Horizon Forbidden West is one of the most anticipated upcoming PlayStation games. The title is a sequel to the beloved Horizon Zero Dawn, and it's set to continue the adventures of Aloy. While there is no release date set, it is expected to launch at some point in 2022. Fortunately, there are several trailers out there for fans of the series to give an impression of what Horizon Forbidden West will be like. Based on the trailers, Horizon Forbidden West looks like the next step forward for the series, with gameplay enhancements, new enemies, and some huge environments to navigate.
While the news hasn't been confirmed, it's been reported that Horizon Forbidden West could be delayed until 2022. Bloomberg reported on the delay earlier this year, though PlayStation has yet to confirm the delay is happening. If this report turns out to be true, it could be a blow to PlayStation's late 2021 lineup. While there are numerous significant multiplatform releases yet to come in 2021, this could mean that PlayStation might go without a big exclusive in the last quarter of the year. Whenever it does wind up being released, Horizon Forbidden West has so far looked like a big step for the franchise, based on its trailers.
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Horizon Forbidden West – Announcement Trailer
The very first Horizon Forbidden West trailer came in June 2020. While the initial trailer didn't show off any new gameplay, it did exhibit some of the new locations, monsters, and mechanics that players can expect to experience. Throughout the trailer, players are treated to a look at new environments including underwater areas, deep jungles, beaches, and ruined architecture from past civilizations.
As far as first impressions go, it's clear that Guerrilla Games is looking to encourage the player's sense of exploration even further in this sequel. The new underwater sequences in Horizon Forbidden West could be a big opportunity to add a new wrinkle to exploration in the franchise. Deserts and icy mountains are also shown off, making it clear that the open world is going to be a diverse place for players to traverse.
In addition to the new open world, players got a first look at some of the new machines of Horizon Forbidden West. A large turtle-like machine, known as the Shellsnapper, is one of the new challenges that Aloy will face, as well as a new crocodile and wild boar-based enemies. In the case of the Shellsnapper and crocodile-like machine, it seems Forbidden West is looking for ways to challenge players in the new aquatic environments. Perhaps the most impactful reveal was in the last part of the trailer, where an elephant-inspired creature was shown off being controlled by a tribe. This intimidating enemy was only briefly shown here, but fortunately, this isn't the last that gamers will see of it before Forbidden West launches.
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Horizon Forbidden West – Gameplay Trailer
At a PlayStation State of Play event in May 2021, gamers got their first look at the gameplay of Horizon Forbidden West. The 14 minute-long video featured new gameplay mechanics, enemies, and some familiar returning faces from Zero Dawn. When the trailer kicks off, players meet Aloy tending to an injured character before she sets off to rescue Erend, a returning character from the first game.
Transitioning from cutscene to in-game action is seamless, and it's easy to see that Forbidden West should be a visually stunning game when it's finally released. After some light platforming, The early portion of the trailer showcases an incredible-looking beach environment before getting into some of the game's combat with machine enemies.
The next sequence shows off a mix of various gameplay elements players can expect from Horizon Forbidden West. Aloy engages in combat with some machines before doing some quick platforming and transitioning into an underwater sequence. This part of the trailer does an impressive job of showing off the variety of ways that gamers will be able to approach and evade combat. Players also get to see a new grapple which should allow Aloy to more easily traverse obstacles vertically in the game world. This trailer drew a lot of comparisons with Breath of the Wild, which is easy to see during this section of the trailer with its focus on open-world combat and movement.
The following part of the trailer focuses on human combat, including a stealth section and the ability to tear off enemy armor, which appears to be a new gameplay mechanic for Horizon Forbidden West. Aloy then moves on to more exploring, riding an enemy machine as a mode of transport. One of the highlights of the trailer is Aloy's encounter with the mammoth-like enemy machine. This creature forces Aloy to use all her skills to take it down, which seems like it'll be a thrilling encounter. This is just one of the many battles that players will surely encounter throughout Forbidden West, and players could have a fun time tactically tearing apart enemies.
It was reported in June that work on Horizon Forbidden West is nearly complete. While no release date has been set, fans are hoping that the game is still on track to be released in early 2022. Forbidden West is one of PlayStation's biggest upcoming releases, and it could prove to be very popular over the holiday season and beyond. As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, it wouldn't be all that surprising to see the game delayed to a later point, as has happened with several other high-profile games. Forbidden West looks like it's making several improvements over the original game, and hopefully, gamers won't have to wait much longer to experience it.
Horizon Forbidden West is set to launch in 2021 on PS4 and PS5.
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