Tag: Horizon Forbidden West

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Metacritic to implement stricter moderation after hateful Horizon Forbidden West DLC reviews

Horizon Forbidden West introduced its Burning Shores story expansion DLC earlier this month to praise from critics for its gameplay additions. However, an influx of hostile user reviews over a part of the narrative has led to Metacritic promising to implement stricter moderation for reviews on the site.

*Spoilers for Burning Shores*

At the end of the DLC, players are given the option to engage in a romance with female hero Seyka, a pivotal new character. If selected, the franchise’s protagonist, Aloy, will kiss Seyka.

This decision was the cause of many negative reviews for the title, with many players condemning developer Guerrilla’s decision to allow for same-sex romance in the game.

Horizon Forbidden West currently sits at a 3.9 user score on Metacritic, with the rating having gone as low as 2.7 despite critical acclaim.

One review reads, “Sony went too far in cramming the extremist agenda into its games and we as players will not accept that.” Another says, “Understand, when a person turns on the video game they don’t want to be participating in cheap and poorly done activism.”

In response to the behaviour, Metacritic told Eurogamer that they are aware of the “abusive and disrespectful reviews of Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores.” They also claimed that they are evolving tools and processes to introduce stricter moderation in the coming months.

One reviewer pointed out that Metacritic had deleted their previous reviews, saying, “3 times now Metacritic has deleted my honest review – talk about censorship! The average user review was at 3, and now it’s 3,8 because Metacritic is deleting all the negative reviews.”

This is a process that Metacritic itself stated it has been doing, saying that “Our team reviews each and every report of abuse (including but not limited to racist, sexist, homophobic, insults to other users, etc.) and if violations occur, the reviews are removed.”

In other news, Guerrilla Games is currently working on an online Horizon project and “epic solo adventures” featuring protagonist Aloy.

Image credit: PlayStation

Source: Metacritic Via: Video Games Chronicle

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Alpha footage of Horizon’s multiplayer leaks, revealing Fortnite-style character models

Early alpha footage and gameplay of Horizon’s multiplayer project have leaked online. Both videos and screenshots look fairly authentic in their design and are believed to be part of Guerrilla Games’ unannounced project, expanding the Horizon franchise.

In 2022, the Netherlands-based studio revealed its plans to launch a multiplayer-focused game set in the Horizon universe. Not much is known other than a “new internal team” is developing the project. It will also feature a “new cast of characters” and provide an experience for friends to “explore the majestic wilds of Horizon together.” Additionally, Guerrilla Games revealed that the project will offer a “unique stylized look.” It just so happens that this stylized look may have been revealed.

Across both Reddit and ResetEra, alpha footage and screenshots are available to see. Reddit user BirdonWheels, who posted the video, claims that the 12-minute-long alpha footage dates back to the summer of 2020. With this in mind, it’s understandable that the video depicts unpolished character models and environments. However, we’re able to glean that Horizon’s multiplayer project may be trying to replicate a more cartoony vibe. Much of what’s shown is similar to Fortnite’s art and environments. Some of the proportions of the characters draw comparisons to Rare’s Sea of Thieves.

Credit: u/BirdonWheels

The gameplay also suggests there may be some cross-platform performance between the PlayStation ecosystem and PC. In the video, “join PC” and “join PS4” options can be seen, though it remains to be seen how fluid the cross-platform performance may be upon launch.

It’s important to remember that since this is alpha footage dating back three years, a lot can change in the development pipeline. Given that Guerrilla Games has already announced its plans to create a unique look for the game, it’s probably safe to say that this style could be a taste of the final design. However, the interface shown and other aspects could shift and change prior the the project’s release.

Guerrilla Games is about to have one busy year ahead of it. On February 22nd, the studio is headlining the launch of PlayStation VR2 with Horizon Call of the Mountain, a VR-exclusive spinoff. On April 19th, the Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores DLC is launching exclusively on PlayStation 5. Whether Guerrilla Games becomes a triple threat this year remains to be seen.

Image credit: Reddit

Source: Reddit via: Kotaku

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Here’s your chance to win a free Horizon Forbidden West PS5 bundle

Roughly a year and a half after its release, Sony’s PlayStation 5 remains one of the most difficult products to purchase right now. If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on the console but still haven’t managed to jump on a restock, this contest is for you.

