Lego has really become a staple in the video game world over the years, taking over popular worlds and adding the more casual and silly Lego charm. Last year, the Lego universe expanded a bit more outside of the box with cart-racer Lego 2K Drive and the open-world survival Minecraft-like Lego Fortnite. But the next chapter in the Lego universe, Lego Horizon Adventures, is a bit outside the normal Lego formula.

While previous action-adventure Lego games have taken place inside the worlds of legendary movie franchises (Star Wars, Marvel, Jurassic World, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, etc.) Lego Horizon Adventures is unique in that it serves as an abridged reinterpretation of the original Horizon Zero Dawn.

My biggest concern going into Lego Horizon Adventures was that I wasn't sure how well the world of Horizon would translate into a Lego game. As great of a game Horizon Zero Dawn is, it's mainly because of its incredible story, vast beautiful open world, and fast-paced and challenging gameplay.?? All of these are things that Lego games typically strip out when converting to the Lego universe.

Lego Horizon Adventures (PC, PS5 [Reviewed], Switch)
Developer: Guerilla Games and Studio Gobo
Publisher: PlayStation Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment
Released: November 14th, 2024
MSRP: $59.99

Lego Horizon Adventures starts off just like Zero Dawn. For those not familiar with Horizon, the world is a post-apocalyptic United States 1,000 years in the future. Humanity has been scattered and forced to form primitive tribes that try to integrate the technology of the "Old World" into their everyday life. In terms of story, I can't stress enough how much of the story of Horizon Zero Dawn is omitted, trivialized, or simply not explained in Lego Horizon Adventures. I know that's common for the Lego games, but I just want to point out that if you haven't played the original and are interested in doing so at some point, I'd recommend doing so before jumping into the Lego world of Horizon.

Instead of roaming around exploring the mysterious world, you'll play through mostly linear levels split into different areas. Between each level, you'll return to your tribal village where you can interact with NPCs at the village—though there's not much reason to do so—as well as rebuild the village how you want. Then, head to the entrance into the area of the level you want to embark on and repeat the process. Each of the levels in a specified zone is similar in design and layout, but not completely identical. There are a few side paths you can go down to open a chest full of studs but for the most part, the levels are completely linear and very quick, with each one ?only taking a few minutes to complete.

When I first discovered the village building feature, I had hoped it would be meaningful and unlock new interactions or even more systems to explore. Instead, it's mostly just cosmetic fluff that allows you to choose from a variety of prebuilt structures with different coats of paint—mostly themes from other Lego franchises like Lego City and Lego Ninjago—to throw dow??n in your vil??lage as you complete a certain number of missions. It's essentially a moneysink—err, studsink—for spending your currency earned by playing through the levels, but for the most part, everything is just decoration.

Embarking on a mission will take you on a linear journey through the area, progressing a part of the story as you run through the level doing some light platforming, collecting studs, and fighting off various enemies that spawn throughout the level including humanoid cultists and staple animal-like machines that Horizon is known for. The machines have unique weak points similar to those of their counterparts in Horizon Zero Dawn. When targeted, you'l??l inflict massive damage to the machines, allowing you to take them down much quicker.

The gameplay itself is about what I expected from a Lego version of Horizon. You hold square to nock back an arrow then fire it in any direction, aiming w??ith your thumbstick. As you kill enemies they can drop various powerups such as a version of your bow that catches your enemy on fire on hit. There are three element types: fire, ice, and lightning. Some enemies are we?ak to certain element types, but even if they aren't they can still often be taken down in a few hits with your bow. Hitting them with the element they are weak to will often just cut that down to one or two hits.

There are also utility items you can grab to expand your arsenal further. There are a wide variety of items—often silly ones—that allow you to engage in combat in a variety of ways. One such item acted as a massive hammer that allowed you to slam into your enemies. Another had you qu??ickly build a, uh, hot dog stand, where the vendor threw explosive hot dogs at nearby enemies. Yep, hot dog bombs.

I'd describe the combat in Lego Horizon Adventures as better than most of the Lego games, but overall still a bit lacking. My biggest gripe with the combat is there is no evade o??r dodge roll type of mechanic, which I feel would really add to the combat here. A lot of the enemies do telegraphed attacks that show up as a big AoE circle or a line that you have to get out of the way of before the enemy charges at you. But without any sort of dodge action, you must stop attacking and then just run out of the way. It slows down the combat and at many times I still found myself hitting a button to try and dodge out of the way just because?? it really feels like you're supposed to be able to.

I think my biggest issue with Lego Horizon Adventures is that I don't really know who it was made for. Even though it's an abridged reinterpretation of the Zero Dawn story, far too much has been omitted, watered down, or even just downright skipped or not explained to make the story anywhere near as coherent or meaningful. If you haven't played Horizon Zero Dawn, this certainly isn't just an alternative replacement to the experience. There's too much missing, and everything that makes Horizon Zero Dawn the great game that it is is simply not there in its Lego? rendition.

And on the flip side, if you have played through and enjoyed the original game, what reason is there to experience the watered-down Lego version? For most Lego games, the entire storylines for the games (once again, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jurassic World, etc) simply don't have playable media in which you can explore their worlds. Joining the Lego games universe allows you to actually play in those worlds for the first time whereas otherwise they can only be explored through their movies. That's not the case here; if you want to play in the Horizon universe, you can play Horizon Zero Dawn or even Horizon Forbidden West.

To be clear, there's certainly an audience for Lego Horizon Adventures. If you're a big fan of the Lego game formula and either love Horizon Zero Dawn or have no interest in ever playing through it, there's some fun to be had blasting through the game, especially if you have someone to co-op it with. But for me, I quickly found the entire experience very repetitive and not a true representation of what makes Horizon special. Look, I'm a Lego fan. But thi???s time around, I feel it really doesn't do the source material justice.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Lego Horizon Adventures appeared first on Destructoid.

Sony's own action-adventure game Horizon: Forbidden West is strangely leaving the PlayStation Plus Extra lineup next month. What makes it even odder is t??hat only Europeans wil??l be affected by this move.

While North Americans miss out on playing the Destroy All Humans franchise through PlayStation Plus Extra in September, Europeans are losing multiple highlight games, including Marvel's Midnight Suns, Nier Replicant, and Horizon: Forbidden West. It was shown?? in the "Last Chance to Play" section of the service.

Another Horizon game was taken off PlayStation Plus Extra in May

It made sense when Horizon: Zero Dawn left PlayStation Plus back in May as there's a rumor a remaster is in the works. However, the already PS5-released Forbidden West being taken off PlayStation's own service seems to be a mistake to fans. It seems like the company is cutting its own foot, and it's a lovely foot at that. You wouldn't think Netflix would remove Stranger Things, for example.

As highlighted by GameSpot, the full list of PlayStation Plus Extra games leaving the service in Europe?? next month includes:

• Horizon Forbidden West
• Marvel's Midnight Suns
• Alien Isolation
• Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139...
• Spiritfarer
• Star Ocean: First Departure R
• Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
• Star Ocean: The Last Hope 4K & Full HD Remaster
• Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness
• Star Ocean: The Divine Force

N??orth Americans, however, w?ill miss out on these games:

• NBA 2K24
• Need for Speed Unbound
• Destroy All Humans!
• Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed
• Spellforce: Reforged
• Trials of Mana
• Lost Judgment
• Moving Out 2
• Midnight Fight Express
• Sea of Stars

A sign to come?

Hopefully, the removal of Horizon Forbidden West isn't a sign to come for the service. It currently has other first-party titles like Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon's Souls, and Sackboy's Big Adventure. You'd hope that PlayStation adds to the service more than it takes away. Thankfully, a promising indie called The Plucky Squire is heading to PlayStation Plus Extra on day one.

The post Horizon: Forbidden West and more leave PlaySt?ation Plus Extra next m?onth appeared first on Destructoid.

Sony Interactive Entertainment kicked off the Summer Game Fest 2024 with a look at Lego Horizon Adventures, the next game in the popular Lego series of titles. Players will experience the epic world of Horizon as the main character Alo?y as you run around in Lego form taking on the robotic c?reatures the world is best known for.

