Horizon Forbidden West Reveals Setting, Map Size, No Loading Screens, and More Details

Today, Sony and Guerrilla Games revealed the release window for Horizon Forbidden West, the sequel to 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn in development exclusively for the PS5. And to accompany this announcement, the pair also revealed the game's first details, providing PlayStation fans with a better insight into Aloy's new adventure, which looks and sounds familiar to Horizon Zero Dawn, but will actually be friendly to new players that didn't play the first game.

The new details come way of a brand new video featuring game director Mathijs de Jonge talking about the game, its story, setting, new machines, map, and how there are "virtually" no loading screens. All of it sounds very impressive, and according to the director, much of it is possible only thanks to the power of the PS5.

Below, you can check out a quick rundown of everything salient shared by the aforementioned de Jonge:

• Forbidden West is a "new frontier setting" that stretches from Utah to the Pacific Ocean. Not only will there be beaches, coastal lines, but ruined cities, deserts, landmarks, and mountainous areas.
• A "Red Blight" infects the lands and is choking wildlife and starving animals and tribes.
• Weather is out of control, sometimes spawning massive supercell storms that can flood fields and even canyons.
• "Virtually" no loading screens. This includes fast-traveling as well as restarting from a checkpoint.
• When you boot up the game, "you're right there in the action."
• Guerrilla Games wanted to go wider and deeper, and so the sequel's map is a little bit bigger than the big map of the first game.
• Unlike the first game, players can swim underwater. This includes oceans, rivers, and lakes.
• "Dozens" of new machines.
• New tribes, some of which are peaceful while others are hostile. And one of these hostile tribes has discovered the knowledge of how to override machines and use them as beasts of war in combat.

Horizon Forbidden West is set to release sometime in 2021 via the PS5 and the PS5 only. Below, you can read more about the game, courtesy of an official story pitch:

"Horizon Forbidden West continues Aloy's story as she moves west to a far-future America to brave a majestic, but dangerous frontier where she'll face awe-inspiring machines and mysterious new threats."