New Horizon: Zero Dawn Concept Art and Details Revealed at PSX

[UPDATE] The panel has now ended.

Guerrilla boss Hermen Hulst and writer John Gonzalez shared some interesting insight about the inception and development of Zero Dawn. They also released some new concept art.

• Zero Dawn seemed like a risk to Guerrilla; making new IP is "incredibly difficult," Hulst said.
• Guerrila committed to the project in 2011, after hearing pitches for 40-50 games.
• It boiled down to two ideas; one was "prudent" and the right choice, the other was Horizon, Hulst said with a laugh.
• There was a major "uh oh" moment when Guerrilla greenlit the game, in part because Guerrilla, known for its more linear FPS games, didn't have all the right pieces to make an open-world RPG. It had to hire new talent and expand its game engine.
• The idea for Zero Dawn had "too much appeal" and love at the studio that the team couldn't back away from it, Hulst explained.
• It's set 1000 years into the future; but not an apocalyptic setting. It's like a BBC nature documentary, Hulst said.
• In the story, humankind is no longer the dominant species; mechanical beasts are.
• Main character Aloy was in the original pitch for Zero Dawn. She's the "idea vessel" for telling the story, Hulst said, because she's inquisitive, brave, and strong.
• The three core pillars of Zero Dawn, from day one, were "gorgeous nature," the character Aloy, and the mechanical beasts that populate the world and create a David vs. Goliath gameplay loop.
• Zero dawn will have mystical and mythical elements.
• "Mystery" is a huge part of Zero Dawn. Aloy was born an outcast, so part of the story will be learning about not only her backstory, but where the mechanical beasts come from.
• The overall Zero Dawn universe "screams" for further exploration, Hulst said. Films and comic books based on the brand could be cool, but right now the focus is on the game, he explained.
• Guerrilla has been intentionally mysterious when discussing Zero Dawn's story, in part because a big part of the game are its mysteries, which players will have to uncover for themselves, Gonzalez said.

Concept Art:

Gallery

The original story is below

PlayStation Experience 2016 rolls on today with a panel dedicated to Killzone developer Guerrilla Games' ambitious action-RPG Horizon: Zero Dawn. The event kicks off at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, and you can watch the entire thing right here on GameSpot. We'll add the video embed as the panel draws nearer.

According to the panel's official description, Guerrilla will show an "inside look at the world of Horizon Zero Dawn and the lore and machines that define it."

Yesterday during the PSX keynote, Sony released a stunning new trailer for Zero Dawn. You can see that trailer, and all the others from the event, right here in this roundup.

Zero Dawn arrives on February 28 exclusively for PS4.