Sony Horizon Forbidden West - Information Thread, update: Digital Foundry hands-on with PC version

[stepee]

3 hours ago, johnny said:

are you guys doing explorer or guided? 

 

im doing explorer and having a good time with it not showing me too much. 

 

Explorer, but I’m mostly just going to do the main quest anyway since it’s already so long. I turned climbing annotations on and changed interaction markers to always on. Also just enabled gyro and feels good!

[best3444]

1 minute ago, stepee said:

I turned climbing annotations on and changed interaction markers to always on. 

 

What does this mean?

[Biggie]

Funny how y’all went from Master Race to Console Cucks

 

[stepee]

11 minutes ago, best3444 said:

 

What does this mean?

 

Shows highlights around objects that you can climb, like it does when you scan, only at all times without needing to scan. Same thing with interaction objects, it highlights things like loot I can grab at all times.

[stepee]

11 minutes ago, Biggie said:

Funny how y’all went from Master Race to Console Cucks

 

 

Yeah, a Sony exclusive coming out and looking as impressive as top pc games do who could have ever seen that coming :P

[Kal-El814]

Got to the first tallboy. Still really liking it a lot. But unless something changes I do not understand the comments that this game would hit for people with open world game fatigue. It's a very good one of those, but it's absolutely one of those still.

[BloodyHell]

9 minutes ago, Kal-El814 said:

Got to the first tallboy. Still really liking it a lot. But unless something changes I do not understand the comments that this game would hit for people with open world game fatigue. It's a very good one of those, but it's absolutely one of those still.

Oh, I agree with that. 

I imagine the golden path helps, but I'm probably less than halfway through the story, ive been doing everything else. I had to up the difficulty though. I got over leveled too quickly.

[Xbob42]

2 hours ago, stepee said:

Well don’t get too carried away now, the water won’t ripple if you shoot an arrow in it. It does react to you, and the fish, and some other things I think have physics enabled but not projectiles.

 

I'm hoping you mean it does properly ripple if Aloy jumps in... otherwise, all the power of the PS5 and not caught up with a fuckin' PS2 game.

 

[stepee]

21 minutes ago, Xbob42 said:

 

I'm hoping you mean it does properly ripple if Aloy jumps in... otherwise, all the power of the PS5 and not caught up with a fuckin' PS2 game.

 

 

It’s a bit like that, smaller radius, not sure which is more accurate, but it does ripple around if you jump in and also ripples then slowly resolves after you get out (and as you swim of course).

 

Edit: Actually looking closer it’s not quite that, the area surrounding alloy animates but it doesn’t seem to have physics that actually alter behavior of the surrounding body of water as a whole, if that’s what ICO is doing there.

[SaysWho?]

No matter what generation, it's always easier to develop a linear puzzle game like ICO where there are very few variables/enemies/AI to deal with than an open-world. ICO does that with water because there's not exactly much else that they have to do in comparison in any area. 

 

That's why this came out the same generation and did more with water than HZD:

 

 

If you could have a ton of AI human characters, Aloy, and machines do this in the same body of water with the waves rippling off each other appropriately, it's a heck of a lot more impressive than two characters doing it in a linear game.

 

Not taking away from Last Guardian on that one. Trico is impressive.

[stepee]

8 minutes ago, SaysWho? said:

No matter what generation, it's always easier to develop a linear puzzle game like ICO where there are very few variables/enemies/AI to deal with than an open-world. ICO does that with water because there's not exactly much else that they have to do in comparison in any area. 

 

That's why this came out the same generation and did more with water than HZD:

 

 

If you could have a ton of AI human characters, Aloy, and machines do this in the same body of water with the waves rippling off each other appropriately, it's a heck of a lot more impressive than two characters doing it in a linear game.

 

Not taking away from Last Guardian on that one. Trico is impressive.

 

Yeah, that with Trico is more than how it works in FW, it’s cool how fish cause the water to react too. And yeah you can do this for destruction, reflections, etc. Like how mirrors disappeared for a couple decades because they just used to render the game twice and that isn’t going to happen for every reflective object these days but now we have ray tracing to do it for realz. 

 

Edit: I expect physics in general so things like destruction and full fluid simulation will see upgrades finally when cross gen ends 

[Greatoneshere]

2 hours ago, stepee said:

Stop saying how you are the only one to save the earth omg

 

She does mention it a lot. To be fair, she IS, but goddamn woman.

[Xbob42]

35 minutes ago, SaysWho? said:

No matter what generation, it's always easier to develop a linear puzzle game like ICO where there are very few variables/enemies/AI to deal with than an open-world. ICO does that with water because there's not exactly much else that they have to do in comparison in any area. 

