Earlier this week Sony announced a State of Play out of the blue for Horizon Forbidden West. The sequel to 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn has been one of the most highly anticipated games for a while now, but despite this, there has been little actually revealed about it. However, fans finally got a glance at some of Horizon Forbidden West’s upcoming gameplay, as well as the futuristic world that Aloy must traverse. And, while the gameplay is certainly already shaping up to be great, there is no denying how simply beautiful the water and its environments within this world is.
When Sony began promoting the release of the PlayStation 5 last year, a lot of its focus was on the new games that would be available to those in possession of the coveted console. This included Horizon Forbidden West. Despite only offering snippets of what could be expected on its eventual release, the brief clip of Aloy diving into the azure blue waters in Horizon Forbidden West was enough to send ripples of excitement throughout the gaming community. While Aloy could enter the waters in Horizon Zero Dawn, the mechanic was limited to hiding beneath the surface, rather than underwater exploration.
However, at yesterday’s State of Play for Horizon Forbidden West, Aloy was not only shown to dive into the waters of the futuristic San Francisco Bay, but to actually immerse herself in them fully and explore what lay beneath the surface, and the views were simply breathtaking. The crystal-clear waters of Horizon Forbidden West are iridescent, with a range of colorful flora swaying serenely to the natural ebb and flow of the deep. Meanwhile, schools of fish swarm through the many underwater coral reefs. It is a tropical escape, but one that is still laced with the undeniable hints of danger.
Horizon Forbidden West: How Underwater Exploration Will Work
Aloy will have to overcome many obstacles in Horizon Forbidden West that lie in her path in order to achieve her goals. This is equally true for underwater exploration as it is for on land. Thankfully, within Horizon Forbidden West, Aloy has some new kit to help make this traversal easier, including a diving mask. With this mask, Aloy will be able to stay submerged for as long as is required to figure out a route through the beautiful, but treacherous, waters.
Aloy will have to use her skills in Horizon Forbidden West to negotiate not just the aquatic mechanical beasts that prowl the deeps, including Snapmaws and Burrowers, but also strong currents. As in life, the waters of Horizon Forbidden West are not to be taken lightly. Aloy will have to use her strength to propel herself from underwater points, and through the currents that could sweep her off course without the proper approach.
However, while the enemies and the environments within Horizon Forbidden West are clearly not to be underestimated, they are certainly to be enjoyed. The amount of detail that has been included in these underwater environments alone is astounding. Mechanical beasts or not, these are lush and vibrant areas in Horizon Forbidden West that anyone would surely love to dive into, and explore even further.