In a recent blog post on PlayStation Blog, developers at Guerrilla talked about creating the Horus boss battle, a crucial moment in the Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores expansion. The Horus, a gigantic machine that caused the world’s destruction in the Horizon universe, posed a special challenge for the development team.
According to a blog post, the developers worked hard to create a tough battle that showcased the immense power of Horus. This involved adding different gameplay elements to the fight. Aloy, the game’s main character, had to use all her abilities, from being sneaky and quick to work with her friends. It’s one of those pivotal moments you remember when you think about the game.
The battle is happening in different parts. In the beginning, we see how big Horus is, and Aloy has to move through a dangerous place full of Corrupters while avoiding the machine’s searchlights. This part also shows how Aloy and her companion, Seyka, work together to plan how to deal with the threat.
The fight changes as Aloy and Seyka head towards the beach, showing the damage caused by the Horus as it moves through the ruins of Los Angeles. This change in surroundings is a purposeful design decision, highlighting the machine’s influence on the world. The developers wanted to create a memorable boss battle by ensuring a good sense of scale and pacing. They achieved this by separating Aloy from the Horus at various points. Having extensive close-up encounters would have limited the player’s perspective of the machine’s immensity. Providing opportunities to observe the Horus from afar allowed players to appreciate its destructive capabilities.
Creating a visually distinct experience for this fight was also very important. Unlike the usual lush environments seen in the Horizon series, the beach section showed a stark and desolate landscape. This apparently was meant to mirror the grimness of a past apocalypse. This change not only highlighted the seriousness of the situation but was also there to work as a storytelling element, visually portraying a flashback to the world’s end.
A lot of thought went into this boss battle. Instead of being a one-on-one fight, you take on until you’re done; this was meant to give you more lore and information about the world. If anything, this ended up being a crucial part of understanding the game’s story.
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