It's a mesh between two worlds I didn't expect, but actually looks like a good time. I'm curious if it will focus on just the original Horizon Zero Dawn, or the new Horizon Forbidden West as well.

Lego Horizon Adventures releases on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Sw?itch, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store in Holiday 2024.

[This news is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.]

The post The worlds of LEGO and Horizon meld together in Lego Hor?izon Adventures appeared first on Destructoid.

Announced in September, we've been awaiting confirmation as to when the Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition would launch on PC. Today, Sony ga??ve us our answer.

The Complete Edition dropped for PlayStation 5 on October 6. It brought with it a slew of bonus content on top of the revered Burning Shores expansion. All of this will be included within the PC Horizon Forbidden West Complete Editi??on, now slated to release on Mar?ch 21.

The majority of the PC Complete Edition's content is similar to? that of the PlayStation 5 version, But the PC port has some additional bells and whistles that will excite those with more heftier hardware. PC players will have the option to unlock frame rates, personalize their graphics settings, and enjoy advanced performance features like NVIDIA's DLSS 3 upscaling and frame generation.

As for monitors, ultra-wide support has been implemented so that PC players can enjoy all of Forbidden West's incredible environments. You'll have the ability to go as far as a ?triple monitor setup, with resolution options including? 21:9, 32:9, and 48:9.

Mouse and keyboard controls are fully customizable, of course. Steam Input support is implemented so that you can remap your controller of choice. In??cluding the PlayStation DualSense which allows PC players to enjoy Guerilla Games' use of the controller's haptic feedback ??abilities.

As for the Complete Edition's bonus content, there are a handful of new outfits and weapons that will be available for download. Also included are a resource pack, an Apex Clawstrider Machine Strike Piece, and an exclusive Photo Mode pose and face paint that's only in the Complete Edition. You can get the full breakdown over on the PlayStation Blog.

PC players can begin playing the Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition on March 21. If you've yet to check out Forbidden West, you should. It's pretty great.

The post Horizon Forbidden West Complete?? Edition v??entures onto PC in March appeared first on Destructoid.

When Horizon Forbidden West launched, Son??y embarked on an environmentalist project to match the game's themes. Recently, we got an update concerning what the project has achieved.

Aloy's Forest is part of Sony's commitment to the UN's Playing for the Planet alliance which seeks to plant 1 million trees in co?njunction with the gaming industry. The gaming industry has overshot this goal, and by 2022, 2.5 million trees had been planted globally.

As part of the project, Sony challenged Horizon Forbidden West players to unlock the "Reached the Daunt" trophy, and for every player who achieved this, a tree would be planted. So far, over 600,000 trees have been planted thanksseveralr of initiatives Sony has taken part in, including the following:?

• Arbor Day Foundation collaboration - this is the aforementioned "Reached the Daunt" trophy challenge, and it has resulted in 288,000 trees being planted. This aids in reforestation projects in California, Wisconsin, and Florida.
• Brazil - there are plans to plant 333,000 trees in the Brazilian Amazon before year-end. The aim is to restore 946 acres of indigenous lands.
• The Eden Project - the project has led to the creation of a wildflower habitat in Morecambe, Lancashire in the United Kingdom.
• Forest & Bird - Sony worked with Forest & Bird to plant 1,000 trees at Bushy Park Tarapuruhi.
• Stiftung "Wir helfen dem Wald" - As part of a project initiated by Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald in Bavaria, 3,000 trees were planted.
• WWF Canada - proceeds from Horizon Forbidden West were donated to WWF Canada to help restore 1 km² of coastal habitat in British Columbia.
• MyTree - In France, one tree was planted for every five players who unlocked the "Reached the Daunt" trophy. As a result, 10,000 trees were planted.

This isn't the end of Sony's plans, and it i??ntends to continue to work with its p?artners for environmental causes.

The natural world of Horizon Forbidden West

As part of the announcement, we were also given a peek into how the world of Horizon Forbidden West was formed and what developers used for inspiration. Artists turned to our world which has plenty of na??tural beauty if you're willing to look.

A lot of inspiration was drawn from the West Coast of the USA which?? ha??s varied, luscious environments. For vegetation, creators were inspired by real-world plants, with a focus on some of the smaller details that make nature so beautiful.

You see the gorgeous side of nature on display in Horizon Forbidden West and its DLC, Burning Shores which brings you white shorelines, red volcanoes, and green jungles. Jump into Call of the Mountain, and you can drink in the sights in VR.

The post Over 600,000 trees have been planted through Aloy’s Forest project appeared first on Destructoid.

UPDATE: Guerrilla Games has since confirmed that physical versions of Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Edition on PS5 will be available

In recent years, Sony has been making a concerted effort to get more of its games onto PC. As a consequence of this, we've been able to enjoy a Horizon Zero Dawn port which was well-received. The next entry in the franchise, Horizon Forbidden West, is also making its way to PC in the for??m of a Complete Edition?? which will land on PS5 first.

Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Edition features the main game along with the DLC, Burning Shores, which has Aloy traveling to Los Angeles and facing off against a gargantuan Metal Devil. The base game and the DLC are some of t?he best that Sony's first-party studios have to offer and are must-play titles for anyone into open-world games.

Guerrilla Games is porting the upcoming game in partnership with Nixxes, which Sony acquired in 2021. This is a good sign, as past ports Nixxes has been involved with, including Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, have been satisfactory.

What you get in Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Edition

In addition to the ba?se game and the DLC, the Complete Edition features the follo??wing, which you'll have already if you bought the Special Edition or better of the base game:

• Digital soundtrack
• Digital art book
• Extras in Photo Mode (special pose and face paint)

You'll also unloc?k the following in-game items via story ??progression:

• Carja Behemoth Elite outfit
• Carja Behemoth Short Bow
• Nora Thunder Elite outfit
• Nora Thunder Sling
• Apex Clawstrider Machine Strike piece
• Resources pack

The only thing that should catch the attention of anyone who already has the game is the Horizon Zero Dawn Vol. 1: The Sunhawk digital comic book which you can purchas?e separately from Amazon.?

There are good and bad aspects of the Complete Edition as it currently stands. The port is good news if Horizon Zero Dawn's port is anything to go by. On PC, players will be able to crank visuals and performance further than ever, which could give us our best glimpse yet of Horizon's world. It's also priced at $59.99 USD which is cheaper than the base game's launch?? price on PS5.

The potential downside comes from the fact that the Complete Edition is seemingly digital-only, even for the PS5 version. Although Sony's announcement blog post doesn't confirm it, things appear to lean in that direction, as all the listed bonuses are digital ??(the Special Edition at launch had a physical artbook).

Furthermore, the reveal trailer doesn't depict any physical copies, which was the case with Horizon Zero Dawn's Complete Edition. Hopefully, we'll find ?out more about a phys??ical version soon.

Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Edition launches on October 6 on PS5. Yo????u can expect it on PC in early 2024.

The post Horizon Forbidden West:?? Complete Edition on its way to PC and PS5 appeared first on Destructoid.

The Horizon franchise has expanded past video games to feature comics as well as an upcoming television series. In 2020, it received a board game from Steamforged Games titled Horizon Zero Dawn: The Board Game. Another tabletop board game from Steamforged is on the way, and this one is titled Horizon Forbidden West: Seeds of Rebellion.

Seeds of Rebellion is a prequel taking place before the events of Horizon Forbidden West but after Horizon Zero Dawn. Steamforged worked ?closely with Guerrilla Games to create an authentic story within the game's?? canon.

We don't have too many details on the gameplay just yet, although Steamforged has stated that it can be played by 1 to 4 players, and it is designed to deliver a "fully cooperative, narrative-driven tabletop experience."

Seeds of Rebellion's story

Discord is stirring among the Tenakth ?clans. It's up to you and your fellow Marshals to figure out what's going on and stop the rebellion before chaos erupts. During your campaign, you'll face off against machines, but you'll also have the chance to earn powerful equipment to give you a fighting chance.

The board game hits Kickstarter on November 21. Steamforged also has an Elden Ring board game set to release in 2024.

