Horizon Forbidden West developed Guerrilla Games has spilled another bunch of key info on the highly anticipated sequel on the PlayStation Blog, this time covering advancements to combat, particularly when it comes to enemy AI.
Chiefly, enemies are now much smarter and will actively look for shortcut opportunities while you are playing the game in terms of traversal. This is evolved from Horizon Zero Dawn’s dynamic terrain changes.
Arjen Beij, Lead AI Programmer on Horizon Forbidden West, commented:
We wanted enemies to feel more authentic by improving the fluidity and continuity of motion, like making enemies (and companions) more capable of traversing rugged terrain. The AI in Horizon Zero Dawn already supported some dynamic terrain changes, but we wanted to take this further by adding jumping and climbing as a systemic part of their behavior.
As you are playing the game, the AI will be searching for opportunities to take shortcuts, where it previously was a cumbersome detour.
Beiji also commented how more machines are able to swim underwater and can dive and chase you, as well as jump in and out of water.
Elsewhere, the team confirmed that Aloy will encounter more human enemies, including Regalla’s rebels, an offshoot of the Tenakth tribe.
The goal was to make human combat as deep and challenging as machine combat. This meant extending the combat system and adding more variety in the way you encounter human enemies in the world.
We want to give the player the option to engage in their own playstyle, whether they prefer ranged or close combat encounters. Switching between strategies resulted in a lot of transition animations which feel smooth and reactive.
Horizon Forbidden West is scheduled for release on PS5 and PS4 on February 18, 2022. Be sure to check out the PlayStation Blog for more details on combat.