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

[johnny]

1 hour ago, Kal-El814 said:

 

Usually shooting them in the face.

yeah but like in stealth or open combat? i could see stealth causing people to do nothing. 

[Kal-El814]

1 hour ago, johnny said:

yeah but like in stealth or open combat? i could see stealth causing people to do nothing. 

 

I've tried both.

[BloodyHell]

If you leave the area, it will show up as completed. Only the outposts though, not the camps.

[Kal-El814]

2 hours ago, BloodyHell said:

If you leave the area, it will show up as completed. Only the outposts though, not the camps.

 

So I kill a leader, leave, and the enemies de spawn?

[BloodyHell]

29 minutes ago, Kal-El814 said:

 

So I kill a leader, leave, and the enemies de spawn?

Yes.

[eggydoo]

How are you guys tackling buying weapons?  I admit I'm not really sure when to buy.  I feel like i'm wasting shards.  Right now I decided to just buy a new weapon if it adds something to my existing one like a new elemental type.

[stepee]

ok naaaaa GG your platforming isn’t good enough to do the “series of jumping puzzles over water that you fall into if you miss the jump and have to swim back to the last ladder” thing

[BloodyHell]

Damn, this game gets heavy.

[BloodyHell]

7 hours ago, eggydoo said:

How are you guys tackling buying weapons?  I admit I'm not really sure when to buy.  I feel like i'm wasting shards.  Right now I decided to just buy a new weapon if it adds something to my existing one like a new elemental type.

I never had a problem with shards, so I just go with stats.

[Kal-El814]

On 2/23/2022 at 1:23 PM, EternallDarkness said:

help I think I've encountered a game breaking glitch 

 

I'm doing the Kulrut Mission 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

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? 

 

Not sure if you’re still here, but that quest marker is misleading and / or bugged. Turn around and you should see a ramp / steps towards the arena. Walk that way. 

[EternallDarkness]

7 minutes ago, Kal-El814 said:

Not sure if you’re still here, but that quest marker is misleading and / or bugged. Turn around and you should see a ramp / steps towards the arena. Walk that way. 

 

 

yeah I went back and figured that out. It's actually happened in a few places. Also experienced another bug with a mission rescuing some ladies grandson. Complete the mission and it says to talk to the kid and the other guy you came with ...only it doesn't allow you to speak with them, you can circle them to the cows come home and the option never appeared. Had to reload and the mission to get the thing to work. Have also down out Stormbirds or some other creatures and not had them crash to the ground, they just stay hanging in midair. As much as I am enjoying the game it's buggy as hell. 

[Kal-El814]

1 hour ago, EternallDarkness said:

yeah I went back and figured that out. It's actually happened in a few places. Also experienced another bug with a mission rescuing some ladies grandson. Complete the mission and it says to talk to the kid and the other guy you came with ...only it doesn't allow you to speak with them, you can circle them to the cows come home and the option never appeared. Had to reload and the mission to get the thing to work. Have also down out Stormbirds or some other creatures and not had them crash to the ground, they just stay hanging in midair. As much as I am enjoying the game it's buggy as hell. 

 

It’s a bit buggy, yeah. And having done several arena challenges and fought a big snake machine, I am firmly entrenched in my opinion that the hit detection for melee in this game is wildly random.

[BloodyHell]

On 2/24/2022 at 11:03 PM, EternallDarkness said:

 

 

yeah I went back and figured that out. It's actually happened in a few places. Also experienced another bug with a mission rescuing some ladies grandson. Complete the mission and it says to talk to the kid and the other guy you came with ...only it doesn't allow you to speak with them, you can circle them to the cows come home and the option never appeared. Had to reload and the mission to get the thing to work. Have also down out Stormbirds or some other creatures and not had them crash to the ground, they just stay hanging in midair. As much as I am enjoying the game it's buggy as hell. 

Its buggy, but not bad on the grand scale of open world games. The only bug free experience I've ever had in the open world genre is Ghost of Tsushima, for some reason.

[Kal-El814]

Just fought a big machine boss that uses water attacks, people far enough along can probably guess which one I mean and where. I honestly cannot remember the last time I played a big budget, generally polished game, where the hit detection was as bad as it was in that fight. Sometimes it would dash up / plop on me and I'd get clobbered, other times Aloy wouldn't react at all. It would use water canons that would occasionally register damage when they looked like they hit 10 feet away from me, and direct hits would do nothing.

