Guerrilla Games' recentHorizon Forbidden WestState of Play wowed fans with a comprehensive 14 minute gameplay demo, that demonstrated some of the refinements that are being made to Aloy’s arsenal and universe. While arelease date was crucially missing from Sony’s event, all signs point to development being made on the PS4 and PS5 game at a steady pace. Every aspect of what’s been shown so far indicates that the studio are going to great lengths to take their time, whilst making sure that the open-world sequel is a dramatic cut above the original beloved game.
Due toHorizon: Zero Dawn’s open-world setting, arrow based combat, and release proximity toThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, more than a few comparisons were made between the two games back in 2017. In reality, the development of the once PS4-exclusive coincided with Nintendo’s work so closely, that any similarities that could be drawn between them were more coincidental than anything else. WithHorizon Forbidden West,though the comparisons are a lot more apparent, these correlations should bode well for the overall quality of Guerrilla Games' final product.
RELATED:How Horizon Forbidden West and Far Cry 6’s Individual Showcases May Influence Future Presentations
Link’s Glider in Horizon Forbidden West
One of the most immediate comparisons occurred partway through the showcase, at the point where Aloy leaps from an overgrown jungle perch, and avoids taking fall damage by gracefully deploying her electric infused “Shieldwing” glider.Breath of the Wilddoesn’t own a monopoly on the concept of gliders in games, and similar devices have even beena part of PlayStation history like inSly 2, it’s use in this scenario is visually and mechanically most akin toThe Legend of Zelda:Breath of the Wild’s glider.
During Link’s Switch debut,the Hero of Timeutilized a similar device so routinely to descend the game’s loftiest locations, that it’s status within gaming has becomes synonymous withThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Multiple memes or even trick-shotting videos have gone viral as a result of its popularity within that game, players using the glider to glitch their way across the game’s expansive map. While there’s no indication that Aloy will be able to do something quite like that, the potential it offers her should still be of great significance.
In theoriginalHorizon: Zero Dawn, Aloy’s movement and traversal skills were two of the game’s weaker aspects. Despite creating a lush and vibrant world with plenty of elevation, Guerrilla Games limited their protagonist’s exploration abilities to a number of pre-scripted locations. Introducing the Shieldwing will therefore have an undoubtable liberating effect, as it’s inclusion hints that some ofHorizon Forbidden West’s looming structures like the destroyed Golden Gate Bridge, will be fully explorable.
Hookshot Heroes
The secondZelda-inspired upgrade to Aloy’s gadgets is a piece of equipment that ironically didn’t find its way intoThe Legend of Zelda:Breath of the Wild. Multiple incarnations of Link have famously employed the Hookshot as a means of traversing dungeons, but was never present inBreath of the Wild. An argument can be made that it’s uncharacteristic omission didn’t impact the overall quality of the game, with newer traversal mechanics coming into effect that greatly elevated the overall experience.Horizon Forbidden West’s protagonist will on the other hand have access to her own grapple, in the shape of the charmingly named “Pullcaster.”
In the State of Play demo, the developer in control of Aloy demonstrated on a number of occasions why Nintendo might still want to consider reintroducing the Hookshot back intoBreath of the Wild 2. Not only does the device seemingly open up a whole new level of exploration and movability, but it was also shown to be a useful companion to the Shieldwing in combat scenarios as well. From everything that Sony have shown so far, leaning into Zelda inspired vibes could end up reversing this trend massively in the sequel’s favor.
Strong PlayStation Studio Vibes in Horizon Forbidden West
One of the most immediately obvious improvementsHorizon Forbidden Westhas made over its predecessor is the revitalized melee combat. Being able to combo together different attacks, whilst utilizing an array of weapons, ammo types, and gadgets, feels a lot more like the combat versatility and freedom that madeThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s combat compelling. A hinted expansion to the number of mounts, as well as what those creatures might be capable, can also be traced directly to Nintendo’s playbook. On a deeper level, Guerrilla Games are openly invoking inspiration from their fellowfirst-party PlayStation Studiocousins as well.
Aside fromtheDevil May Cry-stylized special move Aloy pulls off whilst fighting a particularly hard Rebel opponent, a lot of design cues can be directly drawn from Sony exclusive IPs. Most notably is Aloy’s new preference to quip during challenging encounters, almost reminiscent of Uncharted’s Nathan Drake, or Spider-Man. In the originalHorizon Zero Dawn, Aloy was always sharp and quick witted, but there now appears to be an extra level of confidence to her abilities. Movement has noticeably sped up and expanded, with the Shieldwing and Pullcaster, and now more closely resembles the traversal fluidity inMarvel’sSpider-Man.
Sony has become known for creating cinematic narrative third-person adventures on PS4, so comparisons between what’s been shown ofHorizon Forbidden Westand games like 2018’sGod of War, is an obvious through line. In terms of open-world design, there’s also some notable parallels with the gorgeously realizedworld ofGhost of Tsushima, with Guerrilla Games clearly looking to challenge Sucker Punch’s visual and design fidelity. Choosing to focus the gameplay demo around one of Aloy’s companions, might also suggest a shift in mission structure towards recognizable faces, that was also seen in that particular game as well.
With no release date still in sight forHorizon Forbidden Westthere’s a strong chance that more vibes that draw inspiration from classics likeThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, might be waiting for fans further down the road.
Horizon Forbidden Westis currently in development for PS4 and PS5.
MORE:The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Paved the Way for Breath of the Wild
