long time!”

Expanding the machine catalog

With over 25 different machines in Horizon Zero Dawn, finishing them all was not an easy feat. “In the first game we had to create the foundation,” says Blake, “so we started small by defining different roles. The Watcher is like a security camera, the Ravager is an enforcer, and so forth. Once those base roles were decided, we could really build on that by mixing in robot designs, unique abilities and features, and of course cool weapons and attacks.

“We’re expanding this catalog further with Horizon Forbidden West. For example, we knew we wanted a slightly bigger flying machine than the Glinthawk, which resulted in the Sunwing – but it needed a place and a role in the world. We studied various flying reptiles and primitive birds for inspiration, and came up with the concept of their wings collecting solar energy during sunny weather. This in turn created an interesting gameplay dynamic: Sunwings will be vulnerable when they are harvesting solar power, but are also more alert to potential predators when they are idle.

“Unique behaviors like these become the basis and are then expanded on when we define the machines’ roles in the world. We always want to make sure the machines are connected, and that they serve a greater purpose; so the whole machine (eco-)system is in harmony – just like in the real world.”

Creating an authentic world was always a main focus for Guerrilla, and that includes creating authentic machines that roam around the world of Horizon. “The design language that was created with Horizon Zero Dawn is still hugely important to us,” explains Maxim. “At the same time, we try to make the new machines different and unique so that we are expanding the world for our players. The machines in Horizon Forbidden West have a lot more functionality this time around, which is a challenge from a design perspective, but hopefully gives the player a unique experience during each encounter.”

New and dangerous foes

In a previous blog, we discussed some of Aloy’s abilities and combat moves that she learns in the Forbidden West. Some of which will come in very handy against stronger, faster, and deadlier machines.

“Aloy has many different types of weapons and ammunition available, and she’s going to need them all to beat the different machines!” says Maxim. “Without spoiling anything, every machine has multiple ways to be defeated. We tried to make it clear for players through the machine design, and added textures to show the weak points or interactive components. You’ll need to study each machine closely to find different ways to approach it.”

Blake adds: “A lot of machines have various weapons and behaviors that can be used to create an advantage. This is not just in shooting off components and using them, but some machines might have some more passive states during which the player can sneak towards them. For example, if a machine is digging for resources in the ground, it’ll create a lot of dust – Aloy can use this as a visual cover to get closer.

“The machines in Horizon Forbidden West are more mobile in almost every way you can imagine – jumping, swimming, clinging to surfaces… Because of this, Aloy will need to keep up with them, so there’s new movement mechanics to help her out. We’re also focusing more on Aloy’s ability to survey and plan an encounter before engaging, as well as her ability to escape if things don’t go as planned.”

Actions like climbing or using a Smoke Bomb to escape can give Aloy an edge during a machine battle, but it’s not just the player mechanics that have been improved. Machines in the Forbidden West are more dangerous, but the player can understand their behavior and predict their movements through audio cues. For example, a machine will have specific sounds for idling, alerting others, and initiating attacks. For the PlayStation 5 version of the game, this will come through even more precisely with 3D Audio, providing great situational awareness within a vast world when combined with compatible devices like stereo headphones (analog or USB).

Meet the Tremortusk

During the Horizon Forbidden West gameplay trailer, Aloy goes head to head with one of the biggest foes we’ve seen so far: a Tremortusk. While it is truly a spectacular sight to behold, it is also incredibly difficult to defeat.

“The Tremortusk is based on a mammoth with a nod to the historic and cinematic examples of the great war elephants. It has many different attacks and a body covered in various guns. Apart from using its tusks to attack up close, it also has different elemental weapons it can use. The one we see in the trailer is controlled by a rebel faction of the Tenakth, but you can also find them wandering the wilds,” Maxim explains.

“It reminds me of a mixture of war elephants and a huge siege tower that was used to attack fortresses in medieval times: hard to destroy, slow moving, and a lot of fire power,” recollects Blake. “This generated the idea for the Tremortusk, which is a well armored but slow machine, almost an unstoppable force. In Horizon Forbidden West, human enemy factions can control machines, so it seemed like a natural fit to combine the two and make our own spin on ‘war elephants’, with a platform on top that humans can fire at Aloy from.

