HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST Game Director Reveals Release and More

Last week, Mathijs de Jonge, Game Director for Horizon Forbidden West, shared new insights into the highly-anticipated Horizon Zero Dawn sequel revealed during last week’s PlayStation 5 event. The Guerrilla Games developer also revealed that gamers can expect to see the open-world action role-playing game hit shelves next year!

“So ever since the first game,” de Jonge explained, “We really wanted to make a world that is so beautiful that you just want to *be* there.”

With the processing power of the PS5, de Jonge promised a game that would be more detailed, more vibrant, and more immersive than its predecessor. The PS5’s oft-advertised solid state drive ensures that loading screens will either be super-fast or non-existent. When you boot up the game or fast travel to a new place on the map, Aloy will be right back in the action after an incredibly short wait.

de Jonge explained how the game begins with Aloy traveling into the Forbidden West from the Carja Sundom. Her journey will take her through valleys, deserts, and ruined cities, all full of iconic North American landmarks (i.e. the Golden Gate Bridge).

“For the sequel, we wanted to go wider and deeper,” revealed de Jonge, “So the map is a bit bigger.” That’s saying a lot considering how massive the in-game world was for Horizon Zero Dawn. In addition to the Forbidden West being bigger than the Carja Sundom and the Sacred Lands combined, Horizon Forbidden West allows Aloy to explore what lies hidden beneath the world’s seas, lakes, and even rivers.

Danger lurks behind every corner in the Forbidden West. In addition to familiar Machines like the crocodile-like Snapmaws, the Forbidden West is home to a large variety of new Machines. The turtle-like Shell-Snappers guard the beaches and swamps of the Forbidden West, and the pternadon-like Sunwings (so named for their solar-cell wings) patrol the skies. The arguably most dangerous Machine in the Forbidden West is the mammoth-like Tremortusk. Loaded up with weapons and heavy plate armor, the Tremortusk is potentially more lethal than the iconic Thunderjaw of the first game.

Tremortusks are dangerous enough without the additional armor that this hostile tribe has outfitted their war machines with.

de Jonge promises dozens more new Machines to discover as players explore the Forbidden West. “And each of these machines has to be scanned and studied,” cautioned de Jonge, “In order to fight them effectively.”

The Forbidden West is also home to new human tribes. While some are peaceful, others are hostile. One of these hostile tribes (seemingly with the assistance of Sylens) has discovered the knowledge to override new Machines. This tribe uses overridden Machines as war-beasts, including the Tremortusk. “And it’s already dangerous when you encounter it in the wilds,” de Jonge revealed, “But when it’s specially outfitted by the tribes, it’s even more dangerous.”

But the greatest challenge in the Forbidden West is not its Machines or its tribes, but the collapsing biosphere.

Aloy (Ashly Burch) must find a way to stop the deteriorating environment, as it gets worse and worse.

With GAIA self-destructed and her subordinate functions self-aware and unshackled, the Zero Dawn terraforming system has begun chaotically breaking down. The land itself is infected by the “Red Blight”. The Blight chokes all flora it comes in contact with, and the fauna (including humans) are beginning to starve. On top of the ecological crisis, the weather has spiraled out of control. Canyons and fields are being flooded by massive supercell thunderstorms that are being generated.

The world of Horizon Zero Dawn is built and designed around mysteries for the player to try and solve, so Guerrilla refuses to spoil any more of the game.

“We have been working very hard in order to create a worthy sequel,” shared de Jonge, “One that will hopefully appeal to all the fans, but also newcomers to the franchise.”

de Jonge revealed that the Guerrilla developer team aims to release Horizon Forbidden West in 2021.

What do you think? Are you hungering for more information about the Forbidden West? Or is your appetite sated for now? Geek Girl Authority will go to great lengths in order to uncover more secrets about Horizon Forbidden West and all your most-anticipated PS5 games!