The latest trailer for the PS5 exclusive shows off new gameplay mechanics as Aloy does her best against the machines.
We have only a week to go until the first major expansion for Horizon Forbidden West launches. Fans of Sony’s triple-A series are excited over the Burning Shores DLC not only because it’ll add a new arc to Aloy’s story but because it’s looking like a tech showcase too. The PlayStation 5 exclusive is fully leaving behind the previous gen, unlike the main game, and its developers have spoken up about the ways in which the game will harness the more powerful console.
In addition to that, a new trailer has shown off some of the new gameplay mechanics that Aloy will be using. Unveiled via developer Guerrilla’s official Twitter account, the one-minute trailer sees Aloy fighting some dinosaur-like machines, including one that’s Godzilla sized. The trailer demonstrates a couple of new additions to the gameplay.
Dramatically facing off against some dino machines on a crust of lava, Aloy is whizzing around with her spear and bow, jumping and diving and rolling, but she has some new tricks up her sleeve. First of the new gameplay additions are QTEs or quick-time events, which will have players timing button presses to the onscreen counter, in order to pull off fatal attacks on her combatants. It certainly looks pretty cool as Aloy somersaults in slow motion before delivering a killer blow.
Knocked down machines don't stand a chance! Master new skills and be ready to take on your enemies in exciting new ways.
— Guerrilla (@Guerrilla) April 13, 2023
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores launches April 19 – Pre-order now: https://t.co/hQnPeBGbw9 pic.twitter.com/irLXidZvCf
The other new thing is not a new mechanic, per se, but a new way of using an existing mechanic. Horizon Forbidden West introduced the grappler, which allows Aloy to grapple onto certain points. It is used in the game for traversal, but by the looks of this new Burning Shores trailer, the grappler will also be of use in combat against suitable opponents. Squaring off against an enormous dino machine, Aloy grapples with it to deliver a blow.
“You can grapple yourself onto enemies now?” wrote a commenter on a ResetEra thread dedicated to dissecting the latest trailer. “I hope that’s a new mechanic that can be used in the main game as well and not just for specific machines”. While we won’t be clear on that until the DLC launches, it would be an interesting new addition to the overall game if it were the case.
Meanwhile, plenty of comments are marveling at the game’s beauty. As winner of Digital Foundry’s Best Graphics Award for 2022, Horizon Forbidden West is certainly a looker, and with Burning Shores being a PS5 exclusive it’s almost a shoo-in that it’ll look even better. The Burning Shores DLC launches on April 19 and pre-orders are open.