“To circle back to the machine (eco-)system, it was created to keep balance on Earth and ensure that humans cannot wipe out life again. Tremortusks were created as combat machines — protecting other machine species so they can do what they were designed to do without human interference.”

Both Blake and Maxim agree that the Tremortusk is one of the most formidable enemies in the game, requiring a lot of preparation to defeat: “We recommend using traps as well as the Pullcaster. Though slow, they can reach a speed that will easily trample Aloy, so get ready to dodge. Finally, be wary of its flamethrower trunk…”

Turn the tide with an override!

While mostly every machine is itching for a fight, they also hugely contribute to the world of Horizon, or offer Aloy help throughout her journey. Think of the Tallnecks, which aren’t hostile and will in fact give Aloy some clarity and direction when overridden!

“Aloy can, similar to Horizon Zero Dawn, override machines and have them fight with her,” says Maxim. “This time around we’ve also added more mounts to explore and ride – you can see her on the Clawstrider during the gameplay trailer.”

Blake adds: “Some machines may also inadvertently help Aloy out. If a machine is searching for certain resources that Aloy happens to be after, they can lead her to stashes if she’s observant. Also, through overriding, Aloy can now exert some control over machine behavior, shifting them into aggressive or defensive states.”

One of the things everyone at Guerrilla is looking forward to most is seeing which new machines players will like. Of course, we have our own machine ranks in the studio; for Maxim, the Thunderjaw is his favorite.

“It was the first machine from Horizon Zero Dawn I saw a concept for, so it’s always been close to my heart,” he smiles. “I love the design and character of it. In contrast, in Horizon Forbidden West, it’s the Burrowers: nifty little machines which can overwhelm you if you’re not careful.”

And Blake’s favorite? “The Stormbird. It’s one of the first ones we designed, and we were trying to figure out what these machines were supposed to be. When I pitched it to a colleague, it sounded like an eagle combined with a fighter jet; but then it would also be elemental with surges of electricity high from the sky. It would dive straight to the player like a bolt of lightning and explode as it hit the ground! Our Game Director overheard this conversation, turned around and said: “that sounds awesome!” So that’s how we figured out the Stormbird.

“And for me, my favorite is definitely the Shellsnapper. It’s a machine that had been brewing in my mind since the first game, and I’m excited to see it in the Forbidden West. It’s large and has several abilities that will excite players – combining inspiration from movies and real life, as well as some strange things we came up with ourselves. I’m just as excited to see people’s reactions to this machine as they are to play it.”

What’s your favorite machine from Horizon Zero Dawn, or the one you look forward to discovering most in Horizon Forbidden West? Let us know in the comments below this post.For more information on Horizon Forbidden West, please visit here. We’ll be back soon with another developer blog!

Website: LINK

Reading Time: 9 minutes

Since the launch of Horizon Zero Dawn in 2017, Aloy has lived in the hearts of our players, and her story of survival, self-discovery, and sacrifice resonated with many. That story is set to continue in the upcoming sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, which takes place six months after the events of Horizon Zero Dawn. Aloy has travelled west to investigate a mysterious and deadly blight. In these uncharted lands, she will meet strange new tribes and encounter ever more deadly machines. Together with old friends and new companions, she must brave this new frontier to find the answers she needs to save life on Earth. 

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Spoiler Alert: Please note this article contains some spoilers for Horizon Zero Dawn and its storyline.

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Aloy’s story, woven from love and loss, makes for a very compelling adventure. People from all over the world have shared with us the impact Horizon Zero Dawn has had on them, and they want more. After revealing Horizon Forbidden West’s gameplay trailer late May, fans were ecstatic to see Aloy again, fighting against machines and raiders, and even reuniting with her old friend Erend.