MobileSyrup is giving away a free Horizon Forbidden West PS5 bundle. The package includes the standard disc version of the console, a PS5 game voucher for Horizon Forbidden West and a DualSense Wireless controller. We’re also offering an extra DualSense Wireless Controller in ‘Starlight Blue.’

This contest runs from June 28th to July 21st. The winner will be selected on July 22nd.

Subscribe to our newsletter using the form below for your chance to win the PS5 package.

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Sony to produce Horizon Series for Netflix, God of War Series for Amazon, and a Gran Turismo Show

Sony’s PlayStation Productions is moving forward on a number of new projects. The company has announced its plans to bring a Horizon series to Netflix, a God of War series to Amazon, and a show based on Gran Turismo for an unannounced platform.

PlayStation Productions is looking at a number of new adaptations. On top of The Last of Us, which is in production in Calgary, Ghost of Tsushima, and Uncharted, which was released earlier this year, Sony has big plans for its IP. In a recent business briefing, Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan announced the company’s plans.

During a Q&A, Ryan revealed that the PlayStation Productions is working alongside a number of platforms. These platforms will help distribute each of the projects ranging from Horizon, God of War, and Gran Turismo.

Horizon and God of War are two of Sony’s most lucrative and popular IPs. Horizon Forbidden West landed on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 earlier this year. It makes sense that Sony would capitalize on its popularity by producing a live-action series. Likewise, God of War Ragnarok is approaching its launch.

An interesting takeaway is Sony’s apparent willingness to work with a variety of platforms and models. Uncharted debuted in theatres as will the Ghost of Tsushima film. The Last of Us, however, is a series for HBO. The Twisted Metal series is a Peacock title. Sony plans to also work with Netflix, Amazon, and one other unannounced platform. Whether it’s Apple or any of the aforementioned streaming services, it remains to be seen where Gran Turismo lands.

It’s currently unclear whether Sony plans to tell stories based around the iconic characters in Horizon and God of War. It seems like a surefire bet that these stories will revolve around Aloy and Kratos respectively. Though, there’s no guarantee that the creative teams will want to tell stories regarding established characters.

Film and television adaptations aren’t the only way Sony is expanding its reach. During its business briefing, Ryan also spoke about the company’s plan to have roughly half its games available on PC and mobile by 2025.

Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Source: Sony Via: IGN

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Sony unleashes Clawstrider in downtown Toronto to celebrate Horizon Forbidden West’s launch

To celebrate the launch of Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Forbidden West, Sony Interactive Entertainment has set up a Clawstrider in Maple Leaf Square, Toronto. The installation will be set up until March 4.

In Horizon Forbidden West, players experience the latest journey of Aloy as she explores the post-apocalyptic west coast on a mission to save the remaining population. Along the way, Aloy encounters many dangerous machines, including the fast and deadly Clawstrider.

For the next two weeks, fans can travel down to Maple Leaf Square and check out the statue. It’s certainly not hard to miss as it stands at 11.5 feet tall.

The installation is quite fitting. Maple Leaf Square is colloquially referred to as Jurassic Park as it’s the home of the Toronto Raptors. Outside of the pandemic, hundreds of fans will commonly gather and cheer outside the Scotiabank Arena. Now, Jurassic Park is home to one of HEPHAESTUS’ creations.

If you’re unable to make it into Toronto to see the Horizon Forbidden West installation, PlayStation Canada’s Twitter account dropped a little video to check out.

Toronto isn’t the only location a Clawstrider has set up a temporary shop. In addition, Sony has delivered a statue in Dubai, Sydney Moscow, Seoul Warsaw, Madrid, Berlin, New York City, and San Francisco.

Horizon Forbidden West is currently available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. SIE is partnering with WWF-Canada and donating $1 from each copy sold in Canada.

Image credit: PlayStation

Source: PlayStation Canada

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Sony partnering with WWF-Canada, donating $1 from each copy of Horizon Forbidden West

To celebrate the launch of Guerilla’s Horizon Forbidden West, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has announced its partnership with WWF-Canada. Together, the two will be working towards habitat restoration in British Columbia.

SIE has confirmed that $1 CAD from each copy of Horizon Forbidden West sold in Canada will be donated to WWF-Canada. The company is committed to donating a maximum of $100,000, starting today.

WWF-Canada is responsible for helping to rehabilitate the seagrass around the coast of British Columbia. Seagrass is a vital food for the ecosystem and an important shelter resource for aquatic life. WWF-Canada also states that restoring seagrass can aid in absorbing carbon dioxide.