Ehh the "open world" shouldn't have too much of an impact on things like this... because the actual playspace is still always just your immediate area. I'd rather see it attempt and fudging it a bit in combat or when you have too many characters rather than just not trying at all, y'know?

[Kal-El814]

I wish I loved anything in my life as much as Aloy loves talking about putting things into her stash.

 

Also the popup tips and quest markers in this game are mildly broken. There are a few quests I've done, that are marked as done in my log, but the icon still shows as needing to be done on the map. And I get messages about basic functionality, like what happens when I pick berries when my pockets are full, much more often than I should.

[Amazatron]

4 hours ago, Greatoneshere said:

 

She does mention it a lot. To be fair, she IS, but goddamn woman.

 

I read this as "To be fair, she is a goddamn woman."

 

[BloodyHell]

12 hours ago, Greatoneshere said:

 

She does mention it a lot. To be fair, she IS, but goddamn woman.

Also, I know my stuff is in my stash, damnit!

[best3444]

I thought this was cool

 

 

[Captain Pickle]

So I’m just reading up on some tips and see a lot about setting loot to easy.  While I commend the setting options on this game I would never use this setting.  To me to takes away the fun of having to go for the rare drops. One of the things I like most about the combat even if I’m confused early on.

[SaysWho?]

Story in this game is getting interesting much earlier than the previous game.

 

I keep thinking about the exploration. Will the verticality of the world -- more fun options to traverse up, and utilizing the water -- lend for much more fun exploration? Seems like it for now, especially with the blocked paths that tease you just by being there. 

[JPDunks4]

18 hours ago, Xbob42 said:

Ehh the "open world" shouldn't have too much of an impact on things like this... because the actual playspace is still always just your immediate area. I'd rather see it attempt and fudging it a bit in combat or when you have too many characters rather than just not trying at all, y'know?

 

A lot of AAA big budget games seem to ignore that aspect of the world/engine.  Halo was terrible as well during the campaign.  A game with such interesting physics, and just about nothing in the actual world seems to interact with it.

 

I think its one reason I appreciated Valheim so much and enjoyed it.  Graphics aren't stellar by design, but the world felt more alive as you can interact with just about anything.

[JPDunks4]

Resisting buying this has been tough, I'm trying to wrap up Sekiro before Elden Ring drops, and have some meetings in Nashville til Friday anyway.

 

May have to jump in after Elden Ring though to check it out.

[stepee]

People complain that Aloy is unlikeable but I’m totally digging her personality here actually. It’s nice not having to whimper towards the authorities and just bossing everyone around for a change.

[Captain Pickle]

So two weird things I immediately appreciate as I start this game.

 

1) pause anytime: like why not? Thank you horizon 

 

2) none static conversations. Mass effect and Witcher annoyed me with all conversations standing still and just talking heads.  Near the beginning I have one of my first conversations and were walking about.  I immediately was like damn, see that’s all it takes.  Have them walk in a circle for all I care. Just seems more natural with motion and changing the camera angle from time to time.

[legend]

I never got around to finishing the first because I had just played 100+ hours of AC Odyssey when I started it and it felt like too much adventure open world.

 

But I've gotten back into (restarted because it's been too long) and am nearing the end. First game ended up pretty solid and I'm looking forward to the new one!

[atom631]

Im just going to spolier alert my whole comment 

 

Spoiler

Im about 7-8hrs in and still in The Daunt. So I havent even hit the actual Forbidden West. 
 

the game is beautiful, but so far it doesnt feel like much of a difference from the first one. 
 

i really hate the climbing mechanics. Its 2022 and were still following yellow highlighted ledges and perfectly placed hand-holds? They couldnt come with something like  BOTW or AC? It completely breaks the immersion.  

 

Im finding the controls cumbersome  in terms of combat. combos dont seem to work for me, I dont think ive gotten that first perk in the melee skill tree to work outside of the arena (something about energizing the enemy then hitting them with an arrow). the button sequences are odd L2, tap Y, L2 tap R1 then tap something else. Its so much to remember ln the middle of a fight.  

 

my last gripe is I was really hoping there would more ancient ruins. In the entire Daunt there was one spot and it was a just a house you could finish exploring in a few minutes. I hope once Im actually in The Forbidden West, theres lots more  

 

[SaysWho?]

Obviously, the series started as a sci-fi series. but I feel like the story in the first, say, 15 hours of this REALLY leans into it way more than Zero Dawn.

 

Not complaining about that, either.

 

For reference, I finished the first Cauldron (story-related one).

[BloodyHell]

3 hours ago, atom631 said:

Im just going to spolier alert my whole comment 

 

  Hide contents

Im about 7-8hrs in and still in The Daunt. So I havent even hit the actual Forbidden West. 
 

the game is beautiful, but so far it doesnt feel like much of a difference from the first one. 
 

i really hate the climbing mechanics. Its 2022 and were still following yellow highlighted ledges and perfectly placed hand-holds? They couldnt come with something like  BOTW or AC? It completely breaks the immersion.  

