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Horizon Forbidden West is a little further off than we had hoped.
Published: Monday, 17th January 2022 at 5:44 pm
The wait for the sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn is coming to an end and the game will soon be in the hands of players on both the PS5 and PS4. That is to say, the Horizon Forbidden West release date is nearly here!
Horizon Forbidden West is one of the most hyped games of 2022, so it is a good thing that it’s coming so early into the year – and in a quiet enough period in gaming that we can really sink some decent playing time into it.
But when is the release date for Horizon Forbidden West, and what do we know about the game so far? Here is all we know about it!
When is Horizon Forbidden West’s release date?
The Horizon Forbidden West release date is now confirmed for 18th February 2022, which is sure to come around quickly! The game has already been pushed back by delays, so we’re hoping this will be the last release date we need to report on. That being said, we don’t mind waiting for the game to be as good as possible.
Can I pre-order Horizon Forbidden West?
At Gamescom 2021’s Opening Night Live event, Guerilla Studios confirmed that pre-orders for Horizon Forbidden West will officially begin on 2nd September 2021.
A few places seem to be getting ahead of the game, though. Simply Games will let you pre-order the game for £69.99 GBP, while Shop To will allow you to pre-order a copy for £69.85.
Or you can head over to Very where you can buy either version of the game.
What consoles and platforms will Horizon Forbidden West be available on?
The original Horizon Zero Dawn game launched exclusively on PS4, but a PC version did come along later, so it’s only sensible to wonder whether Horizon Forbidden West will release in the same way. The recent launch of the PS5 is also something that changes the situation, so keep on reading for the full lowdown on where this game will be available.
Is Horizon Forbidden West a PS5 exclusive or will it be on PS4?
Horizon Zero Dawn 2 will be available on both PS5 and PS4, as Sony confirmed in a blog post last year. Although Horizon Forbidden West will certainly have better graphics and loading times if you play on PS5, it’s nice to know that PS4 issues won’t be missing out this time. That’s good news for anyone that has been struggling to buy a new console due to PS5 stock issues.
Horizon Forbidden West PC release: will it be on PC?
Sony has not yet announced a PC release date for Horizon Forbidden West, which shouldn’t come as a massive surprise. After all, the original Horizon Zero Dawn game was a PlayStation console exclusive for over three years: it launched on PS4 in early 2017, and it eventually came to PC in summer 2020. If Horizon Forbidden West does come to PC, we wouldn’t expect that to happen for quite a while.
What is the Horizon Forbidden West story about?
Horizon Zero Dawn is set in a post-apocalyptic world where giant robot creatures have taken over the Earth and the surviving humans have been reduced to a tribal-like society.
Sadly very little is known about the sequel, but the first game’s ending provides us with some (spoiler-ridden) clues. Hades, a rogue AI hell-bent on human destruction, is found to have survived the climactic showdown at the end of the game, and interestingly has been captured by supposed ally Sylens. This nicely sets up the villains for the sequel, who will likely be much more nuanced considering the friendship the player has with Sylens.
The official synopsis does tell us a little more and while it does not give a huge amount away, it does tell us that there is more trouble afoot that we will need to try and sort out: “Horizon Forbidden West continues the story of Aloy, a young huntress of the Nora tribe sent on a quest to a mysterious frontier spanning Utah to the Pacific coast to find the source of a mysterious plague that kills all it infects. … one that will change Aloy forever.”
List of all the machines in Horizon Forbidden West
Oh, and the sequel will be sure to have more varieties of machine animals – which we’re very much on board for. Since the game has not been released yet, we don’t have a full list of machines at the moment, but we do know a few of them: you’ll be going up against Bristlebacks, Clawstriders, Chargers, Shellsnappers, Snapmaws, Sunwings and Tremortusks in the game.
Is there a trailer for Horizon Forbidden West?
Only time will tell if this becomes one of the best PS5 games, but for now, we’ll just have to enjoy looking at the Horizon Forbidden West marketing materials. Just shy of 14 minutes of full gameplay footage was shown, during a recent State of Play live stream, with this extended trailer giving us our best look yet at the game. Take a look for yourself below!
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Why is Aloy’s face different? How old is Aloy in Horizon Forbidden West?
One question that popped up on social media following that gameplay reveal was ‘why does Aloy’s face look different?’ and the answer to that has not been officially revealed yet. But there are a couple of theories floating around.
The role of Aloy is still being played by Mythic Quest star Ashly Burch, so there’s no actor-related reason why the character would look different.
Perhaps the graphics-based upgrade supplied by the PS5 has altered the way in which Aloy is constructed in the game, with higher levels of fidelity and more dynamic lighting making her look different. Or maybe the changes here were made for story reasons.
After all, Horizon Forbidden West is believed to take place six months after Horizon Zero Dawn, so Aloy would have aged a little bit between the two games. She was in her late-teens in the first game, but Aloy could be closer to her early 20s now. However old she is, though, we’re looking forward to playing as Aloy again when this sequel finally comes out!
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