Horizon Forbidden West: Guerrilla talks about the metal beasts that populate his world
Horizon Forbidden West
Guerrilla Games has published a post on the PlayStation Blog, to tell us about the metal beasts that populate the world of Horizon Forbidden West, the new PlayStation exclusive to be released on February 18, 2022 on PS4 and PS5</a>. The head of the community Bo de Vries then explains how lethal they are and how to survive them, also giving us some information on what the actual gameplay will be.Horizon Forbidden West, an artwork with one of the mechanical beasts (the logo is also cut in the original) The world of Horizon Forbidden West, which is the same as that of Horizon Zero Dawn, is dominated by machines in the shape of creatures that actually existed on planet Earth. Some we have already seen in action in the first chapter, others are completely new. Among the returns there will be Vedetta, the Celermorso, while the new entrances include the Squarciavento, agile and agile, and the Tremorzanna, a colossal beast very difficult to kill. Let's read more details from the PlayStation Blog post:
Incredible beasts of metal
The chief designer of the Machines Blake Politeski has been part of Guerrilla since the conception of the first Machines, at the beginning of the works on Horizon Zero Dawn. His team, along with asset graphic chief Maxim Fleury and others, have created new mechanical wonders for the upcoming second chapter.
"We will be able to explore a new region of the world of Horizon," begins Blake . "We wondered what kind of machines could live in the various ecosystems and how they interacted with each other, with the environment and obviously with humans. Machines are a kind of guardians of this world, so it seemed interesting to us to consider how who perform their duties and how the player can benefit from them. "
"During the development of Horizon Zero Dawn we came up with a lot of ideas, many of which have remained in the drawer. Now, however, with Horizon Forbidden West we can combine some of these amazing ideas, previously unattainable, with some new and interesting concepts! "
Maxim adds:" Blake's team has provided us with a design document describing the general appearance of the Machine, the (interactive) parts it possesses and the attachments it The document is enriched with some detailed illustrations, but the real visual design work goes to the team dealing with assets for robots and weapons. "
" The sketchers prepare a 3D study which is reviewed by various teams (art direction, game design, animation and technical graphics) until they are all satisfied. At this point we create, structure and animate a model to see if everything works as expected, after which the modelers of the team of the g rafica of robots and weapons works on it, entering all the details. After a few more steps in the various teams, the model is eventually fully animated, colored, textured and double-checked, before being implemented in the game instead of the temporary model. It takes a long time to develop each Machine! "
Adding New Machines
It was not easy to finalize all 25 Machines in Horizon Zero Dawn." In the first game we had to start from scratch, " says Blake, "so we started from the ground up by defining the various roles. The Lookout was a kind of surveillance camera, the Reaper a guardian of law and order, and so on. Once these roles were established, we began experimenting with mixing robot styles, specific abilities and functions and, of course, interesting weapons and attacks. "
" With Horizon Forbidden West we wanted to further expand our catalog of Machines. For example, the desire to create a slightly larger Flying Machine than the Emery led to the creation of the Solcasole, which however needed a place and a role in the world. So we studied various flying reptiles and primitive birds for inspiration, developing the idea of wings that store solar energy on sunny days. This idea, in turn, has created an interesting game dynamic: When recharging with solar energy, the Solcasole are more vulnerable but also more alert to the presence of potential predators in the vicinity. "
" Let's start with these unique behaviors and we try to expand them more and more when we define the roles of the Machines in the game world. We want all machines to be connected in some way and have their own importance, thus obtaining a harmonic (eco) system ... just like in the real world. "
Creating an authentic world has always been a priority for Guerrilla, and that includes the conception of credible Machines that roam the world of Horizon. "The design style ushered in with Horizon Zero Dawn is still immensely important to us," explains Maxim. "At the same time we want the new Machines to turn out to be different and unique, to offer players an even richer world. The fact that the Machines of Horizon Forbidden West have many more features than ever has been a challenge from a design standpoint, but we hope this ensures always different and exciting encounters. "
New and dangerous adversaries.
In a previous post we presented some of Aloy's abilities and certain combat moves she can learn in the Forbidden West. They will surely come in very handy for facing even more powerful, faster and more deadly Machines.
