Horizon Forbidden West

"*Rise above our ruin.*"
―Tagline.

Cover art used for the game's standard edition, depicting Aloy below the Sunwing, one of the new Machines in the game

### Director

Mathijs de Jonge
Ray Almaden

### Designer

David McMullen
Brian Roberts
Lennart Hoting
Valentin Heutte
Eric Boltjens

### Writer

Ben McCaw
John Gonzalez
Annie Kitain
Ariadna Martinez
Nick van Sameren Brand

### Platforms

PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
PC

### Release

**PlayStation 4**, **PlayStation 5**:
February 18, 2022

**PC**:
Early 2024

### Mode(s)

Single-player

***Horizon Forbidden West*** is a 2022 action role-playing video game developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. A PC port is slated to release in 2024. It is the sequel to 2017's *Horizon Zero Dawn* and the second installment of the *Horizon* franchise.

The *Horizon* series is set in a post-apocalyptic United States during the 31st century, in lands overrun by mechanical adversaries called the Machines. Set six months after *Zero Dawn*, *Horizon Forbidden West* follows Aloy (Ashly Burch) as she explores a post-apocalyptic California - the eponymous Forbidden West - in a quest to resolve an emerging ecological threat. Like its predecessor, *Horizon Forbidden West* is an action role-playing video game set in an open world environment, with players assuming the role of Aloy. Aloy has access to a large arsenal of weapons and tools for combat and traversal, including new equipment such a grappling hook and a glider, as well as abilities known as Valor Surges, which boost Aloy's attributes in combat.

*Horizon Forbidden West* began development in early 2018 and utilizes Guerrilla's in-house engine, Decima. As the game was developed for both the PlayStation 5 and its predecessor, Guerrilla found itself facing challenges in maintaining visual parity and consistency between the two systems; the COVID-19 pandemic further disrupted progress, which caused the game to miss its 2021 release target. *Horizon Forbidden West* was officially announced in June 2020, and was released in February 2022. Following its release, Guerrilla supported *Horizon Forbidden West* with several updates and an expansion, *Burning Shores*, which was released exclusively on PlayStation 5 and continued Aloy's story from the conclusion of the base game.

*Horizon Forbidden West* received positive reviews, and was praised for its visuals and technical advancements, art direction, vocal performances (especially Burch), combat, side quest design and writing, enemy designs and soundtrack. In contrast, it was criticized for technical issues present at launch. Several aspects such as the story, characters, open world design and new additions for combat and traversal mechanics received mixed responses ranging from praise to criticism. *Horizon Forbidden West* was nominated for a variety of end-year accolades, winning several honors including Technical Achievement at the 19th BAFTA Awards ceremony. It was also a commercial success, selling over 8.4 million copies by April 2023. A sequel is in development.

## Gameplay

*Horizon Forbidden West* is a third-person action role-playing video game set in a post-apocalyptic environment. Players control protagonist Aloy as she explores the landscapes of an abandoned California, completes quests and battles human and Machine enemies.

## Development

*Horizon Forbidden West* was developed by the Dutch studio Guerrilla Games, headed by executive producer Angie Smets, studio art director Jan-Bart van Beek and technical director Michiel van der Leeuw. The game director was Mathijs de Jonge, who previously worked on the *Killzone* series and *Horizon Zero Dawn* in the same capacity. Benjamin McCaw, who was lead writer on *Horizon Zero Dawn*, served as the studio narrative director. John Gonzalez, who was the narrative director of the first game, served as narrative director before departing Guerrilla in 2021. Misja Baas served as art director, while Joel Eschler was production director, both previously worked on the first game as well as the *Killzone* series. Parent company Sony Interactive Entertainment was the publisher.

Additional support was provided by PlayStation Studios' Creative Arts, Naughty Dog's ICE Team, Bend Studio, London Studio and Virtuos. Kojima Productions is credited as "special thanks".

The budget for *Horizon Forbidden West* was $212 million, with development starting in 2017 and included over 300 full-time employees at its peak according to Sony. While talking with Engadget, Guerrilla mentioned that development began in 2018.

The PC port is developed by fellow PlayStation Studios entity Nixxes Software.

### Design

Guerrilla considered cutting the flying mechanic - unlocked near the end of the game - during the final stages of development, due to struggles to support the feature on the PlayStation 4.

