Journalists from Game Informer spoke with the developers of Horizon Forbidden West from Guerrilla Games. In a new article dedicated to the game, they decided to go over the improvements the sequel can boast of.
High-quality cinematics and animations. They note that the improved quality is characteristic of the entire game, including several secondary scenes that the journalists saw. They praise facial animations. The protagonist Aloy can convey much more (emotion) through body language and eyes.
Settlements have become livelier. NPCs have begun to behave more realistically; the developers announced an improved crowd system, improved audio, and animation. Journalists noticed that near a tavern, characters could stumble, and inside it, a group was singing and tapping on a table to keep the beat.
An updated skill tree. Six branches are offered, each with 20–30 skills with a unique “ultimate”. There are both passive and active abilities, and some can be further upgraded to make them stronger.
Scanning provides more information. When scanning, the protagonist can discover grapple points (where to climb) and get more information about enemies: weak spots; stats; the presence of a specific upgrade resource; whether a weapon can be shot off and used; whether a component can be destroyed; and machine parts can be tagged in purple.
- Rewards for side quests will be more generous. Supposedly, “optional content will be worth players’ time.” Mentioned among the rewards are a “cool weapon or cool outfit”.
- A less cluttered HUD. By default, the game will launch in a minimalist mode, where as little information as possible is displayed on the screen. At the same time, by swiping the touchpad, the player can bring up various indicators.
- Aloy will spend more time with companions. Mostly these are key (story) characters, but there will be room for secondary ones as well.
- It will become possible to create a quest for resource gathering, which will simplify the search — a route will be plotted on the map to the location where the required machines dwell.
The release of Horizon Forbidden West is scheduled for February 18, 2022, for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.