The post Horizon Forbidden West: Seeds???? of Rebellion board game on the way appeared first on Destructoid.

Developer salutes the Queen of the Machines

Guerrilla Games has announced that PlayStation sequel Horizon Forbidden West has surpassed 8.4 million copies sold since its launch back in February 2022 �This number, as noted in an anniversary post on PlayStation Blog??, brings the total sales of the fantasy franchise to an impressive 32.7 million units.

The 32.7 million copies of Horizon Forbidden West, its 2017 predecessor, Horizon Zero Dawn, and VR release Horizon Call of the Mountain are defined as "sell-through", as in, actually sold to customers, though Guerrilla adds that "millions more" players have enjoyed Aloy's adventures via subscription services, such as PlayStation Plus, or via Sony's Play at Home scheme, which offered Horizon Zero Dawn free of charge to all ??PlayStation owners during the first lockdown of the COVID-19? pandemic.

//twitter.com/Guerrilla/st?atus/1655920834387533824???s=20

"All told, it’s a milestone we never imagined possible twenty years ago when we first started making games," says Guerrilla Games director Jan-Bart van Beek. "This recepti??on has been staggering, and we’re grateful to the community for the continued love and support for the franchise. We Guerrillas feel lucky to witness that support every day: we share community fanart and the cosplay. I want you all to know we are completely blown away by your enthusiasm."

Van Beek also took the opportunity to confirm recent whispers that the adventures of Aloy, The Nora, and The Machines are set to continue in future releases. The recent Burning Shores DLC saw Aloy meet new friends, allies, and perhaps even a little more as she explored the overgrown ruins of Los Angeles, and no doubt the positive reception to the Horizon franchise �not to mention the big bucks it has brought to Team Sony �will ensure that we??'ll be seeing?? much more of this wild 'n' wonderful world.

Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PlayStation platforms.

The post Guerrilla Games’ Horizon franchise surpasses 32 million total sales appeared first on Destructoid.

The Metal Devil is in the details

The Horizon franchise has never been afraid to go big and get flashy. With each entry, the machines get bigger and the stakes get higher. By the time Horizon Forbidden West's credits roll, Aloy has faced off against massive Tremortusks and clashed with a group of tech geniuses from outer space. With the recently released Burning Shores DLC, the battles are taken to th?e next level, with the final boss featuring the greatest battle thus far.

Despite the franchise's embrace of all things epic, Burning Shores illustrates that it is also capable of creat?ing subtle yet impactful?? moments. This is seen with Aloy's relationship with Seyka which builds slowly, as well as with its environmental design that excels in both form and function.

[caption id="attachment_376491" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Aloy and Seyka in Burning Shores

Not long after reaching Los Angeles, Aloy meets a Quen warrior named Seyka. They encounter machines, and Aloy impresses Seyka with her hunting skills, causing the two to form a bond of mutual respect and admiration. By the end of Burning Shores, Seyka and Aloy have completed several quests together, which has given them plenty of time to learn about each other. Before Seyka departs with her tribe, she confesses her feelings to Aloy. Regardless of whether players choose to have Aloy share a kiss with Seyka or not, it ??appears that the feelings are reciprocal, and this serves as confirmation ?that Aloy is queer.

Although it may come as a shock to some, signs of Aloy's sexuality have always been subtly present since Horizon Zero Dawn. Inadvertently, Aloy charms a few men during her journey, including Erend and Avad. However, she has never been receptive to their advances. This has caused some to suspect that Aloy may be asexual, though Burning Shores dispels that notion. When Seyka and Aloy are together, there are often moments of adorable aw??kwardness, such as when Seyka gets ner??vous about sharing a Sunwing ride with Aloy.

[caption id="attachment_376467" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The queer narrative is an extension of themes that have been woven throughout the franchise. During Aloy's adventures, she meets a slew of characters tha?t fall outside of societal norms yet can still do very impressive things. This includes Kotallo who loses an arm but can keep up with Aloy when she goes on daring quests, as well as Talanah who defies ?the norms of the Carja tribe by becoming the first woman leader of the Hunters Lodge.

The Environmental Design of Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores

Horizon Forbidden West is already a gorgeous game filled with lush natural environments and futuristic, sci-fi cauldrons. Burning Shores, which is a PS5 exclusive, offers improved visuals, making it one of the best-looking current-gen games. This is welcome, as Burning Shores contain some of the most beautiful environments ever seen in the franchise. The shorelines overlook a glassy ocean and the ??various archipelagos feature thick jungles, paradisical meadows, and thermal vents powerful enough to lift Aloy to the skies. Streams of magma also streak the terrain, giving the Burning Shores a unique aesthetic.

The environment also helps to set the stage for the game's events. Los Angeles may be dilapidated, but it is still the stomping grounds of celebrities thanks to Walter Londra. With his limitless narcissism and desire to control everything and everyone around him, he takes celebrity worship to the next level by brainwashing some of the Quen and turning them into his devoted followers. It's quite easy to dr??aw parallels between Londra and modern tech figures like Elon Musk.

[caption id="attachment_376471" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Londra almost begs players to hate him, though the DLC also subtly reveals that there is more to him than meets the eye. On the surface, it appears that he is driven? by pure selfishness to exploit those around him and that his desire to be worshiped is an expression of his narcissism. However, as players explore the Burning? Shores, there are clues in the environment that reveal that Londra is capable of loving someone other than himself.

When Aloy discovers Pangea Park, which is an amusement park themed around dinosaurs, the environment reveals a tale of heartbreak between Londra and his wife, Evelyn. According to a da?ta point, Londra bought the park for his wife, and it was a place she loved. Hence, it is not surprising that a statue of Evelyn can be found at the center of the park. Unfortunately, their relationship doesn't last because she cheats on him.

Understanding Londra's past explains much of his current personality. His incessant desire for loyal worship may be borne from his wife's betrayal. It is quite obvious he hasn't gotten over it yet, as he desperately attempts to find a replacement for his wife among the Quen. Coincidentally, Aloy would make a good replacement, at least in terms of her image. Evelyn's statue in Pangea Park has her sparring against dinosa??urs, making her look quite like Aloy battling machines. However, both Aloy and Londra know that she will never give him the devotion he craves.

[caption id="attachment_376498" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

With each entry in Guerrilla Games' Horizon franchise, the scope of the story expands and the dangers grow greater. What began as a tale about a woman fighting for her place in her tribe has ballooned into a plot involving evil AI, villains from Sirius, and yet another Elisabet Sobeck clone. Burning Shores illustrates that despite the increasing complexity of the plot, the franchise i?s still capable of paying attention to the finer details that leave a lasting impact.

The post Horizon Forbidden West’s Burning Shores DLC Excels With Its Subtlety appeared first on Destructoid.

Aggregate site to 'introduce stricter moderation'

-This article contains plot spoilers for Burning Shores-

Media aggregate site Metacritic has responded to a recent controversy that has seen Horizon Forbidden West DLC Burning Shores ruthlessly review-bombed on the site, wit?h many negative user reviews plied with hate speech, tonal abuse?, and homophobia.

The DLC, which was launched by Guerrilla Games on April 19, was generally well-received by critics and Horizon fans �And while some players were left understandably frustrated by Guerrilla's decision to only publishing the DLC on PS5, (leaving the PS4 community behind), it seems that this is not the main point of c?ontention for a portion of the players who left negative user reviews.

A lot of the negativity, (veiled or otherwise) is weighted toward the fact that, over the course of the story, Horizon hero Aloy meets another woman, Seyka, while on her journey through the new world. As the two characters spend time together over the course of the DLC, Aloy finds herself drawn to the Quen tribe warrior, ultimately resulting in a scene where the player can, should they choose ??to do so, bring the two characters together for a passionate kiss. An??d it seems that this, of course, is a cause for concern among the angriest and loudest of the gaming community.

