'Horizon: Zero Dawn' Release Date, News: Several Teasers Give Reasons to Get the Game
It is crunch time for Guerrilla Games to make sure everyone knows that the strikingly beautiful open world of "Horizon: Zero Dawn" is slowly looming in. With just a few days more before the game's official release, the video game company is giving players a lot of reasons why they should buy the title when it hits the stores.
For one, the developers are proud of the machines and how they act differently. Art director Jan-Bart van Beek talks about the dominating mechanical creatures in the post-apocalyptic world and each species' unique behavioral traits. Van Beek adds that the demeanor of the machines dictates how the player will approach it, adding a layer of depth to how one sees Aloy's opponents.
Game director Mathijs de Jonge also mentions that when it comes to the machines' varying temperaments, some would flee, some would call in reinforcements, while some are more ferocious than the others. This gives the idea that the same tactic does not apply to all enemies.
De Jonge illustrates another enticing point why players should get "Horizon: Zero Dawn," and that is its combat system. It gets inspiration from Guerilla Games' "Killzone" and has customized it to fit in Aloy's world.
Managing director Hermen Hulst points out that the game allows players to think of preparing, engaging and evacuating from battles, so it will be up to the gamer how to approach it. This then gives the option to attack head on, do it stealthily, or even have a little bit of both.
The last point, but definitely not the least that hopefully convinces players to get the game is the world itself. De Jonge states that they have worked on it so much that there is no lag time from one area to another, making one, cohesive environment.
Part of that world is also the facial animation, which was also taken into consideration. Van Beek said that this is important as there are many cutscenes, and so it has to be as believable as possible.
"Horizon: Zero Dawn" arrives exclusively on the PlayStation 4 (PS4) on Feb. 28, 2017.