HFW P2

• Horizon Forbidden West is a 2022 action-adventure role-playing game developed by Guerilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment (which operates the PlayStation brand of game consoles). The game is set in a post-apocalyptic version of the United States recovering from the aftermath of an extinction event caused by a rogue robot swarm.
• The sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) has the player, assuming control of Aloy, venture into the Forbidden West to find the source of a mysterious plague that kills all its infects. The player can explore the open world and fight against machine creatures and hostile rebels.
• Forbidden West introduced new gameplay mechanics to the franchise, such as new traversal tools, underwater exploration, and expanded melee combat. Guerilla games began developing Forbidden West in 2018 and cost around $212 million and 300 full-time employees.
• The game received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the visuals, combat, quest design and the cast's performance, but criticized its story and Aloy's characterization. Some felt it did not evolve and differentiate enough from the first game.
• Horizon Forbidden West is played from third-person perspective. This perspective allows for a more in-depth and captivating story to take place as you watch Aloy on her journey.
• Ashly Burch and Lance Reddick returned to provide the voice for Aloy and Sylens, respectively, and they were joined by Angela Basset and Carrie-Anne Moss.
• It was nominated for several end-of-year accolades, including Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2022.
• There's lots of very filmic or cinematic media language in the video game. When you look at things like walkthroughs and trailers, this is really evident. There are lots of cut scenes that really feel like they've been lifted from a film. The trend for video games becoming more filmic in nature has been on the rise in the last few years. Lots of audiences seem to really like this idea of playing through quite an epic narrative.
• Gamergate - The campaign began in August 2014, targeting women in the video game industry. It led to increased awareness of the harassment that women and other marginalized groups face in gaming culture.
• The Horizon franchise is visually and aesthetically appealing through its bright coloured palette and visual detail. This contrasts with a lot of gory, darker games in the post apocalyptic genre. Steve Neale - Genre Theory
• There are many reasons why post-apocalyptic video games are so popular nowadays: Morbid curiosity, escapism, sense of adventure, hopefulness, nostalgia, freedom, unique visuals.
• HFW had competition with the game Elden Ring. Elden Ring has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, while Horizon Forbidden West has sold 8.4 million copies worldwide. Elden Ring is available on more platforms, including PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Horizon Forbidden West is only available on PS4 and PS5. Elden Ring has received better critical acclaim, with many critics calling it one of the best games of all time.
• Marketing: Instagram Guerilla stories, Instagram Guerilla posts, Vanity Fair cover, Critic reviews.