 

Based on the map I'd say I'm maybe 66% of the way done but I'm taking my time and doing almost every quest I come across. Might change with Elden Ring arriving.

[EternallDarkness]

one of there things that bothers me is how icons on the map don't always disappear or change. Some of the firewall flower thingie icons disappear once you open the blocked path other times they disappear, same with some of the other map icons. It's allying when you travel somewhere only to find out you've done what was there. 

 

I will say the game is HUGE 

[BloodyHell]

3 hours ago, EternallDarkness said:

one of there things that bothers me is how icons on the map don't always disappear or change. Some of the firewall flower thingie icons disappear once you open the blocked path other times they disappear, same with some of the other map icons. It's allying when you travel somewhere only to find out you've done what was there. 

 

I will say the game is HUGE 

This is an issue I had too. Only with the fire flowers though. 

 

Honestly, its too big. I doubt I could ever explore it all. I just focused on finishing side quests, Errands, and Cauldrons.

[legend]

I finally finished the first (and its expansion) last night and am now starting this one on PS5. I'm still very very early, but I think this game is the new graphical king.

[stepee]

2 hours ago, legend said:

I finally finished the first (and its expansion) last night and am now starting this one on PS5. I'm still very very early, but I think this game is the new graphical king.

 

I think it could be, I think it’s in a league only occupied by Cyberpunk pc, Dying Light 2 pc, and Rachet. All in different ways. If there was a pc version with RT GI then I don’t think it would be a question.

[Dodger]

This should have came out not the week before Elden Ring because I can’t get myself bothered to play this anymore.

[johnny]

12 hours ago, Kal-El814 said:

Just fought a big machine boss that uses water attacks, people far enough along can probably guess which one I mean and where. I honestly cannot remember the last time I played a big budget, generally polished game, where the hit detection was as bad as it was in that fight. Sometimes it would dash up / plop on me and I'd get clobbered, other times Aloy wouldn't react at all. It would use water canons that would occasionally register damage when they looked like they hit 10 feet away from me, and direct hits would do nothing.

 

Based on the map I'd say I'm maybe 66% of the way done but I'm taking my time and doing almost every quest I come across. Might change with Elden Ring arriving.

the game tells you what percentage completely you are at 

[EternallDarkness]

I finished the 2nd major task a while back but haven't gone back to the base yet as I have been going around clearing shit off the map. I'm currently level 34 I believe. I think I am still basically using early weapons. I know I should probably upgrade but can't decide which weapons to use. Also those green shine things for upgrade, are those things limited or do they respawn? I also only use like 3 different weapons, a regular bow, a sharpshooter bow, and those spikes you can throw. 

[legend]

7 hours ago, stepee said:

 

I think it could be, I think it’s in a league only occupied by Cyberpunk pc, Dying Light 2 pc, and Rachet. All in different ways. If there was a pc version with RT GI then I don’t think it would be a question.

 

Yeah Cyberpunk PC is the only thing that contends with it IMO. Ratchet looks very good, but I think I'd put both HFW and CP above it. Though I haven't played DL2 yet.

[BloodyHell]

Man, Guerilla employees must be both elated they made an amazing game, but also terribly sad that their achievement has been completely and utterly eclipsed by a new open world game... Again...

 

And not just any game, one very inspired by BotW.

[HardAct]

   Absolutely one of the BIGGEST games to come out so far this "Next Gen" and finally for the first time I'm not interested. I know I'm in the minority here obviously but still This game doesn't invoke  that pull that games of this magnitude do. This comes from me really not liking the first game. Yes I said it, really it came to the weapons. In the end you really only used like 3, in all fights. When the fights became intense there was no time for the varied arsenals afforded to you. This was frustrating. Only if you had time to really plan an attack were more weapons useful. 

 

   I'm sure this has been addressed in this game somewhat, I do not know and the fact that I do not own a PS5 yet I'm easily waiting on this game, though it's a powerhouse of a visual feast that's not what makes games good to me for the most past. I really really hope you guys enjoy it, another AAA for us the games to have access to is never a bad thing. That said, Elden Ring is waiting for me, going to start it this next Tuesday! 

[stepee]

14 hours ago, legend said:

 

Yeah Cyberpunk PC is the only thing that contends with it IMO. Ratchet looks very good, but I think I'd put both HFW and CP above it. Though I haven't played DL2 yet.