"Aloy has a huge assortment of weapons and ammunition - she will have to use them all to beat the various types of Machines!" explains Maxim. "Without anticipating too much, we can say that each Machine can be defeated in different ways. We tried to suggest them through precise design choices, but also by adding textures to highlight weak points or interactive components. Each Machine must be studied carefully to discover the various ways of dealing with it. "
Blake adds:" Many Machines have weapons and behaviors that can be used to gain an advantage. I'm not just referring to the ability to detach components and use them against them. Some Machines have in fact more passive states during which they let their guard down. For example, a Machine digging for resources raises a cloud of dust that Aloy can use to sneak up on. "
" The Machines of Horizon Forbidden West move in all possible ways: they jump, they swim, cling to surfaces and so on. That's why Aloy can use new movement mechanics, without which he could never compete with their agility. We've also improved Aloy's observation and planning skills for a fight, as well as her ability to flee in case of difficulty. "
The ability to climb or throw a smoke bomb to cover the escape gives Aloy a certain advantage when facing the Machines, but the improvements do not only affect the mechanics the player can use. The Machines of the Forbidden West are certainly more dangerous, but it is enough to open your ears to study their behavior and even anticipate their movements. . For example, a Machine emits characteristic sounds when idle, raises the alarm or starts to attack. In the PlayStation 5 version of the game, all of this is accomplished with greater precision thanks to 3D audio, which guarantees unprecedented sensory involvement. in the immense game world when combined with stereo headphones or other compatible devices (analog or USB).
The mighty Tremorzanna
In the Horizon Forbidden West gameplay trailer we saw Aloy facing one of the greatest Machines ever: a Tremorzanna. It is as spectacular an opponent as it is incredibly difficult to beat.
"The Tremorzanna is basically a mammoth with some references to the great war elephants of historical and cinematic inspiration. It has many different attacks and a body stuffed with weapons . In addition to using his fangs to attack at close range, he possesses various elemental weapons. The Tremorzanna seen in the trailer is controlled by a rebel faction of the Tenakths, but specimens can be found in the wild in the wilderness, "explains Maxim.
"It reminds me of a cross between a war elephant and one of those big siege towers used to attack fortresses in medieval times: hard to destroy, slow and with enormous firepower," adds Blake. "This was our basic idea for the Tremorzanna, which turns out to be a well-armored but slow machine, an almost unstoppable force. In Horizon Forbidden West the human enemy factions can control the Machines: it came naturally to us to combine the two and create our own version of the war elephants, equipped with a platform from which humans can attack Aloy. "
" Returning to the speech of the (eco) system of the Machines, it should be remembered that its function is to to preserve the balance on Earth and prevent humanity from causing a new extinction. The Tremorzanna, in particular, are fighting machines created to protect other machines, so that they can carry out their functions without interference from humans. "
Blake and Maxim agree that Tremorzanna is one of the most formidable opponents in the game, one that requires a lot of preparation to be defeated: " rappole and to use the grappling hook. Though slow, it can reach enough speed to overwhelm Aloy, so it's best to be prepared to dodge. Finally, pay attention to the flamethrower trunk ... "
Turn the tide with an Override!
It is true that the Machines are almost always eager to fight, but they also make a huge contribution to the world of Horizon and sometimes they can even help Aloy. Just think of the Longhills, Machines that are not hostile at all and that indeed provide Aloy with valuable information when they are overridden!
"As in Horizon Zero Dawn, Aloy can control the Machines and make them fight on his side, "says Maxim." This time we have added new ride-on machines, such as the Windbreaker seen in the gameplay trailer. "
Blake adds:" Some Machines can help Aloy unintentionally . If a Machine searches for resources while Aloy is on his trail, it can lead her to hidden supplies. Also, now during the Override Aloy can set the attitude of the Machine, choosing between an aggressive or defensive state. "
All of Guerrilla is quivering to know which of the new Machines will be the most popular with players. Obviously, We have our preferences too. Maxim, for example, is crazy about Thunder Devourer!
"It was the first Horizon Zero Dawn Machine I saw a sketch of, and it has remained in my heart ever since , "he smiles." I love its design, its characterization. Among the Machines of Horizon Forbidden West, however, I prefer the Foraterra: small and agile, they can overwhelm the most unwary players in an instant. "
And Blake's favorite Machine?" The Stormwatcher. It was one of the first we designed, when we still didn't know which way to go. When I pitched the idea to a colleague, I imagined a cross between an eagle and a fighter fighter, capable of firing electric shocks from the sky. It could swoop down on the player like lightning and land with a thunderous blast! Listening briefly to us, the game director turned to us and said, 'What a great idea!' This is how the Stormwatcher was born! "
" In what follows, my favorite is the Gusciatroce. It's a Machine I had in mind to make in the first game, so I'm thrilled to find it in the Forbidden West. It is large and with skills that will leave players speechless, with both realistic and inspired by what is seen in the world of cinema, as well as some strange details that we came up with from scratch. I am eager to see player reaction to this new Machine as soon as they come across it! "
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