### Technology

*Horizon Forbidden West* was developed using Guerrilla's in-house engine, Decima, which previously powered its predecessor *Horizon Zero Dawn* and 2019's *Death Stranding*. The game also makes use of Epic Games' MetaHuman character creator; using MetaHuman, Guerrilla generated 168 unique characters, created through the scanning of 20 individuals for the "hero" characters. A "data gene pool" was produced through the scanning of additional talent, which was used to generate an additional 67 characters.

## Release

*Horizon Forbidden West* was officially announced during Sony Interactive Entertainment's "Future of Gaming" digital event to announce the PlayStation 5, held on June 11th, 2020. Originally marketed as a PlayStation 5 exclusive, *Horizon Forbidden West* was confirmed to be a cross-generational release with a PlayStation 4 version in September 2020, alongside Insomniac Games' *Spider-Man: Miles Morales* and Sumo Digital's *Sackboy: A Big Adventure*. At the time of its announcement, *Horizon Forbidden West* was originally slated to release sometime in 2021.

In May 2021, Sony and Guerrilla aired a State of Play depicting the first gameplay footage of *Horizon Forbidden West*, which showed a portion of the eponymous location, new combat and traversal mechanics, new Machines and the return of supporting character Erend. At Gamescom Opening Night Live, Guerrilla and Sony announced that the game was delayed from its 2021 window to February 18, 2022; pre-orders for the game started on September 2, 2021. Guerrilla later shared that it was decided to delay the game to avoid crunch time at the studio.

Following its delay, *Horizon Forbidden West* was marketed with several trailers depicting its setting and open world details, including a trailer at The Game Awards 2021, and a story trailer that was released in January 2022, which showcased several returning and new characters.

An expansion pack for *Horizon Forbidden West*, titled *Burning Shores*, was announced at The Game Awards 2022, exclusively for the PlayStation 5. It was released on April 19, 2023.

On September 27, 2023, Sony and Guerrilla announced a re-release titled *Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Edition*, which will compile the base game and the *Burning Shores* expansion into one package. The edition is slated to release on October 6 for PlayStation 5, and early 2024 for personal computers.

## Reception

### Pre-release

Shaun Escayg of Crystal Dynamics, creative director of *Marvel's Avengers*, expressed excitement over *Forbidden West*, remarking that he "can’t wait to see how the team at Guerrilla evolve" *Horizon Zero Dawn*, which he deemed a "masterpiece". Fumihiko Yasuda of Team Ninja, producer of *Nioh 2*, called the game's announcement "really stunning" and mentioned how he awaits to see how "[*Forbidden West*] pushes the series forward on PS5". Both *Ghost of Tsushima* co-director Jason Connell of Sucker Punch Productions and *Assassin's Creed Valhalla* co-director Benoit Richer also expressed excitement for the game, as have *God of War* art director Rafael Grassetti of Santa Monica Studio, and *Final Fantasy VII Remake* director Naoki Hamaguchi of Square Enix, the latter which favorably compared Guerrilla's progress and ambition to his own.

### Reception

* MetaCritic: 88/100 (PS5); 83/100 (PS4)
* OpenCritic: 89/100
* Destructoid: 8.5/10
* Easy Allies: 9/10
* Edge: 7/10
* EGM: 8/10
* Game Informer: 9.25/10
* Game Revolution: 9/10
* GameSpot: 4/5
* GamesRadar: 4.5/5
* Guardian: 8/10
* IGN: 9/10
* PlayStation LifeStyle: 10/10
* PlayStation Universe: 9.5/10
* Push Square: 9/10
* VGC: 5/5

*Horizon Forbidden West* received critical acclaim upon release. On MetaCritic, its PlayStation 5 version holds 88/100 based on 126 scored reviews, while its PlayStation 4 version holds 83/100 based on 7 scored reviews.

IGN's Simon Cardy called it a "fantastic" sequel that "emphatically delivers on the promises made [in 2017]" when *Zero Dawn* was released. Bloomberg's Jason Schreier described it as an "incredible achievement", while Game Informer's Kimberley Wallace believed the game set a "new high bar" for Guerrilla as a developer. Game Revolution's Jason Faulkner considered *Horizon Forbidden West* to be an early contender for 2022's Game of the Year discussions. In a less positive review, Eurogamer's Malindy Hetfeld felt that Guerrilla's additions and decisions to the gameplay and design were "actively worsening" *Horizon Forbidden West*, while the reviewer for Edge Magazine felt that *Forbidden West* as an open world game was held back by its narrative's prominence.

