Horizon Zero Dawn presents an expansive map with a lot of content to experience while in each of its distinct biomes. However, open-world traversal throughout these areas can sometimes be far less enticing. Because many biomes in Horizon Zero Dawn are mountainous and provide substantial environmental obstacles, it is unfortunate that Aloy is unable to freely climb or maneuver around the environment more fluidly.
Instead, players may simply resort to crafting and purchasing fast-travel packs to circumnavigate the map once desired Tallnecks and intermittent campfires have been accessed. However, Horizon Forbidden West looks to be adding a lot of new mechanics that emphasize fluid environmental traversal. With any luck, these proposed mechanics could remedy Horizon Zero Dawn’s relatively underwhelming traversal features.
Horizon Forbidden West Supposedly Lets Players Freely Climb
Horizon Forbidden West’s official gameplay presentation offered a look at a stealth-oriented mission that leads into a climactic boss battle against a Tremortusk. While details on Horizon: Forbidden West’s narrative remain tight-lipped, its gameplay presentation teased a plethora of new tricks and tools that Aloy has acquired since Horizon Zero Dawn, such as the ability to dive underwater and swim about through colorful coral reefs and seaweed.
What was not shown, but rather expressed afterward, is that Horizon Forbidden West features authentic free-climbing. However, its parameters are not clearly defined and have not been shown explicitly. As such, it is currently unclear whether there are simply more handholds to grab in Horizon Forbidden West's environments, or if a free-climbing system similar to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has truly been added.
Moreover, Horizon Zero Dawn maintains Sony's principal traversal signifier with specific markers in the environment that inform players of which areas they can climb. Otherwise, Aloy is unable to climb or maneuver around any other seemingly traversable environment. Thankfully, Aloy's Focus in Horizon Forbidden West will unobtrusively highlight scalable perch points.
With this feature, Horizon Forbidden West can hopefully embed these visual cues into the technological Focus view exclusively, instead of reprising Horizon Zero Dawn's yellow ropes that are inexplicably bolted into sheer rock walls. Though it may be a more minor issue that may not concern every player, it helps blend the game's immersion and allows those who want the visual hint to access it independently of the natural environment.
Further, overridden mounts in Horizon Zero Dawn are arguably not beneficial in many situations. Machines that can be mounted are often too far-and-few, and can not enter settlements anyhow, so there are not a lot of instances where they seem useful for a period of time. Horizon Forbidden West's gameplay showcase determined that mounts will make a return from the original game, so hopefully their implementation finds new fluidity and accessibility as well.
Regardless, if an authentic free-climbing mechanic is added to Horizon Forbidden West it would be a landmark improvement over Horizon Zero Dawn, and foundationally elevate the franchise's traversal capabilities. Likewise, new tools debuting in the sequel look as though they will provide the edge that Horizon Forbidden West needs to excel at traversal.
Horizon Forbidden West's Pullcaster and Shieldwing May Offer Fluid Traversal
Horizon Forbidden West's two latest tools have been shown off and may present a lot of traversal opportunities. Firstly, the Pullcaster is a mechanic that lets Aloy pull herself from midair to grapple-points and reach different areas. The Pullcaster also looks like it will have combat applications, and its use in traversal is certainly interesting. Hopefully the Pullcaster will only be needed to reach otherwise unclimbable perches or reach general areas quicker, since the sequel’s supposed free-climbing should allow players to climb anywhere without the Pullcaster.
Guerrilla Games chose to showcase the Pullcaster in a scenario where Aloy is attempting to flee an ambush of enemy machines. This shows that the Pullcaster may be used in situations where players are intended to avoid enemies or race through an environment quicker than they could while strafing along ledges and other environments. The Pullcaster could add a lot of quick momentum to the franchise, with players able to leap from one environmental perch into a grapple.
Horizon Forbidden West also introduces the Shieldwing, which was apparently meant to be included in Horizon Zero Dawn before it was cut. The Shieldwing is essentially a glider that allows Aloy to hover downward from high areas. This will likely be implemented into areas where players can glide down and surprise unsuspecting bandits and machines if they would rather close the distance than pick off enemies from afar.
But the most significant improvement that the Shieldwing could provide is the potential of not having to worry about fall damage, which is crippling in Horizon Zero Dawn. Players can suffer a relatively short fall in Horizon Zero Dawn and either sustain considerable damage to their health or even result in a death, which makes movement around any sort of precipice much more dangerous.
Horizon Zero Dawn's map boasts many canyons and cliffs that players can easily fall from, and fall damage is a nuisance as a result. The Shieldwing could completely remove the threat of fall damage, or at least death as a result of fall damage, if players are able to incautiously glide from any height. The Shieldwing may or may not have a timed duration it can be used for while suspended in midair, but it would be beneficial in the very least if players could spare themselves from death by activating the Shieldwing just before they hit the ground.
Horizon Forbidden West still has the potential to make emergent and revolutionary feature changes even if it does not specifically nail traversal. But because Horizon Zero Dawn's open-world traversal felt somewhat stifled, it will be fantastic if Horizon Forbidden West can utilize its new features in meaningful and engaging ways throughout its open-world.
Horizon Forbidden West is scheduled to release on February 18, 2022, on PS4 and PS5.