Last week saw the User Review section inundated with both massively negative written and numerical reviews, leading the DLC to sit at a current score of 4.0 (actually higher than it has been previously). While most of the more homophobic of the site's 254 negative reviews have since been removed, many remaining reviews choose to mask themselves a little better, simply claiming that the DLC is "poorly written'' or that "the world is boring", before ??following up with a flat score of zero out of ten �somewhat raising eyebrows.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbl2wfyAgxY???&ab_channel=PlayStation

Speaking to Eurogamer, Metacritic owner Fandom a?ddressed the moderation situation.

"Fandom is a place of belonging for all fans and we take online trust and safety very seriously across all our sites including Metacritic," writes a spokesperson. "Metacritic is aware of the abusive and disrespectful reviews of Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores and we have ?a moderation system i?n place to track violations of our terms of use."

"Our team reviews each and every report of abuse (including but not limited to racist, sexist, homophobic, insults to other users, etc) and ??if violations occur, the reviews are removed. We are currently evolving our processes and tools to introduce stricter moderation in the coming months."

Fandom did not divulge exactly how it intends to curb hate speech on the platform, but the statement represents an acknowledgment of an issue that has plagued the website for many years and is certainly not an overnight problem that suddenly began with the release Burning Shores. Ultimat??ely, wherever the public is open to review any form of art, you will find conflict.

There is an inherent importance to the Voice of the People when it comes to the criticism of art and all media. In the past, negative reviews en masse have led to a much-needed change in regard to certain title or project �Not just in gaming, but in all forms of artistic interpretation. But that situation and this situation are not one and the same. The reviews in the spotlight here are hate speech; the spreading of negative ideology; ?and a continued inability to evolve with a growing world and co?mmunity.

This wailing cacophony of noise, which is seemingly created and delivered alongside the launch of almost any TV series, film, comic, or video game that chooses even the most minor path of inclusivity �be it through race, gender, sexuality, or any other humanitarian issue �has ensured that aggregate scoring has ultimately become a wall of white noise, generally to be ignored by? producers, publishers, writers, developers, and, of course, fans.

Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores is available now on PS5.

M?etacritic improving moderation after?? Horizon Burning Shores reviews [Eurogamer]

The post Metacritic looks to ‘evolve’ its moderation following Horizon DLC review bombing appeared first on Destructoid.

Guerrilla Games casually drops Horizon 3 reference

Fans of Guerrilla Games' Horizon universe, as well as its irrepressible hero, Aloy, will be pleased to hear that we can expect much more from the robot-filled dystopia, following comments from the studio that casually?? reference (at least) one ?more title in the visually-stunning adventure series.

The comments came following a shake-up of Guerrilla staff, which sees studio director and executive producer Angie Smets leave the developer to take up a new role as PlayStation Studios'  head of development strategy. In Smets' absence, production director Joel Eschler and general ma??nager Hella Schmidt will receive promotion within studio ranks, while current studio director Jan-Bart van Beek will retain their role at Guerrilla, overseeing all current and future projects.

//www.youtube.?com/watch?v=Lbl2wfyAgxY&ab_channel=PlayStation

In comments discussing Smets' departure, Guerrilla notes that it "[has] full confidence in our new leadership as they steer Guerrilla towards a bright future, expanding the world of Horizon with Aloy's next adventure and our exciting online project." essentially confirming the continuation of the franchise. Thi??s news will hardly come as a surprise to anybody in this franchise-heavy gaming zeitgeist, but it's still a nice bit of s??ecurity for franchise fans.

Most recently, Horizon Forbidden West received a new expansion in the form of DLC Burning Shores, which sees Aloy travel to a dystopian (but somewhat familiar) new locale, where she meets new friends, encounters terrifying new Machines, and takes up arms with a selection of new weaponry. Despite a battalion of review bombs �derived mostly for the most eye-rolling of reasons �the DLC has been mostly well-received by both critics and Horizon fans.

Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PlayStation platforms. Burning Shores is available on PS5 only.

The post We can, unsurprisingly, expect more from Al??oy ??and the Horizon universe appeared first on Destructoid.

Our Techno-Utopian Nightmare

Artificial intelligence has become an unavoidable trend, and with that comes an explosion of possibilities and fears. Though A.I. promises to free the masses from the suffering of alienated labor, it also threatens to render many redundant. In some sense, the blessing and curse of A.I. is that it may become too good, painfully exposing just how inadequate our b??iological modes of being are.

In Guerrilla Games' Horizon franchise, A.I. appears as both the villain and the hero, illustrating the dual nature of technology. Interestingly, the studio's science fiction vision appears to borrow heavily from H.G. Wells. Although it may seem counterintuitive at first, upon closer analysis, it becomes apparent ??that Guerrilla Games and Wells may have been trying to convey very similar messages through their art.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShJuY6Zl2Aw

Guerrilla Games and H.G. Wells

The story behind Horizon Zero Dawn's conception has been retold aplenty in the gaming community, as it demonstrates how creativity can be maximally harnessed with good leadership. After years of working on the Killzone franchise, Guerrilla Games realized that being a one-trick pony would not be a sustainable long-term strategy. Hermen Hulst, who was the studio head at the time, had the team pitch ideas about what games they'd like to work on. Out of that, the Horizon franchise was born.

During the pitching process, the team toyed with the idea of making a game based on H.G. Wells' The Time Machine, first published in 1895. The sci-fi novel is set in the distant year 802701, and at first, it appears that the perfect utopia has been achieved. However, upon c?loser inspection, readers discover that the class differences have been so exaggerated that humans have split into two races, and the ?rich and poor appear to be two separate species.

Though the idea of a Wells' game was scrapped, it doesn't mean that Guerrilla Games completely abandoned the iconic author. As Hermen Hulst has admitted when discussing The Time Machine: "Even though we ultimately didn’t pick it I suppose you can see some elements translated into Horizon". Wells fans will be aware that one of the races in The Time Machine i??s called the Eloi, a word that's quite similar to a certain red-haired heroine's name.

[caption id="attachment_373329" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid.[/caption]

The Horizon Between Biology and Bot

The War of the Worlds is perhaps Wells' most widely recognized text. It has found a special place in literary culture, and it is considered a semi?nal example of the alien i??nvasion subgenre. Part of the novel's success comes from its descriptions captivating enough to cause mass panic when it was read in a 1938 radio program.

Through the vivid descriptions, Wells brings to life the Fighting Machines that the invading Martians use to terrorize England. In an unexpected twist, what makes the Fighting Machines so awe-inspiring is not the??ir technological prowess, but their resemblance to simple biologic??al beings.

The narrator notes how the Fighting Machines are not a mess of cogs and wheels. Instead, they walk on spider-like legs that are powered by? a "sort of sham musculature" that electric currents run through. It is this "curious parallelism to animal motions" which was "so striking and disturbing to the human beholder". At one point, the animal-like nature of a Fighting Machine enchants the narrator so much that he "did not see it as a machine, in spite of its metallic glitter".

[caption id="attachment_373330" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid.[/caption]

A similar effect is found in the Horizon franchise. The Machines that have enchanted fans seem more a??nimal-like than robotic, with many of them exhibiting reptilian or mammalian behav??ior. For players with an active enough imagination, it is also possible to form a bond with Aloy's mounts as if they were living pets.

Though the similarities between the machines of Guerrilla Games and Wells may seem merely poetic at first, it goes much deeper. The Corruptors, which bring destruction in Horizon Zero Dawn, walk on spindly legs much like the Fighting Machines, and they have the same skittish, animated style of motion described in The War of the Worlds. With the upcoming Horizon Forbidden West DLC, Burning Shores, it ap??pears players will see ?more of the Horus Titans which sport tentacular appendages.

Hope During Dystopian Disasters

Wells' influence on the Horizon franchise has produced a unique variety of science fiction that represents a masterclass in worldbuilding. The peak of technology in both Wells' works and the Horizon franchise is represented, not by an austere, sentient computer like 2001: A Space Odyssey's HAL 9000, but rather by biology mimics. These are perhaps the comforting video game villains needed now more than ever, when technology poses the risk of ushe??ring in biological obsolescence. Humans can draw some superiority from, and feel flattered by, the fact that the higher techn?ology strives, the more it becomes like us.

The post The weird i??nfluence of H.G?. Wells on Guerrilla Games�Horizon franchise appeared first on Destructoid.