The visuals and art direction of *Horizon Forbidden West* were acclaimed. EasyAllies's Brandon Jones called them "absolutely stellar". EGM's Josh Harmon praised the game, saying it "might actually look better than real life" with landscapes that "would make an 18th century painter blush". Game Informer's Wallace dubbed *Horizon Forbidden West* a "technical marvel" and praised the variety in its locations. GameSpot's Phil Hornshaw found the game to be "absolutely gorgeous", but was especially impressed by the character animations, which he felt enhanced the game's storytelling, although he also noted that less-important characters looked like "animatronics" and the issue also persisted into Aloy in several moments.

The writing and story received generally favorable reactions. Game Revolution's Faulkner considered the story to be "one of the most engrossing we’ve seen on the PS5 yet", and praised the expansion in worldbuilding and lore. IGN's Cardy felt that *Forbidden West* was a "more elegantly told tale" than its predecessor, thanks to omitting audio and text files in favor of "engaging" cutscenes; conversely, he found the opening hours to be among the weaker parts of the overarching narrative, and criticized *Forbidden West*'s need to repeatedly mention *Zero Dawn*'s story. Destructoid's Chris Carter considered *Forbidden West* to be uneven narratively, feeling that the story and world suffered from "questionable" dialogue and reliance on MacGuffins, but that "good character moments" and the world balanced those issues out. Push Square's Stephen Tailby noted that *Forbidden West* lacked the "punch" of *Zero Dawn*'s story revelations, but commended the improvements made to the storytelling.

### Sales

During its launch month, *Horizon Forbidden West* sold over 200,000 copies in Gernmany. In the United Kingdom, *Horizon Forbidden West* sold 530,454 copies by the end of 2022; it was the eighth best-selling game in the country for that year. In Japan, the PlayStation 5 version of *Horizon Forbidden West* sold 151,755 copies by February 19, 2023; the PlayStation 4 version sold 71,492 copies by March 2022.

By April 2023, *Horizon Forbidden West* sold over 8.4 million copies.

### Accolades

*Horizon Forbidden West* was nominated for multiple awards at end-year accolades and ceremonies. Gamespot counted it among the best PlayStation console exclusives of 2022, and also listed the soundtrack as one of the best of the year. Polygon ranked *Horizon Forbidden West* #40 in their top 50 games of 2022 list.

* 2022 Star Awards
	+ Best Game - won
	+ Best Visual Art - won
* Golden Joystick Awards 2022
	+ Ultimate Game of the Year - nominated
	+ Best Storytelling - won
	+ Best Visual Design - nominated
	+ PlayStation Game of the Year - nominated
* The Game Awards 2022
	+ Game of the Year - nominated
	+ Best Game Direction - nominated
	+ Best Narrative - nominated
	+ Best Art Direction - nominated
	+ Best Audio Design - nominated
	+ Best Performance (for Ashly Burch as Aloy) - nominated
	+ Best Action/Adventure Game - nominated
* IGN Game of the Year Awards
	+ Best Action-Adventure Game - nominated
	+ Best Video Game Art - nominated
	+ Best Console Exclusive - nominated
	+ Best Performance in a Game (Ashly Burch as Aloy) - nominated
* PS.Blog Game of the Year 2022
	+ Best Story - Bronze award
	+ Best Graphical Showcase - Gold award
	+ Best Art Direction - Silver award
	+ Best Audio Design - Bronze award
	+ Soundtrack of the Year - Bronze award
	+ Best Accessibility Features - Silver award
	+ Best Use of DualSense - Gold award
	+ PS4 Game of the Year - Silver award
	+ PS5 Game of the Year - Silver award
* Digital Foundry's Best Game Graphics 2022 - won

## Future

Prior to the announcement of *Horizon Forbidden West*, a report by VGC in April 2020 claimed Guerrilla Games envisioned the *Horizon* series as a trilogy, with a multi-script written prior to *Horizon Zero Dawn*'s release. In an interview with VG247, Mathijs de Jonge teased a continuation to *Forbidden West*, based on plot threads left to set up a third installment. On April 24, 2023, Guerilla confirmed the plans for a new *Horizon* title in a message thanking former studio director Angie Smets. On May 9 ,2023, Guerrilla reaffirmed that Aloy's story will continue with a new installment.