From outcast to heroic Machine hunter

Guerrilla’s Narrative Director Ben McCaw understands these reactions well. “In Horizon Zero Dawn, Aloy goes from being the least important person in the world – a humble outcast – to the most important. Not only does she become the greatest machine hunter in the land, she discovers that she is the key to understanding Earth’s past and saving its future. Along the way, she gathers key allies to her side, like Varl, a kind Nora hunter who lost his sister in the Proving; Erend, a strong but sensitive Oseram Vanguard; and the Carja Sun-King Avad, an enlightened ruler trying to rescue his people from their bloody past.

‘But Horizon Zero Dawn ends with Aloy’s job only half-finished,” Ben continues. “One threat has been vanquished, but another looms in the form of a strange red blight that’s strangling the land. So in the six months between games, she has been on a mission to discover how to stop this insidious infection. Fans can get a glimpse of her journey in the five-issue Sunhawk collection from Titan Comics. This mission has been tough. She’s had to travel fast and leave a lot of her gear behind. Even so, she has pursued the mission with the same determination, strength, and drive that she showed in the first game. In that sense, she hasn’t changed a bit.”

A hero, a hunter, an explorer… Aloy carries a lot on her shoulders as she continues to face challenges and dangers in these lands. From a narrative perspective, it was important to convey Aloy’s strength and emotional intelligence, and to provide her with lessons and experiences throughout the game to develop further as a real and relatable protagonist.

“Born and raised as an outcast, Aloy has a unique perspective on the world,” explains Ben. “She is deeply compassionate towards those who suffer, and highly driven to punish powerful oppressors. Although she has made many friends during her adventures, she still feels like an outsider, and the truth is, she has no real home. These aspects of her character will be explored in depth as she ventures into the mysterious frontier of the Forbidden West.

‘This goes for the story as well. It starts with the same Aloy that players fell in love with during Horizon Zero Dawn. But we’ve added new tribes, new companions, and new complications, all of which will force Aloy to change. We don’t want to spoil how, but there are some big surprises along the way! We have no doubt that players will enjoy watching her evolution.”

Horizon Forbidden West doesn’t just show an evolution of Aloy’s character, but also offers more freedom in the way she moves through and experiences the world. “In Horizon Forbidden West, we wanted to keep and expand everything that made Aloy such a great and engaging character, but also add much more. She’s still the same nimble and accurate machine hunter, but we’ve added tons of depth to the combat system. It’s still exciting to explore the world with her, yet we’ve made traversal more varied with tools like the Pullcaster and Shieldwing, both of which were on display in our gameplay trailer,” says Ben.

Concepts and collaboration

Aloy’s transformation throughout her journey is not only done through the narrative team’s brilliant writing; it’s a collaborative effort between various teams at Guerrilla, from concept art to animation to audio and more.

Ben agrees. “Multiple teams have invested countless hours in her every aspect: her combat moves, her animations, her gear, her hair, and her dialogue. Not to mention Ashly Burch’s inspired voice performance. All of this effort makes Aloy feel real. It also makes her a great fit for all kinds of players: those who want to fight, to explore, to engage with tribes and NPCs, or simply to just take in her presence in a beautiful world. So many people work hard to make all this possible.”

One of these people is Bastien Ramisse, Lead Character Artist at Guerrilla who’s been heavily involved in Aloy’s character since day one.

“Bringing a character to life is always an exciting process,” he starts. “From a creative perspective, we often experiment with multiple design sketches and proposals. This is also when we start discussing how to develop and build a better understanding of the character and its subtleties.’

‘With Aloy, a long period of gestation and collaboration with talented artists happened to reach the unique and iconic look we all know of her today. As character artists, the team is mainly focusing their attention to always improve the quality and fidelity of the models. So it’s the involvement of multidisciplinary team members such as narrative, concept art, rigging, animation, audio and lighting (to only name a few) mixed with our perseverance and effort which is the true magic that creates fictional characters. It allows them to become a believable and inspirational hero for everyone.”

Aloy is well known for her wavy red braids and agile warrior build, but what truly drives the design is the authenticity and practicality of placing and experiencing the characters in the world they live in.