When it finally drops, you won't see me for weeks

It's been rumored for years at this point, and fans of the series have been desperately trying to manifest it into existence, but now it's official: Guerrilla is working on a Horizon multiplayer project, as they confirmed via their Twitter account today. It wasn't so much of an announcement specifically highlighting the upcoming multiplayer game as it was a post of job l??istings, but it's confirmation and that's all I care about. Even when these big studios try to play their cards close to their chest, it's those darn job?? listings that always give them away -- they have to make the game somehow, and I find it kind of a fun tradition now that we find out in a kind of indirect way.

//twitter.com/LifeAtGuerrill??a/status/16037521921664??69634

The text of the tweet itself is innocent enough, but the studio announces their future plans clearly within the attached graphic. "We are continuing to create epic solo adventures for Aloy. But there is more," the post reads. "A new internal team is developing a separate Online Project set in Horizon's universe. Featuring a new cast of characters and a unique stylized look, friends will be able to explore the majestic wilds of Horizon together?." Okay, so maybe this time around, the announcement was a bit more direc?t than usual.

Guerrilla has a whole host of new positions open from Combat Designers to Technical Artists to Programmers, but admittedly the roles that intrigue me the most are the narrative-focused positions. It's cool to see that the studio is investing some of its new talent into the storytelling side of things, because Horizon is so well known for its incredible worldbuilding and engaging narrative. I will absolutely be looking forwar??d to any updates on ?the project, but this announcement alone is enough excitement to keep me going for a while.

The post Guerrilla is officially working on ??a Horizon multiplayer project appeared first on Destructoid.

Aloywood

If you're gagging for some more Aloy action, then Guerrilla Games has you covered, as the studio has revealed a new expansion, currently in the works for the PS5 edition of Horizon Forbidden West �The new "Burning Shores" DLC was revealed ?during The Game Awards yesterday evening.

A brief trailer, which you can check out below, sees our spritely hero as she soars through the skies astride her trusty Sunwing. From there, she approaches a lush but swamped island, located south of the Tenakth Clan Lands??. Upon approach, we the audience realize that our girl has wandered into a dystopian aftermath that was once Los Angeles, but has now become little? more than a volcanic archipelago, littered with further threats charged by the force of "The Machines".

//www.youtube.com/wa?tch?v=ShJuY6Zl2Aw&am??p;ab_channel=PlayStation

According to the development team, Burning Shores will feature extended travel by land, sea, and air �offering players a brand-new location that can be fully explored via al??l three methods. Aloy will also find herself up against a terrifying new mechanical behemoth, which appears to be some form of crustacean hybrid if the splash art is anything to go by. According to Guerrilla, the scale of the DLC �in both size and visual fidelity �has led the team to focus on the PS5 platform only, sugge??sting that the new expansion will not be developed for PS4.

Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PlayStation platforms �The Burning Shores DLC will launch on PS5 only on April 19, 2023.

The post Horizon Forbidden West DLC ‘Burning Shores’ coming to PS5 in 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Looks like there might be an MMO on the Horizon

The Horizon games have been one of the most well-loved series of recent memory, and for good reason -- the phrase "robot dinosaurs" alone should be enough to get even the most stubborn curmudgeons on board. While the mainline games have been of the third-person open world stealth/action varieties, now it looks like Guerilla is looking to diversify the franchise by way of an MMO set in the Horizon universe.

As per a news story from a South Korean outlet called MTN (and relayed by GamesRadar, Sony has partnered with a studio called NCSoft, best known for their title Guild Wars. According to sources close to both parties, the project is under way under the title "Project? H," further confirmed by job listings on NCSoft's websi??te.

Guerrilla Games, along with the PlayStation studio in Amsterdam, also have some job listings on their own sites for mobile developers, leading to speculation that the potential Horizon MMO would be a mobile title. This certainly isn't the first time job listings have given us a peek at a studio's hand, like listings for multiplayer designers and testers at Naughty Dog hinted at an upcoming multiplayer project.

Horizon has garnered a reputation o??n multiple fronts, from its enthralling gameplay to gorgeous facial capture to compelling characters, the foremost of them being the protagonist Aloy. The game's full, vibrant world has always been party of its brand, so it makes perfect sense, in my opinion, to expand upon it in the form of an MMO.

It'll be interesting to see what the gameplay might entail, but I could imagine players forming or joining their own tribes, building their own base, and teaming up with other players to take down large enemies. There are also plenty of monetization options (as would be inevitable for a mobile release), including mounts, outfits, and possibly upgrades for weapons and armor. I'm just spitballing here, but obviously there's a lot of different directions they could go with this. I guess now we'll just have to wa?it and see.

The post A Horizon MMO is reportedly in development appeared first on Destructoid.

The apocalypse never looked so stylish

If I know anything about gamers, it's that we love to show our love of gaming to others, and what better way to do that than to wear your favorite game right on your clothing?  If you happen to love Horizon: Forbidden West in particular, you're really in luck, because Guerrilla has teamed up with ASOS to create a brand new line of loungewear inspired by the game.  The various shirts, hoodies, and pants all feature bright prints with various iconography from Forbidden West, and they're the perfect statement piece for the fashionable gamers out ther?e.

There are five different looks in total, including an all-over printed hoodie and jogger set, a long-sleeved mesh top, an over-sized printed t-shirt, a crewneck hoodie, and a brown co-ord hoodie and jogger set.  All of the pieces are unisex, which means anybody can achieve the cool, oversized loungewear look.  My personal favorite is the crewneck hoodie, which features comic panels inspired by Horizon: Forbidden West.  The all-over prints are a bit busy for my taste, but I would for su??re get cozy in that brown set any day of the week.

The pieces range from £26 for the shirts to £76 for the co-ord set, but overall I'd say that's pretty affordable for this kind of product. I guess it is ASOS, after all.  Unfortunately, the Horizon x ASOS col??lab is only available to those in the EU, UK, Japan, and Asia regions, but for everyone else, I would put money down on people listing these on eBay (for a higher price, but still).  At the very least, it's nice to look, and we can hope that they'll sh?ip to the US in the future.

You know what awesome gaming clothing store does ship out here, though?  Insert Coin Clothing.  T??hey've been a staple for gaming clothing for years, and their stuff is always amazing quality.

The post Guerrilla teamed up with ASOS for a Hori??zon: Forbidden?? West loungewear collection appeared first on Destructoid.

Guerrilla Tactics

A strange, yet unsurprising, sprang forth to the information superhighway this weekend, with several sources reporting that Sony Interactive Entertainment is in the process of creating a PS5 remaster of Guerrilla Games' epic 2017 release, Horizon Zero Dawn.

First reported by MP1ST, with various industry pundits and websites supposedly corroborating the news, the remaster will be an updated and upgraded take on the anachronistic sci-fi adventure, which saw hunter and tribeswoman Aloy venture out into a lush land of dangerous machinery on a quest of reflection and self-growth. Originally launching on PS4, the s??mash seller would eventually make the leap to PC in 2020.

While details are understandably slim �even unproven �on the supposed remaster, one can likely expect improved load times, upgraded textures, improved accessibility options, and slicker visual effects, perhaps bringing the title more in line with its utterly stunning sequel, Horizon Forbidden West. We can likely look to similar PS5 remasters, such as The Last of Us and Marvel's Spider-Man, for examples of some of the improvements?? SIE will be?? striving for in this new release.

In addition to the remaster, the MP1ST report also claims that Guerrilla Games is currently working on a multiplayer side-title set within the Horizon universe. The alleged project is currently in the early stages of development for PS5 and PC, and will see a conflict between the world's various tribes, with gameplay defined by some form of PvP or co-op multiplayer element. Given the success of the Horizon titles to date, it figures that ???SIE would be looking to capitalize on the series' growth via numerous projects.

The gaming industry w?ill not rest until we are all playing the exact same four games a?d infinitum.

The post H??orizon Zero Dawn remaster reportedly in the works fo??r PS5 appeared first on Destructoid.