 

Im finding the controls cumbersome  in terms of combat. combos dont seem to work for me, I dont think ive gotten that first perk in the melee skill tree to work outside of the arena (something about energizing the enemy then hitting them with an arrow). the button sequences are odd L2, tap Y, L2 tap R1 then tap something else. Its so much to remember ln the middle of a fight.  

 

my last gripe is I was really hoping there would more ancient ruins. In the entire Daunt there was one spot and it was a just a house you could finish exploring in a few minutes. I hope once Im actually in The Forbidden West, theres lots more  

 

 

You will find tons to explore. At this point, ive explored for 3 days and I don't have half the map unlocked. There is so much, the game is so dense, and the side quests reach Witcher 3 levels of interesting sometimes,with big, amazing dinosaur battles. You slso get two full narratives if you play thr game. Aloys story, her journey, but also a completely separate story about life on this dying, tribal wasteland, and how that life survives the harsh nature of the southwest.

 

I figure im 3/4 done the main story, but I am very purposely doing almost everything else. Side Quests, Errands, custom jobs (the most useful tool in an open world rpg), Cauldrons, Tallnecks. Anything I can chase after. 

11 hours ago, best3444 said:

I thought this was cool

 

 

 

 

I actually came to post this

7 hours ago, stepee said:

People complain that Aloy is unlikeable but I’m totally digging her personality here actually. It’s nice not having to whimper towards the authorities and just bossing everyone around for a change.

Honestly, I think they made her talk so much that people grow to dislike her. 

 

Im playing with a headset, and her chatter gets abrasive after while.

 

But I love how she just cuts through the bullshit. I think Aloy is an incredible character. She's broken, and I wish they would explore that more.

 

Spoilers from the OG:

Spoiler

Her father dies protecting her. She's thrown into a war with crazed AI and a dissident tribe, has Hades stolen. She goes north and faces Hephaestus to stop the whole of Yellowstone from blowing, saving the world again, but again not quite. 

 

Her tale is incredibly complex, and I wish they would lean into her mental health more. 

 

When they end Aloys story, I hope they move far beyond it if they continue with the world, because I want to see what influence Aloy still has on the world 200 years later. Probably in all the ways she would hate. 

 

And HFW spoilers:

Spoiler

Now that Aloy can fly, they really could take the story anywhere. They could take her to North Africa, Asia, South America, pretty much anywhere they want. So I wonder if they stay in America, or Take aloys journey worldwide.

 

[BloodyHell]

On 2/21/2022 at 8:37 PM, SaysWho? said:

Obviously, the series started as a sci-fi series. but I feel like the story in the first, say, 15 hours of this REALLY leans into it way more than Zero Dawn.

 

Not complaining about that, either.

 

For reference, I finished the first Cauldron (story-related one).

The story gets really interesting after a while. Im dying to know what will happen, but not ready to move on. I think I have 4 main quests left. 

[johnny]

the climbing should definitely be better. why not just have assassins creed style climbing? 

 

Everything else has felt really smooth and enjoyable. Nailing a machine perfectly without using focus feels so good in the middle of combat when it's running around. 

[Kal-El814]

8 hours ago, johnny said:

the climbing should definitely be better. why not just have assassins creed style climbing? 

 

Everything else has felt really smooth and enjoyable. Nailing a machine perfectly without using focus feels so good in the middle of combat when it's running around. 

The game’s main sin to me after just getting to the second big plot beat is that it’s inconsistent. 
 

Can I climb that surface? Have to check the focus, identical looking surfaces may or may not be climbable and there’s no way to tell by looking. 
 

Is that enemy attack going to hit me? This one really gets old, stuff like the Shell Walker’s nuke attack or the Leashleaper’s (whatever the kangaroo thing is called) tail attack feel like they hit or miss arbitrarily. Sometimes the nuke completely misses me when I’m close and hits me when I’m far away. Sometimes the tail whip clips right through me and sometimes I don’t see it connect and I take the hit. It’s not as bad when I’m doing melee attacks but it happens that way too. 
 

I think the map erases and then puts back the things you can clear with unlocked items. It makes tracking what I’ve explored vs what I haven’t mildly annoying. 
 

Not being able to tag certain things with the focus is weird and inconsistent too. Why can’t I boop treasure chests or signals so that I can work my way towards them without spamming the focus?

 

These are all on the periphery, some rough burrs on an otherwise polished game. Still really liking the ranged combat, enemy design, and the world overall. And now that what I assume to be the main antagonists have shown up I continue to be really interested in seeing where this all goes. 
 