Horizon Forbidden West centres on a post-apocalyptic world. It features themes of restoring the natural environment. Aloy is on a quest to save life on earth from deadly machines. Though, as civilization has fallen, the world of Forbidden West sees nature taking over. Overgrown greenery and clear blue oceans are amongst the rich environments of the game. Although the game features heavy sci-fi aspects, it largely tackles subjects like biodiversity. On top of that, climate change and other parallels draw from today’s world.

In addition to partnering with WWF-Canada, SIE is collaborating with other global partners. This includes the Arbor Day Foundation in the US and The Eden Project in the UK.

SIE has also announced its Road to Zero plan. This outline covers the commitment to achieve a zero environmental footprint by 2050. This will mean altering the life cycle of its products and business activities during this period. Plus, SIE has purchased carbon offsets from and certified by the Gold Standard organization.

Horizon Forbidden West is one of this year’s most anticipated games. As the game is available on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Therefore, there’s little reason to doubt SIE will achieve the sales required to donate the full $100,000 to WWF-Canada.

Source: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment

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Lego’s ‘Horizon Forbidden West’ set looks awesome

The iconic Lego line has truly hit its stride.

From its high-end ‘Ideas‘ sets that often involve cool fan-submitted brand collaborations like Sonic, Mario, Winnie The Pooh, Back to the Future and more, the plastic brick company seems to finally be aware that its toys aren’t just for kids.

Lego’s latest collaboration is a ‘Tallneck’ from Sony and Guerilla Games’ upcoming PlayStation 4/PlayStation 5 title, Horizon Forbidden West. The set (number 76989) features a Tallneck and a mini-figure of Aloy, the main character in the Horizon series.

Lego designer Isaac Snyder said the following about the project:

“I fell in love with Horizon Zero Dawn the first time I played it. It’s a futuristic world full of gorgeous scenery, strong characters, threatening machines, and a rich story.”

“The Guerrilla designers were a huge inspiration and help in capturing the spirit of this universe in LEGO form. The Horizon fan community is so creative, and this model is dedicated to their passion and imagination.”

This isn’t the first time Lego has released a set in the gaming space. Along with its ever-expanding Super Mario Bros. line of interconnecting sets, Lego also released a Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block set last year.

The Forbidden West Lego set releases on May 1st for $79 USD (roughly $100 CAD). Horizon Forbidden West releases on Friday, February 19th for the PS4/PS5.

For more on Horizon Forbidden West, check out Brad Shankar’s in-depth look at the game.

Image credit: PlayStation 

Source: PlayStation 

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Near-complete build of Horizon Forbidden West has leaked online

A playable and almost complete build of PlayStation’s Horizon Forbidden West has leaked online, over one month before the game releases to the public.

Images of what appears to be the PS4 version of the Guerilla Games-developed title began hitting the web earlier this week and have since been hit by copyright strikes by PlayStation. VideoGamesChronicle (VGC) also corroborates that the leaked build is indeed legitimate.

It’s unclear how this may have happened, but VGC reports that outside of some missing art assets, the leaked build contains the “entire core content” of the game. Therefore, those looking forward to Forbidden West may want to tread lightly online for spoilers, perhaps even by muting Twitter keywords related to the game. Forbidden West is one of the two major confirmed first-party PlayStation games for the year alongside Sony Santa Monica’s God of War: Ragnarok.

This isn’t the first time a major PlayStation game has suffered a leak. In 2020, significant story beats from Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II had leaked months before the game ended up releasing. One of the developer’s earlier games, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, also leaked a couple of weeks early in 2016.

The Last of Us leak was reportedly due to a hacker exploiting a vulnerability that granted access to a server, while Uncharted 4 leaks surfaced early due to physical copies of the game getting stolen in the U.K. It’s unclear whether something similar to either situation may have happened with Horizon Forbidden West.

Horizon Forbidden West is set to release on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on February 18th. Little has been revealed about the game’s plot, but we do know the game follows huntress Aloy as she journeys to a mysterious frontier to find the source of a deadly plague. Some of Forbidden West‘s new gameplay features include explorable underwater areas, enhanced melee combat and a Breath of the Wild-esque ‘Shieldwing’ hang glider.

Image credit: PlayStation

Source: VGC