Patch 1.17 includes a new 'Balanced' 40Hz mode

Guerrilla Games is still refining Horizon Forbidden West, and with the latest update, the studio has added som??ething that'll make a certain group of PS5 owners very happy: Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and High Refresh Rate (HFR) support, including a "Balanced" 40Hz graphics mode. If you've got a supported 120Hz display, you're in luck.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARFT5fMF6qA

Aside from a short trailer, the developers shared the 1.17 patch notes on Reddit:

• Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and High Refresh Rate (HFR) support

  • VRR improves dynamic resolution scaling on 60Hz

  • VRR & HFR targets a refresh rate? between 60Hz ?and 120Hz

• New “Balancedâ€?Graphics Mode introducing 40Hz for supported displays

I have to say, even though I can't personally use these features yet, they're great for future-proofing. Striking the right balance between graphical fidelity and performance is always on my mind, though everyone has their nitty-gritty preferences and it's wonderful to have that choice �even several choices in some games �as a console ?player.

Options ar??e a great thing??, and while VRR support from day one would be ideal, having it show up at all �even if it's several months after launch �is still appreciated.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart also got a 120Hz update after release, including a 40fps Fidelity mode, and the verdict was great. With this trend, it would seem that it's probably best to wait to play some of PS5's big-hitters if you're looking for the optimal experience. I ?mean, that's good advice ?in general (what with quality-of-life updates being the norm these days), but for those of you with a nice, modern display ready to go, it feels extra true.

Other fixes in today's update

Patch 1.17 also fixes crashes, issues with main and side quests, and other problems in Horizon Forbidden West.?? One of them �a lingering exclamation point "when all skills have been unlocked and skill point?s are available" �would've gotten on my nerves; it's gone.

Is it too soon for a replay of Horizon Forbidden West for VRR's sake? Maybe just a ?quick check-in? It looks like the patient gamers win again. (Those lovable scamps.)

The post Horizon Forbidden West now has VRR support appeared first on Destructoid.

Running Up That Hill

For those of you still exploring the luscious-but-deadly pastures of Horizon Forbidden West, Guerrilla Games has a brand new update for you. As revealed during last week's Sony State of Play presentation, Update 1.14 brings new several new features and modes to the stunning open-world ad?venture.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3worI7QeCHQ

First and perhaps foremost, Horizon Forbidden West update 1.14 adds the much-requested New Game+ mode for those who have already completed Aloy's adventure. These players can now restart the story, locked and loaded with gear, skills, and abilities for a low-intensity run through the epic cam?paign. For those who wi??sh to press themselves further forward, the new Ultra Hard difficulty option will test your hunting and acrobatic skills to the absolute limit.

For players who feel they may have perhaps focused Aloy's growing talents in the wrong areas, the new Respec option will rebank all of your acquired skill points, allowing for a fresh build on Aloy's skill tree. And for the fashion-forward, the new Transmog option will allow you to select any ??of your gathered gear (including all respective effects) while retaining the visual appearance of any other outfit. So if you have a favorite look for yer girl, then you can keep on rocking th?at visual style regardless of your actual equipped clothing, armour, and headgear.

Last, but by no means least, the new update features a fresh round of bug stomps and visual tweaks, the details of which you can find in the official patch notes right here.

Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PlayStation platforms.

The post Horizon Forbidden West update ??1.14 adds New Game+ and more appeared first on Destructoid.

Aloy is your No.1 gal once again

Guerrilla Games' gorgeous sequel Horizon Forbidden West has ??successfully ventured back to the top of the UK Charts, reclaiming the number one spot three months on from its initial launch week success.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Aloy's second escapade saw an incredible 94% week-on-week sales increase in the UK territory, driven by the launch of Sony's first official PS5 hardware bundle. The new set, which retails in the UK for a princely £499.99, includes a standard, disc-based PS5 console, a DualSense controller, and a digital copy of the acclaimed adventure. A variant featuring a PS5 Digital is also available, priced at £409.99. Of course, like most PS5 units, the Horizon Forbidden West bun??dle is already in short supply, both in?? stores and online.

Elsewhere in the boxed sales charts, Nintendo Switch Sports drops to No.2 after spending three weeks on the throne. Other Nintendo Switch releases dominate the Top Ten, including Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Minecraft, and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Perennial chart mainstay Grand Theft Auto 5 sits comfortably in the Top Ten as is its wont, this week positioned at No.7. The only new physical release for last week, Vampire: the Masquerade �Swansong, debuted at No.20, like most modern PlayStat?ion, Xbox, and PC releases, Nacon's gothic adventure will find?? the majority of its sales of the digital variety.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: May 21, 2021
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Horizon Forbidden West �Sony Interactive Entertainment
2. Nintendo Switch Sports �Nintendo
3. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga �Warner Bros.
4. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe �Nintendo
5. Pokemon Legends: Arceus �Nintendo
6. Minecraft �Nintendo
7. Grand Theft Auto V �Take-Two Interactive
8. FIFA 22 �Electronic Arts
9. Animal Crossing: New Horizons �Nintendo
10. Gran Turismo 7 �Sony Interactive Entertainment

U.K. Video Game Charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

The post Horizon Forbidden West storms up t?he charts thanks to PS5 bundle sales appeared first on Destructoid.

Ahoy Aloy

Guerrilla Games certainly have not been shy when it comes to applying updates and fixes to its dazzling adventure sequel Horizon Forbidden West. While the spectacular title has only been on the market a little over a month, the dev team has already rolled out numerous patches to make o??ur girl Aloy'??s journey that little more polished.

This week is no exception, as Forbidden West players on both PS4 and PS5 should find a new update awaiting the next time they log on to the PlayStation Network. Version 1.09 is mostly focused on fixing nagging issues with side-quests, objectives, and pathfinding, with tweaks applied to a litany of errands and tasks, as well as general bug stomping in regards to Forbidden West's luscious environment.

In addition, Guerrilla Games hopes that the new update will see the sequel run with a little more stability, reducing critical errors and improving certain load times. For completionists, a frustrating bug that rendered the Notebook incomplete has been fixed, so you can finally check off those annoying final notifications. For full details on update 109, check out the patch notes over on the Horizon Forbidden West Reddit.

Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PlayStation platforms.

The post New Horizon Forbidden West update aims to shorten l?oa??d times appeared first on Destructoid.

Go elsewhere for your Aloy ASMR

Guerrilla Games has released a new update for its gorgeous adventure sequel Horizon Forbidden West. Update 1.08 �which is live right now on all platforms �features a plethora of tweaks, fix?es, and bug stomps, all ??of which will help our intrepid hero Aloy on her ventures into the wilderness.

The patch notes for the new update do not reveal any major changes to the title overall, more a litany of fixes to minor issues plaguing the Horizon Forbidden West campaign and side-quests. These include unresponsive NPC characters, select U.I. and icon bugs, environment traversal problems, objective errors, and various crash and save state issues across the board. The update also includes further "fixes" to the sequel's already stunning visuals.

Perhaps the most amusing or notable fixes pertain to issues where Aloy would exit a deep-sea swimming adventure bone dry, and an instance where her heavy breathing would play over a specific cinematic sequence, almost implying that our girl had picked up a side-gig as an ASMR video maker. You can check out the full patch notes over on the official Reddit, though?? Guerrilla notes that the recap may contain some small sp??oilers.

Horizon Forbidden West is avail??able now exclusively on PlayStation platforms.

The post Horizon Forbidden West Update 1?.08 includes? quiver of teeny tweaks appeared first on Destructoid.

But some graphical glitches remain

Guerrilla Games has rolled out one of the first major post-release updates for its excellent adventure sequel Horizon Forbidden West. Update 1.06 �now available on PlayStation platforms �addresses a litany of minor visual, audio, control, and gameplay issues as recorded by the Horizon community.