Some spoilery thoughts as of being able to access Tallbacks after the first one. 
 

Spoiler

Far Zenith seemed like an obvious place for the study to go after the first game, so I was happy to see them referenced so early in this one… I figured those first chats were going to be a Chekov’s gun. 
 

Aloy’s chat with Gaia was great, though at this point she seems… really unconcerned about Sylens or the Far Zenith team are going to show up where Gaia is chilling? Doesn’t Sylens know exactly where Aloy was heading? Wouldn’t they just be able to walk in there too? Or can Gaia keep the other Sobeck clone out now? I don’t remember them talking about that and it seemed like a non trivial omission  Also Aloy seems a bit too eager to have Gaia make a bunch of machines and murder the Zenithers. Come on now, Aloy

 

I wonder if they’ll explain why the 3 AIs that Gaia located were all in the former US. Seems pretty convenient! I’m fine with “because videogames” being the answer, just curious. 

 

[BloodyHell]

1 hour ago, Kal-El814 said:

The game’s main sin to me after just getting to the second big plot beat is that it’s inconsistent. 
 

Can I climb that surface? Have to check the focus, identical looking surfaces may or may not be climbable and there’s no way to tell by looking. 
 

Is that enemy attack going to hit me? This one really gets old, stuff like the Shell Walker’s nuke attack or the Leashleaper’s (whatever the kangaroo thing is called) tail attack feel like they hit or miss arbitrarily. Sometimes the nuke completely misses me when I’m close and hits me when I’m far away. Sometimes the tail whip clips right through me and sometimes I don’t see it connect and I take the hit. It’s not as bad when I’m doing melee attacks but it happens that way too. 
 

I think the map erases and then puts back the things you can clear with unlocked items. It makes tracking what I’ve explored vs what I haven’t mildly annoying. 
 

Not being able to tag certain things with the focus is weird and inconsistent too. Why can’t I boop treasure chests or signals so that I can work my way towards them without spamming the focus?

 

These are all on the periphery, some rough burrs on an otherwise polished game. Still really liking the ranged combat, enemy design, and the world overall. And now that what I assume to be the main antagonists have shown up I continue to be really interested in seeing where this all goes. 
 

Some spoilery thoughts as of being able to access Tallbacks after the first one. 
 

  Hide contents

Far Zenith seemed like an obvious place for the study to go after the first game, so I was happy to see them referenced so early in this one… I figured those first chats were going to be a Chekov’s gun. 
 

Aloy’s chat with Gaia was great, though at this point she seems… really unconcerned about Sylens or the Far Zenith team are going to show up where Gaia is chilling? Doesn’t Sylens know exactly where Aloy was heading? Wouldn’t they just be able to walk in there too? Or can Gaia keep the other Sobeck clone out now? I don’t remember them talking about that and it seemed like a non trivial omission  Also Aloy seems a bit too eager to have Gaia make a bunch of machines and murder the Zenithers. Come on now, Aloy

 

I wonder if they’ll explain why the 3 AIs that Gaia located were all in the former US. Seems pretty convenient! I’m fine with “because videogames” being the answer, just curious. 

 

Some of your questions get answered in surprising ways. I expect to beat this tomorrow or Friday. Im just grinding out side quests because they have been so much fun and interesting, but im very near the end. 

 

I like this so much more than the first, which I thought was a good game, but not amazing. It had a great story and lore, with side characters I really didn't care about at all. I didn't care about Avad, or Varl, or anyone except Erond and maybe Vanasha I thought were interesting, but there side quests were barely tolerable. This game has been so much better about filling out its world with interesting stories, showing how the tribes survive on a harsh, dying planet.

[EternallDarkness]

help I think I've encountered a game breaking glitch 

 

I'm doing the Kulrut Mission 

 

Spoiler

I've gotten the sky clan to send people to fight to become marshals, then I talk to the chief and he wants me to join his forces to defend against attack, but when I go to leave there is some jackass solider standing in the massive doorway leading out and he won't move and I can't go around him, there are invisible walls blocking me. Anyone experience this? 

 

[Kal-El814]

When I run into Rebel encampments, Aloy says something about how taking out the leader might make other people run away. I always take out the leader first, but nobody seems to care. Has anyone gotten this to work? Am I doing something wrong?

[johnny]

1 minute ago, Kal-El814 said:

When I run into Rebel encampments, Aloy says something about how taking out the leader might make other people run away. I always take out the leader first, but nobody seems to care. Has anyone gotten this to work? Am I doing something wrong?

maybe it’s how you’re killing the leader? 

[Kal-El814]

12 minutes ago, johnny said:

maybe it’s how you’re killing the leader? 

 

Usually shooting them in the face.