One of the things that made Horizon Zero Dawn one of the best games of the console generation was the uniqueness of the gameplay and the variety of enemies. Guerrilla, in a PlayStation Blog post, detailed the new enemy types and the various strategies and tactics players can use in Horizon Forbidden West to outsmart Aloy’s enemies.
Freedom of choice has always been at the heart of Guerrilla in Horizon Zero Dawn, and it looks like it will be further developed in Horizon Forbidden West. Freedom and player choice during open-world encounters will be at the heart of the game, and the new footage and clips show exactly how that will work. “Aloy is a smart and agile fighter,” says Charles Peren, Combat Designer. “In Horizon Forbidden West, the tools at her disposal generate a wide range of tactics that allow her to take on physically stronger opponents, from fully armored humans to very large machines.”
Horizon Forbidden West: New enemy types and combat
Another key goal of the development team was to make players feel like Aloy has grown in her skills and confidence in her adventures in the latest game. This is shown in her animations, especially in the grapple mechanic, as she is much more agile and resourceful. Also, small touches like her physical struggle as she climbs big inclines add to the nuance of the animation.
“We wanted to make enemies feel more authentic by improving fluidity and continuity of movement, such as making enemies (and comrades) more capable of traversing rough terrain,” says lead AI programmer Arjen Beige. “The AI in Horizon Zero Dawn already supported some dynamic terrain changes, but we wanted to take it a step further by adding jumping and climbing as a system part of their behavior. While you are playing the game, the AI will look for shortcuts where it used to be tedious.”
New types of enemies
Horizon Forbidden West will feature brand new kinds of “impressive”vehicles that are as menacing as they are fun. However, they won’t be the only foe Aloy will face in her adventures, as the new increased number of human enemies will be a completely different challenge.
Human enemies in Horizon Forbidden West will include new enemy classes with their own combat behaviors and features. According to Charles Peren, combat designer, the combat team has added a nifty new feature that makes switching between ranged and melee combat even more rewarding. “The Resonator Burst rewards players for using the spear combo: whenever Aloy attacks in melee, the resonator in her spear builds up some energy. This energy can be directed at an enemy and linger on them for a short time.”
Horizon Forbidden West is scheduled to release on February 18, 2022 for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.