While players would probably be better served just checking out the full patch notes, some choice cuts include a variety of fixed mission markers and objectives, fixes to sporadic crash problems, some U.I. tweaks, and a much-requested fix for the Photo Mode's "blurring" bug. Guerrilla has also adjusted the audio/visual fidelity of Horizon's many cutscenes, and reduced the intensity of the screen effects when activat?ing Aloy's power-boosting "Valor Surges."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_nPXWcmzvo

One of the oddest, but definitely most welcome tweaks, affects Aloy's dialogue. Already one of the chattiest protagonists in video game history, Aloy will no longer repeatedly remind you when her stash is full �a verbal cue that was driving players up the wall. Numerous black screen freezes have been eradicated, as have some camera issues during Forbidden West's end credit sequences. Overall, there is a quiverful of tweaks and fixes initialized in the new update, and you can check 'em all out right here.

Unfortunately, Update 1.06 does not address some of the larger graphical issues that have been bothering some players. Guerrilla is continuing to look into concerns about shimmering, sharpness, and texture pop-in. It should be clarified that, even with these issues, Horizon Forbidden West is an absolutely stunning title, one of the most attractive adventures ever released. But, ironically, the better a game looks, then the easier the flaws stand out to those loo??king through a jeweler's loop.

Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PlayStation platforms.

The post Horizon Forbidden ?West update features a slew of tweaks and fixes appeared first on Destructoid.

Sequel sees second-biggest physical PS5 launch

One of the most anticipated releases of 2022, Horizon Forbidden West, is now out and in th??e hands of the public. Having enjoyed a very positive round of critic reviews, Guerrilla Games' nature-traversing adventure is available to purchase on PlayStation platforms, and has already seen some happy physical sales success.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_nPXWcmzvo

In the UK �as reported by GamesIndustry.biz �Horizon Forbidden West is the second-biggest physical release for a PS5 title, second only to Insomniac's web-slinger Spider-Man: Miles Morales. In the UK territory, the PS5 edition of the new game outsold its PS4 brethren, accounting for around 68% of all physical sales. Of course, none of the above takes into account digital sales, which are now proven to be ?the dominant delivery system. Regardless, Guerrilla's sequel sits proudly in the top spot of the UK Charts.

Perhaps the most surprising element of the PS5 sales success is wound up in the bizarre pricing method for Horizon Forbidden West on both platforms. The PS4 edition retails for $10/£10 cheaper than the PS5 edition, but includes a free upgrade to PS5, essentially eliminating the need to buy the pricier PS5 edition outright. This detail, though noted by many news outlets, was obviously not widely touted by Sony, and thus the majority of Horizon Forbidden West's ??physical sales were purchased at the higher price.

Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PlayStation. You can check out Chris Carter's review right here, as well as a story recap to get you up to speed for the sequel.

The post Have you checked out the w?ilds of Horizon Forbidden West? appeared first on Destructoid.

A surprising little feature for the PlayStation exclusive

Horizon Forbidden West has a lot of features, settings, and accessibility options available right from the start screen. There is also one nice addition, for both PS4 and PS5 owners. Horizon Forbidden West lets you turn on motion aiming, a.k.a. gyro aimin??g.

Twitter user "hypedomi" made a video of the gyro controls in action. They use an exaggerated setting to show off the gyro in action, then show some more subtle and ??realistic applications of it. And as a commenter of ours noted, it's not just a DualSense feature either; PS4 owners can flip on motion aiming, too.

//twitter.com/hype_domek/status/14940?866??89861476352

Those who have spent any amount of time playing Splatoon 2 probably already k??now how handy gyro aiming can be. While right-stick aim has been the go-to for console shooters for ages, the gyro controls can be used to finesse a shot. I've always thought of it like getting the crosshair in the right ballpark, then using little flicks or nudges to zero-in.

Horizon Forbidden West makes it pretty easy to find the controls, too. Head over to the settings menu and you'll find them under the Controls tab, called "Motion Aimin??g." Once enable?d, you'll also have a bunch of smaller sliders and toggles to fine-tune the gyro experience.

Gyro aiming has been gaining in popularity, especially on the Nintendo Switch. Monster Hunter Rise, Doom Eternal, and even Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath support the added aim control method.

Horizon Forbidden West hopping on th??e gyro trend is pretty cool, and might be useful for hitting the bullseye more often. Plus, flicking your wrist and loosing an arrow probably just feels pretty cool to do.

Horizon Forbidden West launches today for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. You can check out our review of Guerrilla Games' latest here.

The post Horizon Forbidden ?West has gyro aiming to help line up the perfect shot appeared first on Destructoid.

The Huntswoman's Prey

Today sees the launch of one of 2022's biggest and most anticipated sequels: Horizon Forbidden West. Around the world, Sony is holding various unique publicity events to celebrate the game's launch, but perhaps none so impressive as in It??aly, where a statue of protagonist Aloy now stands proud.

The statue, located in Piazza Madonna della Neve in the Complesso delle Murate of Florence, is titled "Aloy �The Placeholder." The purpose of the diorama is to draw attenti?on to the talent and expertise of women ?across the world, who often find their work lacking representation in the wider global lens and within Italy in particular, thus Aloy stands as the "placeholder" for the women of art, culture, science, and history who find their words, deeds, and actions lost within the cacophony of the modern world.

The statue of Aloy will stand in Piazza Madonna della Neve for just one week before being relocated, though Sony has not said where Aloy's final home will?? be. In addition to commissioning the statue, Sony has offered support to Italy's Event Horizon School of Digital Art, helping to establish over 40 courses and classes for youngsters who wish to be a part of the gaming industry's future.

The statue of Aloy and the Event Horizon classes represent just two of a number of positive schemes Sony has kickstarted alongside the launch of Horizon Forbidden West. Yesterday, we reported on the publisher's "Play and Plant" project, which will see Sony help reforestation efforts for every player that earns in-game trophy "Reached the Daunt," with similar s?chemes launched in both the UK and France.

Horizon Forbidden West launches today on PlayStation platforms.

The post ??Sony commissioned a statue of Horizon Forbidden West hero Aloy appeared first on Destructoid.

Access granted

It's been five years since Horizon Zero Dawn? It doesn't feel like it! But within the context of the Horizon series as a whole, it does feel like Guerrilla Games has made a lot of strides in that time: and we all get to experience those efforts with Horizon Forbidden West.

_{[This review contains broad spoilers for the first Horizon. No story spoilers for Horizon Forbidden West are present.]}

Horizon Forbidden West (PS4, PS5 [reviewed])
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Publisher: Sony
Released: February 18, 2022
MSRP: $69.99

Let's make this clear: if you liked Horizon Zero Dawn, you will in all likelihood dig Forbidden West. It's a generally bigger, bolder sequel, without giving up what made the original game resonate with so many peop??le.

Since it's been a while, it's probably best if we recap the story just a bit. So Aloy is now aware of her role in the world, and how this Horizon universe came to be. We can dispense with the pageantry and most of the upfront mystery boxes. The sequel gets down to business, letting us know the stakes �the world is being corrupted unless Aloy can reenact preventative measures �and it kicks off immediately with that quest. The end of the first game presented a potential continuation of the narrative, with teases in tow, and Horizon Forbidden West delivers on that promise.

I love that we’re presented with a clear sense of urgency immediately. “People are suffering�due to the terraforming, and Aloy has a plan to stop it (which is naturally going to have some twists and t?urns in there): easy hook! It also goes a little further with the technological angle now that the cat is out of the bag (especially when juxtaposed to less advanced societies), and we get to see more of her personal struggle with being a messiah figure now that she's famous. How people react to that throws a wrench in the mix ??beyond the macro scope of the story.

The technological/worldbuilding aspect of the narrative is not perfect, since it has to go bigger with what we already knew from the first game's lighter touch and gradual reveal. It can get jargony and MacGuffin-ey �and there’s some cheesy dialogue choices �but it tethers all that with?? good character moments. It was very common for me to groan and light up in surprise in the same scene.

This is fundamentally a different Aloy, and I prefer her journey in Horizon Forbidden West. We know her well at this point, a??nd we get to see her fully unchained, on a practical and emotional level. While the dialogue is questionable at times (mostly from an expository standpoint), this world is still worth caring about. And for all of you continuity folks out there, we also get a reason for why she doesn’t have her upgraded gear (she “ran into trouble�before the events of the game).