## Gallery

Horizon Forbidden West - Announcement Trailer - PS5Horizon Forbidden West - Gameplay Trailer - PS5, PS4Horizon Forbidden West - Pre-order Announcement - PS5, PS4Horizon Forbidden West - Machines of the Forbidden West - PS5, PS4Horizon Forbidden West - New Threats Gameplay Trailer - PS5, PS4Horizon Forbidden West - Tribes of the Forbidden West - PS5, PS4Horizon Forbidden West - Story Trailer - PS5, PS4Horizon Forbidden West - Cinematic Trailer - PS5, PS4
## References

1. ↑ https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/how-horizon-forbidden-west-became-a-showcase-for-the-ps5/
2. ↑ https://www.gamesradar.com/playstation-accidentally-reveals-dollar200m-development-costs-for-horizon-forbidden-west-and-the-last-of-us-part-2/
3. ↑ https://www.engadget.com/horizon-forbidden-west-guerrilla-games-developer-interview-143036984.html
4. ↑ https://www.eurogamer.net/horizon-forbidden-west-developer-almost-cut-flying-due-to-ps4-support
5. ↑ https://www.3lateral.com/projects/horizon-forbidden-west.html
6. ↑ https://www.gameinformer.com/2020/06/11/horizon-ii-forbidden-west-announced
7. ↑ https://www.eurogamer.net/playstation-5-games-spider-man-miles-morales-sackboy-and-horizon-forbidden-west-will-all-launch-on-ps4
8. ↑ https://www.polygon.com/2020/6/11/21284436/horizon-forbidden-west-ps5-playstation-5-trailer
9. ↑ https://www.guerrilla-games.com/read/15-minutes-of-new-gameplay-for-horizon-forbidden-west
10. ↑ https://www.guerrilla-games.com/read/horizon-forbidden-west-arrives-on-18-february-2022
11. ↑ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/horizon-forbidden-west-was-delayed-to-avoid-crunch
12. ↑ https://www.shacknews.com/article/128035/new-trailer-for-horizon-forbidden-west-debuts-during-tga-2021
13. ↑ https://www.sportskeeda.com/esports/horizon-forbidden-west-story-trailer-sets-title-s-premises-new-old-characters-machines
14. ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2022/12/08/aloys-story-continues-in-horizon-forbidden-west-burning-shores/
15. ↑ https://www.eurogamer.net/horizon-forbidden-west-complete-edition-announced-for-pc-playstation-5
16. ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2021/02/12/playstation-developers-most-anticipated-games-of-2021-and-beyond/#sf242918948
17. ↑ https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-5/horizon-forbidden-west/critic-reviews
18. ↑ https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/horizon-forbidden-west/critic-reviews
19. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/horizon-forbidden-west-review
20. ↑ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-14/sony-s-horizon-forbidden-west-is-a-worthy-playstation-sequel?sref=CIpmV6x8#xj4y7vzkg
21. ↑ https://www.gameinformer.com/review/horizon-forbidden-west/leaping-to-greater-heights
22. ↑ https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/702212-horizon-forbidden-west-review-is-it-worth-buying-playing-ps4-ps5
23. ↑ https://www.eurogamer.net/horizon-forbidden-west-review
24. ↑ Edge Magazine issue #369, p.100.
25. ↑ https://easyallies.com/#!/review/horizon-forbidden-west
26. ↑ https://egmnow.com/horizon-forbidden-west-review/
27. ↑ https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/horizon-forbidden-west-review/1900-6417826/
28. ↑ https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-horizon-forbidden-west-ps5-version/
29. ↑ https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps5/horizon-forbidden-west
30. ↑ https://www.game.de/aus-der-zwischenwelt-in-den-verbotenen-westen-die-game-sales-awards-im-februar/
31. ↑ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/average-selling-price-of-games-rose-nearly-7-in-the-uk-last-year
32. ↑ https://www.gematsu.com/2023/02/famitsu-sales-2-13-23-2-19-23
33. ↑ https://www.gematsu.com/2022/03/famitsu-sales-3-14-22-3-20-22
34. ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2023/05/09/20-years-of-guerrilla-the-story-of-a-playstation-studio/?sf266576020=1
35. ↑ https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/the-5-best-playstation-exclusives-of-2022/2900-4527/#1
36. ↑ https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-best-video-game-soundtracks-of-2022/1100-6509973/
37. ↑ https://www.polygon.com/what-to-play/22956981/best-games-2022-list
38. ↑ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/horizon-zero-dawn-2/
39. ↑ https://www.vg247.com/horizon-forbidden-west-sequel-creative-director-interview
40. ↑ https://www.guerrilla-games.com/read/message-from-guerrilla-studio-management?sf177139754=1
41. ↑ https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/05/horizon-forbidden-west-has-become-one-of-ps5s-best-selling-games