Horizon Forbben West fans have received regular updates on the game as the release date approaches. Community Leader Bo De Vries is back with another blog post, this time with in-depth explanations from some developers on combat and enemy interactions in Horizon Forbidden West.
The beginning of the new blog post focuses on Aloy’s stealth combat. Guerrilla Games intends to bring more fluidity and versatility to all of Aloy’s combat decisions and associated animations. Her new combat skills are meant to add another layer to Aloy’s story and development, according to Richard Oud, director of game animation for Horizon Forbidden West. New clips in the blog post show Aloy seamlessly chaining attacks, showcasing her athleticism, combat prowess, and gadget mastery all in one shot.
In the new clips, Aloy shows off her new combat versatility in both humans and machines. However, these combat enhancements are not one-sided, as the enemy AI is designed to better react to the threat that Aloy is. Human AI will be able to search for it as a group, rather than splitting up and making it easier for them to remove it. The machines will also read and react. The example given by lead AI programmer Arjen Beij claims that swimming-capable machines will chase Aloy if she dives into the water and attacks. A clip in the blog post shows this when Aloy has to dodge a machine that is chasing her. If there is a mixed team of humans and enemy machines, the humans will react acc ordingly if they encounter a friendly machine shot down by Aloy.
Are you going in with a stealth approach or do you take out your opponents head-on… Learn more about outsmarting your enemies in Horizon Forbidden West on the PlayStation Blog today!
🏹 https://t.co/WIJz7EfVfJ pic.twitter.com/8T5EJgCaYY
– Guerrilla (@Guerrilla) December 6, 2021
With all the visual layers added, the team at Guerrilla Games have also updated the game’s audio to match. Specifically, with the Machine, all enemies are built with unique sound signals for different situations. Machines that are passive or not alert to Aloy will sound very different from her combat sounds. The player will also be able to hear unique audio signals when fighting machines for both melee and ranged attacks, and will learn to adapt to the threat of multiple machines. More audio signals will be heard in the game world, and not just for the gamer. The human enemy AI will be programmed to better hear the rogue arrows in the game world and will react accordingly.
However, Aloy’s newer combat acumen won’t be native when fans first get their hands on the game. As animation director Richard Oud continues, Aloy’s combat fluidity will be tied to the skill tree in Horizon Forbidden West. The additional layers of skills, along with armor mods, value increases, and crafting tables are sure to create more unique experiences for fans.
Horizon Forbidden West will be released on February 18, 2022 for PS4 and PS5.