One thing that drew me in quickly beyond the renewed stakes was the world itself. It looks absolutely gorgeous on a PS5, and that's due in part to the sequel's brighter and more varied environments; the titular "west" of this universe. It all comes down to personal preference, but I found it really easy to get invested in this sequel's aesthetic shift. It's tough to talk about a few of the bigger areas without spoiling them, but suffice to say that a photo mode (which is included, to be clear) is a prerequisite.?? I?'m also surprised at how well the team handled the underwater portions, which are usually a death knell in modern open-world games.

I found it easier to get more invested in Horizon Forbidden West in general, actually, as there are more things to do as a whole. And I don't mean "more pins in the map," in a gamification/content dump sense. But tactically and mechanically, there are more options to approach how you play the game. More traps, extra weapons and items (and status?? effects), it a?ll adds up. That sense of "setting the scene" for a big confrontation, then pulling the trigger and feeling satisfied in the ruin of your enemies, it's all back.

Gliding with the Shieldwing item (which makes open-world traversal so much better in tandem with the returning fast travel) and diving underwater with more expansive aquatic zones are huge parts of it. But there's also more organic climbing opportunities thanks to a concerted effort to add more footholds, which make platforming that much more enjoyable from the smallest dungeon to the largest vista. Speaking of the former, underground areas tend to blend together less, as bunkers are more than just the same few types of layouts in Forbidden West.

More enemies to fight is a huge plus, as the team generally goes bigger (literally), while putting a lot of love and care into the little guys, too. Machine and human-integrated fights add a wrinkle to a ton of marquee battles, and there are a few genuine "whoa" action game moments with story fights. All of this adds up to form a more dynamic, expansive game. Horizon Forbidden West is adopting some tried and true classic open-world design philosophies, too. Crafting and gathering are back, and it's still just as serviceable as it was before. The crafting wheel keeps things efficient, and the detective vision (Focus) still justifies itself mo?re tha?n a lot of other projects.

The visual feedback for the combat system makes fights a lot less frustrating, as you'll be able to tell at a glance if something i??s plinking off armor, or digging into a so??ft spot with red and green arrows respectively; it's not so busy that you lose track of everything. And when you get skill points like candy for trees with abilities that matter, you know you're in for a good feedback loop. Cram in more accessibility options and you have a stew going.

That expansiveness doesn't come at a great cost, at least in my experience. I didn't encounter very many bugs at all: just one instance where I had to refresh an area (leave and fast travel back) to talk to an NPC to trigger a quest. But given that Horizon Forbidden West �unlike another recent open-world game involving the undead �provides tons of auto-saves by default (and the option to manually save in whatever slots you want), it's going to be hard to get into a ?truly game-breaking situation.

I was worried about Horizon Forbidden West, but a few hours in a lot of my fears were eliminated. Guerrilla Games has? a great handle on the open-world genre at this point, and knows how to cater to people who do like certain broader comfort-food elements without going overboard. It's a shame that we have to wait so long between projects, but if it ensures this level of quality, I can deal.

The post Review: Horizon Forbidden West appeared first on Destructoid.

Another day, another discourse

Pretty much anyone who plays games has some kind of opinion about them they want to share, and social media lets us, whether we should or not. There's always something sparking outrage on Twitter, and this time the whole of Game Dev Twitter is taking up arms against a user who basically called Guerrilla Games lazy because they reused an animation in a game sequel??. Oh, the horror.

Yesterday, this user posted a video showing a side-by-side comparison of an animation of Aloy using her grappling hook, one from Horizon Zero Dawn, and one from the new gameplay footage of Horizon Forbidden West. The tweet simply reads "copy and paste," a snarky way to say that the developers reused the same animation for the game's sequel. The video has since garnered over 1?.2 million views and nearly 4,000 quote tweets on the platform.

//twitter.com/JAAY_ROCK_/status/148641831954?8764165

A flood of posts from Game Dev Twitter came to Guerrilla Games' defense, discussing how much work goes into making a game, and that developers don't have time to waste on recreating perfectly good animations. The replies and quot??e tweets are full of people basically putting this user on blast, but at least I don't see any that are agreeing with OP.

Some actually think that is person is just a t?roll, trying to bait reactions with repeating this same take every time a big game release is on the horizon, which is also a super likely scenario at this point.

Look, game developers are certainly not above any sort of criticism, but why don't we focus that energy toward companies that are actually releasing unfinished games, going back on promises, and pushing scummy features like NFTs. Animators wor?k too damn hard to have some rando with a keyboard "call out" their work ethic.

I kind of just mi??ss the days when people could keep their opinions to themselves.

The post Game Dev? Twitter is heating up over this Horizon Forbidden West c?omparison video appeared first on Destructoid.

Broaden your Horizons

As a part of Sony's keynote speech at CES 2022, the publisher revealed Horizon VR Call of the Mountain, the first video game developed for the upcoming PS5 virtual reality hardware, PSVR2. Developed by Guerilla Games and Sony's recently-acquired UK studio Firesprite, Call of the Mountain will transport players directly in?to the apoc?alyptic 31st century.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPNn-jwAC9c

The teaser trailer above, featuring Guerilla's studio director Jan-Bart van Beek, doesn't feature too much game exposition, but an accompanying article on PlayStation Blog reveals that Horizon Call of the Mountain will see players step into the shoes of a brand new protagonist as they explore Horizon's beautiful and highly dangerous world. The ??player is expected to traverse the l??andscape, embark upon adventure, and come face-to-face with familiar characters, including Aloy herself.

With its stunning lush forests, frozen tundras, magnificent... uhh... horizons, and plethora of gigantic and fascinating creatures, the Horizon franchise is a very snug fit for a VR experience. Add in the power of PS5 technology, and some of the PSVR2's recently revealed features �such as Haptic Feedback and eye-tracking �and Call of the Mountain could prove to be quite the rollercoaster exp?erience, all from the safety of your own living room.

Horizon Call of the Mountain is currently in development for the PSVR2 platform. Guerilla Games is also busy putting the finishing touches to the exciting-looking Horizon Forbidden West, which launches on PS4 & PS5 February 18.

The post Step into Aloy’s world with Horizon Call of the Mountain for PSVR2 appeared first on Destructoid.

I can hear my PlayStation 4 Pro roaring just looking at these images

When it comes to graphics, it's always fascinating to see what a development team can eke out toward the end of a console's lifecycle compared to the early days. Horizon Zero Dawn looked great on PS4, and its sequel �which is coming to PS4 and PS5 next year �also shows well visually. How it'll perform on an aging base PS4 model remains to be seen, but Guerrilla Games has shared several PS4 screenshots of Horizon Forbidden West.

Take a look and see? what you think of Aloy's new surroundings:

While a few non-side-by-side screenshots won't be the end-all-be-all �far from it! �it is nice to have a rough idea of what to expect from Horizon Forbidden West's PS4 version. Of course, the real test will be how?? it all looks in motion and feels with a contr??oller in hand.

For me, beyond image clarity, the water, finer details in the world at a di??stance, and lighting differences, it mostly comes down to the smoothness of combat and snappy load times �those are the things that will matter to me more on PS5. (Especially after I've had enough time to sit with a gam??e and I've acclimated to the visual fidelity.) I mean, there's a reason I'll always pick a "performance" mode over "quality" if given the choice.

This isn't Guerrilla's first rodeo, so expectations are high for Horizon Forbidden West �folks are hoping for refinements across the board, whether we're talking gameplay or visuals. I'm?? curious to see how far the Decima engine can go on PS4. I'm hopeful.

For a few months now, I've been meaning to go back and try the 60fps PS5 upgrade for the original Horizon Zero Dawn, which Digital Foundry found to be "nigh-on perfect" in terms of how the performance holds up. I've still got some time for a revisit before the sequel is out on February 18, and something tells me I really should prioritize �I think it'll be harder to get into Zero Dawn again after playing Forbidden West. It looked so slick in th?e recent Game Awards 2??021 trailer. If you missed it, there's even a giant cobra bot!

The post Guerrilla posted the first Horizo??n Forbidden West PS4 scree?nshots appeared first on Destructoid.