The creators of Horizon Forbidden West claim that they made the world as alive as possible

Guerilla Games is focusing on creating the most authentic and living world of Horizon Forbidden West . Beau de Vries, head of Guerrilla Games, shared the new information on the PlayStation Blog. He told the details of the creation of the game world and stated that in the sequel the world will become even better and more believable.

To create a more believable world consisting of several tribes, the authors focused on their behavior and culture. To get the best results, several departments (writers, environment artists, and quest designers) work together.

Every detail is credible, creating an authentic environment through visual storytelling,” explains de Vries. “For example, the Nora live in relative solitude in an isolated valley in the Sacred Land, making it difficult for them to communicate with the outside world. As a result, they are less technologically advanced than other tribes and more wary of outsiders. Their settlements are made of wood and rope and furnished with minimal furniture other than what is needed for everyday life.

According to the company's lead designer Espen Sogn, various systems have been introduced into the game for realistic perception. Finding the right balance between certain details of the world is not easy, but when it works, the results are great.

Every non-combat NPC in Horizon Forbidden West is part of the mob system,” says Sogn. “In this system, you can create rules such as reactions, walking routes, and other animations. In addition, we have a relationship system that defines personality. This means that we can create unique people who behave like individuals within the world.

Horizon Forbidden West is set to release on February 18, 2022 for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.