Horizon Forbidden West PS5 gameplay demo shows us a grappling hook, glider and more

Horizon Forbidden West
(Image credit: Sony)

Horizon Forbidden West doesn't have a release date just yet, but thanks to some new gameplay footage shown on the PS5 we now have a better idea of what to expect from the game when it eventually does come out. 

For those that missed its debut last year, the premise is that Aloy has gone into the west to recover a piece of ancient technology needed to stop a mysterious threat. She's accompanied by her friend Erend, who is captured by raiders from a new tribe.

There's a massive list of machines in Horizon Forbidden West and we got to see some in this gameplay, such as the fierce, velociraptor-esque Clawstriders and mammoth-like Tremortusks, which are used by some of the raiders that Aloy encounters.

Aloy's gear has been upgraded to deal with these threats though, with a grappling hook and glider that can be used to easily navigate the ruins and rubble of the coastal environments. Aloy can also override the Clawstriders, meaning you can turn these robo-dinos to your side and learn more about their strengths and weaknesses.

The PS5 version of Horizon Forbidden West also takes advantage of the unique DualSense haptic feedback and adaptive triggers functionality, meaning players feel the tension when drawing a bowstring. 

Into the west we go

The original game, Horizon Zero Dawn, released back in 2017, with an expansion called The Frozen Wilds arriving later that year. The game was then ported to PC in 2020 – the first of many PS4 games to make their way to PC.

What's interesting is that, at the end of the footage, the trailer shows both the PS4 and PS5 – meaning the game will be available on both consoles and it won't be exclusive to the PS5. That's good news as a shortage in microprocessors could prevent the PS5 from being widely available until 2022.

While we're cautiously optimistic after today's trailer, the first game saw critical acclaim and commercial success so there's almost no reason to expect Horizon Forbidden West won't similarly be a massive hit on the PS4 and PS5.

Samuel Tolbert

Samuel Tolbert is a freelance games journalist. His bylines can be found at Android Central, Windows Central, iMore and TechRadar.