Horizon Forbidden West gameplay reveal shows off new traversal mechanics, underwater gameplay, improved combat, and a breathtaking world

Horizon Forbidden West’s new gameplay trailer revealed new traversal mechanics, machines and weapons, and gave some insight into the sequel’s story.

Players will once again be taking on the role of Aloy in her quest to stop the “Blight” which is claiming countless lives in the post-apocalyptic world. Horizon Forbidden West takes place a thousand years after a catastrophe.

The gameplay trailer showed Aloy helping a friend and retrieving a crucial artifact from him. The friend called Erend is a character that exists in Horizon Zero Dawn as well. Here, he is seen being held captive by a human tribe. Aloy follows him into the camp.

Horizon Forbidden West: An upgrade on the original?

The gameplay footage showed Aloy coming across flying machines like Skywing, land machines like Clawstrider and Tremortusk, and amphibious machines like Snapmaw.

Aloy was seen donning “Shield wing,” the new gliding mechanic introduced in Horizon Forbidden West. Aloy reached the tribe’s camp following a thoroughly tantalizing underwater swim, with the scenery filled with kelp and corals. She could be seen grappling and gliding through what seemed like a large ancient structure too.

Aloy fighting humans mounted on a Termortusk in Horizon Forbidden West (Image via Playstation)

Although the stealth mechanics in Horizon Forbidden West seem to be quite akin to that of its predecessor, the combat looks much improved. The melee strikes feel more visceral. The gameplay footage also showed Aloy performing a mid-fight animation to supercharge her spear.

The breathtaking underwater scenery of Horizon Forbidden West (Image via Playstation)

The UI of Horizon Forbidden West also seems to have been tweaked, with a solid and modern look, compared to the slightly rustic look of Zero Dawn’s UI.

The splendid post-apocalyptic world of Horizon Forbidden West (Image via Playstation)

The world looks jaw-droppingly beautiful with the red and green flora and gorgeous sun shafts, juxtaposed with the quintessential post-apocalyptic Horizon touch.

The developers also talked about a weapon-upgrading system which will use workbenches.

Although Playstation State of Play did not announce a release date for Horizon Forbidden West in today’s live stream, a late 2021 release does not seem like too much of a stretch, considering the polished gameplay showcased by Sony.