In a new video uploaded by Game Informer, the makers of the forthcoming Horizon Forbidden West have detailed some of the differences players will see, depending on whether they play on PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5.
Representing the game's developers, Guerrilla Games, narrative director Benjamin McCaw and game director Mathijs de Jonge speak to Game Informer's features editor Kimberley Wallace about a range of topics, in the wake of Forbidden West's State of Play gameplay reveal.
You can check out some of that gameplay for yourself, below...
Aloy's new abilities are detailed, including a greater array of movement options - including ziplines and a Breath of the Wild-style glider. De Jonge adds that the team tried to add a glider to the first game, 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn, but "because of all sorts of technical reasons" it didn't make the cut. But there are more interesting parts of the conversation when the developers go into how Forbidden West will perform across PS4 and PS5.
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"A lot of the development has taken place on the PlayStation 4," says de Jonge, "and a lot of playtesting is [being] done on PlayStation 4. So we are ensuring that owners of that console have a great experience, and the game will look fantastic."
"For the PlayStation 5, we can go much further, of course," he continues. "We can add a lot more detail graphically... underwater scenes have extra details on PlayStation 5... and the lighting on Aly on the PlayStation 5 has much more definition."
De Jonge explains that Guerrilla uses a "special cinematic lighting rig" for Aloy, which is only used in cutscenes for the PS4 version of Horizon Forbidden West, but is always active throughout gameplay on PS5. The underwater differences extend to above the surface, too, as "the wave technique is better [on PS5] as well," says the game director.
Regarding Forbidden West's story, McCaw says that fans of the first game should expect to see more returning characters - "and you will meet some new companions that I think players are really going to enjoy". In the gameplay we saw, Aloy rescues one of those returning NPCs, Erend, from raiders.
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McCaw adds that emphasis has been placed on increasing the amount of time Aloy spends with companions, across main and side quests - "we wanted a lot more face time, and for people to grow that emotional attachment with companions". As for new machines, de Jonge says there's an aquatic one that's being added to Forbidden West, but rules out the possibility of shark-like enemies.
Summarising some more of the video's key points, Twitter user @nibellion lists the PS5 version as having full 3D audio and DualSense support, both versions as supporting all-new skill trees and combat systems, and that development of the game is on track. So, we should expect this one in 2021, unlike the next God of War, although neither McCaw nor de Jonge would be drawn into revealing anything more precise.
"These are strange times," de Jonge says, "and we've never shipped a game under these circumstances. We need a little more time, and then we can come back with a release date."
Featured Image Credit: Sony Interactive EntertainmentTopics: Horizon Forbidden West, PlayStation 5, Guerrilla Games, Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayStation 4