 

I think Rachet I give extra points to for constancy, of course being linear helps a ton there, but it just always looks like a cg movie. Though I think I may glance over how some of the more open areas aren’t as impressive. I also give it points for the RT performance mode which struck a great balance of IQ and performance within the restraints of a console. A balance I wish Horizon had more of.

 

Cyberpunk and Dying Light 2 (you gotta try it!) are on a pure tech level already beyond what the current consoles can do when maxed out on pc, but the asset quality and modeling and environmental simulation are lacking compared to what Sony studio’s can do, which is kind of understandable considering budget differences. But yeah, the RT GI hype is real, and DL2 looks lifelike at times in a way that another game just can’t without it.

 

Horizon let’s me down most by it’s IQ in performance mode, I hope they improve it, it seems like it’s partially just a bad choice of a solution for how checkerboard reacts to really dense scenes with a lot of far off detail in motion. That and yeah it’s lighting, having seen next gen lighting, stands out the most to me as wanting improvement, though it’s by no means bad!

 

That said, I was playing last night and battling four or five robo dinosaurs in a sandstorm and thought, you know what, I think legend is right lol.

 

 

[stepee]

8 hours ago, BloodyHell said:

Man, Guerilla employees must be both elated they made an amazing game, but also terribly sad that their achievement has been completely and utterly eclipsed by a new open world game... Again...

 

And not just any game, one very inspired by BotW.

 

I think how ridiculous it is that they released next to two all time highest critically acclaimed games in a row, but then I think well Horizon sold fucking 20mil still. Gamers gonna find a way for both. 

 

I saw a thread on resetera asking what GOAT will Horizon 3 launch next to and one response was that this time Horizon will be that game. And I like that idea.

[legend]

26 minutes ago, stepee said:

 

I think Rachet I give extra points to for constancy, of course being linear helps a ton there, but it just always looks like a cg movie. Though I think I may glance over how some of the more open areas aren’t as impressive. I also give it points for the RT performance mode which struck a great balance of IQ and performance within the restraints of a console. A balance I wish Horizon had more of.

 

Cyberpunk and Dying Light 2 (you gotta try it!) are on a pure tech level already beyond what the current consoles can do when maxed out on pc, but the asset quality and modeling and environmental simulation are lacking compared to what Sony studio’s can do, which is kind of understandable considering budget differences. But yeah, the RT GI hype is real, and DL2 looks lifelike at times in a way that another game just can’t without it.

 

Horizon let’s me down most by it’s IQ in performance mode, I hope they improve it, it seems like it’s partially just a bad choice of a solution for how checkerboard reacts to really dense scenes with a lot of far off detail in motion. That and yeah it’s lighting, having seen next gen lighting, stands out the most to me as wanting improvement, though it’s by no means bad!

 

That said, I was playing last night and battling four or five robo dinosaurs in a sandstorm and thought, you know what, I think legend is right lol.

 

 

 

Yeah I'm playing in performance mode and the checker boxing is definitely its weak point. It's probably the only thing that on occasion is noticeably subpar. (We need DLSS on consoles!) I'm also a huge fan of raytracing and that's where CP's edge really is, but I think the whole package of HFW, including things like asset quality that you mentioned, its sheer scope of vistas, superbly acted/animated characters, etc. bring it into the same league.

 

Also, this is going to sound weird, but I find myself constantly in awe of how good hands look. Like, I never would have thought games rendered hands poorly until I couldn't look away from the splendidly rendered hands in HFW relative to other games. I guess I have a hand fetish now. Thanks, Obama.

[stepee]

3 minutes ago, legend said:

 

Yeah I'm playing in performance mode and the checker boxing is definitely its weak point. It's probably the only thing that on occasion is noticeably subpar. (We need DLSS on consoles!) I'm also a huge fan of raytracing and that's where CP's edge really is, but I think the whole package of HFW, including things like asset quality that you mentioned, its sheer scope of vistas, superbly acted/animated characters, etc. bring it into the same league.

 

Also, this is going to sound weird, but I find myself constantly in awe of how good hands look. Like, I never would have thought games rendered hands poorly until I couldn't look away from the spindly rendered hands in HFW relative to other games. I guess I have a hand fetish now. Thanks, Obama.