“The team always designs her outfits with the intention to allow graceful and fluid movement over heavy and impractical costumes. We also believe that meticulously placed details are part of immersion and tell an often unspoken story. At Guerrilla, we are always eager to explore and expand the identities and cultures of our tribes. While the Utaru tribe was briefly included in Horizon Zero Dawn, they feature more heavily in Horizon Forbidden West, with an updated design, grounded fashion construction, and expanding the use of materials to create practical clothing to fit their day-to-day activities, environment and hierarchical diversity.”

More detail than ever before

The development and subsequent launch of the PlayStation 5 console has given teams at Guerrilla even more means to aim for high quality and visual benchmarks we are so passionate about, and brings an added layer of detail and authenticity to the game.

“Each generation of consoles brings extra power that lets us add even denser polygons to our character models, so we can create finer details such as peach fuzz, smooth contouring, or finer texture details and accurate materials expression, to name a few. And not only do visual aspects benefit from the new PlayStation 5 hardware — we have also increased the number of skeletal joints to bring our deformations and facial expressions to a whole new level for more credible and immersive character performance. All in all, a dream come true for both players and developers!”

Just because the team has been pushing the boundaries on the PlayStation 5 version of Horizon Forbidden West, doesn’t mean that the PlayStation 4 version will be compromised, notes Bastien. “We actually developed and tested the game simultaneously on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, because it’s very important to us as a studio to ensure PlayStation 4 players get an equally immersive experience. With our knowledge from Horizon Zero Dawn, we knew that we still had some unexplored resources that could push the realism and quality of our character assets forward; it’s great to now be able to tap into that knowledge and experience for the sequel.’

‘From an artistic point of view, Horizon Forbidden West really stands on the shoulders of a successfully established design foundation in Horizon Zero Dawn,” Bastien continues. “The most noticeable differences and improvements for Aloy in terms of technology is the push of facial and body capture accuracy, allowing more realistic shapes and surface details on characters as well as the careful increase of polygon density to capture handmade and used outfits.”

And Horizon Forbidden West will have a range of outfits for Aloy to benefit from; similar to and perhaps familiar from the first game, outfits allow for protection against a variety of dangers that Aloy encounters and can be purchased from Merchants or found in the world. A new addition to the system is that outfits in Horizon Forbidden West have skills attached to them, so players can boost their abilities in different ways. Maximizing these skills happens through a new and improved Skill Tree, something we will tell you more about some other time…

Evolving the Cosplay Guides

The efforts that go into Aloy’s outfits (and those of the characters she meets during her journey) do not go unnoticed in the Horizon community. Cosplayers have been exploring these characters for years, bringing them to life in their own way and using that high level of authenticity from within the game to inform their material choices for their own costumes. To make their design process easier, Guerrilla loves to provide extensive Cosplay Guides with highly detailed renders and explanations on materials used.

“Aloy’s Utaru Harvester outfit, which she wore in the recent gameplay trailer and is featured in our newest Cosplay Guide, is a successful cocktail of old applied rules to preserve the look and feel of Aloy, with a pinch of new exploration of the Utaru tribe. The outfit uses a wide variety of natural materials such as reed, jute, rattan, linen and leaves found within the surrounding area of Plainsong.”

Bastien hopes that, through the material library the team uses throughout development, the details and realism of tribal materials such as hide, leather, suede and wood will be useful and inspirational references. “At Guerrilla, we are always so honored to see dedicated cosplayers investing so much time and passion in the hard labor of crafting real life costumes of our digital version of Aloy. From artists to artists, we understand that such a creative project is an often uncharted and sometimes tedious path, so we are hugely excited and can’t wait to discover your newest creations after the game hits the shelves.”

Ben attests to that sentiment: “We’re excited for players to experience many of the game’s new features. Our new traversal tools. Underwater exploration. Enhanced combat. Spectacular machines. But most of all, we can’t wait to see how players react to all the characters Aloy will meet in her journey across the frontier of the Forbidden West. From old friends to new comrades and tribes, she will experience many highly personal stories… and these will affect her quite a lot. It’s safe to say she will never be the same!” For more information on Horizon Forbidden West, please visit here. We’ll be back soon with another developer blog!

Website: LINK