 

Yeah I think the total package has to be the best if I’m counting the characters and motion cap. I kinda was only thinking of pure gameplay which isn’t fair to allllll that good stuff here. It’s on another level completely and you know what I actually agree now, you can’t fuck with this game currently it’s insane.

[Phaseknox]

12 hours ago, HardAct said:

Absolutely one of the BIGGEST games to come out so far this "Next Gen" and finally for the first time I'm not interested. I know I'm in the minority here obviously but still This game doesn't invoke  that pull that games of this magnitude do. This comes from me really not liking the first game. Yes I said it, really it came to the weapons. In the end you really only used like 3, in all fights. When the fights became intense there was no time for the varied arsenals afforded to you. This was frustrating. Only if you had time to really plan an attack were more weapons useful. 

I didn’t really like the first game, either. I liked it, but I didn’t love it like a lot of people did. I liked the story, characters and world, but I felt the same way about the combat as you do. Most weapons are gadgets and traps that are useful for stealthy and strategic approaches, but once you’re engaged in actual combat they’re pretty much useless. Then it basically comes down to using bows and arrows, slingshots and your spear which isn’t that useful considering how bad melee combat is. I just didn’t find the combat all that fun, and that’s a pretty big drawback for a game like this.

 

I also felt like the tone of the game was held back a bit to earn a Teen rating. It had more of a suitable for all ages feel to it than I like my post apocalyptic games to have. I like them to be a little darker, grittier and real when it comes to their content and subject matter. It felt like they wanted to make a serious and mature game for older audiences, but had to show restraint to earn a Teen rating. So everything felt forcefully tame which was a little off-putting IMO.

 

The little that I played of Horizon Forbidden West pretty much feels like more of the same, and is why it has failed to really hook me. I have a feeling that I’m going to like it, but not love it as well. I was enjoying Dying Light 2 more, and I think that I will enjoy Elden Ring more too. So I think that I’m going to shelf Horizon Forbidden West for now, and come back to it another time when I’m more in the mood for it.

[silentbob]

So you guys are saying this game just got the TitanFall 2 treatment

 

[HardAct]

4 hours ago, silentbob said:

So you guys are saying this game just got the TitanFall 2 treatment

 

   Don't really know what you mean by that. I LOVED Titan Fall 2, it was so great. I'm sure those that Liked the first Horizon game will gush all over this one too. Frankly I'm good that I don't feel like I have to own this game too! If I had a PS5 though I's be buying Demon Souls, Ratchet and Clank and Returnal the day I got it. Those and God of War. Enjoy guys...

[Keyser_Soze]

39 minutes ago, HardAct said:

   Don't really know what you mean by that. I LOVED Titan Fall 2, it was so great. I'm sure those that Liked the first Horizon game will gush all over this one too.

 

Titanfall 2 was released in between Battlefield 1 and CoD, thus was kind of overlooked because it was between two huge games.

 

The original HZD was released a week before Breath of the Wild. HZD 2 was released a week before Elden Ring.

[HardAct]

8 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

Titanfall 2 was released in between Battlefield 1 and CoD, thus was kind of overlooked because it was between two huge games.

 

The original HZD was released a week before Breath of the Wild. HZD 2 was released a week before Elden Ring.

Ok then,

   I bought both day one loved Titan Fall 2 and liked HZD. I did finish both so that says something, well Titanfall "Story wasn't much just a long tutorial if I remember right" It had brought some really new concepts to the first person shooter and I would LOVE a TF3. HZD 2 will be a $20 or below game way way down the road. I'm not really interested and I don't own a PS5. I want one yea, but never shop for one. I'm good with sitting this console out as crazy as that is to me and my past gaming history of buying them all day one. The shortage has kind'a dulled my excitement in it and I'll just get one when I see in in stock either online or in Best Buy / Walmart someday. Then I'll have plenty to bury myself in . . lol

[johnny]

it really only takes two good shots to take my character out, which is fine, but sometimes I don't realize that I was even hit. 

[EternallDarkness]

11 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

Titanfall 2 was released in between Battlefield 1 and CoD, thus was kind of overlooked because it was between two huge games.

 

The original HZD was released a week before Breath of the Wild. HZD 2 was released a week before Elden Ring.

 

I don't know that BoTW hurt HZD any. It's not like Zelda was available on the PS4. The game old like 10 million copies. As for Elden Ring I don't know that the game appeals to the same demo.