Watch Horizon Forbidden West's First PS5 Gameplay Video, No Release Date Yet

Developer Guerrilla Games showcased 14 minutes of Horizon Forbidden West gameplay during PlayStation's State of Play livestream, and what we saw was a very impressive look at the cross-gen game. The presentation didn't give a release date, which the studio acknowledged on Twitter with a brief statement.

The gameplay video shows protagonist Aloy embark on a quest to save Erend Vanguardsman, the captain of the Carja Sun-King Avad's Vanguard, who was captured by rival raiders. Throughout the sequence, we get glimpses of the changes made to Forbidden West. This includes new equipment like a grappling hook and a holographic wing glider. Check out the full gameplay video below. You'll also see some recognizable landmarks that show the game's new location, even 1,000 years after an apocalyptic event.

The three most distinct features coming to Forbidden West are the Pullcaster, Shieldwing, and Diving Mask. The Pullcaster is a grappling hook that speeds up travel by giving Aloy a vertical leg up, which is used on fixed, yellow-marked points. Another traversal tool. the Shieldwing gives Aloy the ability to parachute away from or into danger a la Breath of the Wild. Meanwhile, the Diving Mask does exactly what it says: grants Aloy the ability to swim indefinitely underwater.

There's also a smoke bomb Aloy uses to escape battle, potentially signaling that players will have a variety of defensive tools--like the Pullcaster--to get out of trouble rather than only sprinting away.

Aloy can also be seen throwing an explosive spear, likely calling back to expendable ammo types from Ubisoft's 2016 prehistoric open-world action-adventure game Far Cry Primal.

The video also showcases how combat has been tweaked, which appears to be more fluid and punchier than before. One notable change is to the spear, which can be imbued with effects like electricity through something called a Valor Surge. Players can take all of Aloy's weapons to a workbench, where they can be outfitted with various upgrades to make them more effective. There are also more combos at the player's disposal and mechanized elephants to fight (or override).

McCaw posted an article on the PlayStation Blog spotlighting what was shown during the 20-minute-long livestream. This includes the name of the enemy raiders featured in the gameplay showcase (a rebel tribe called Tenakth who can override machines), upgrades to Aloy's focus that highlights climbable areas, and a plethora of new enemies (from the aerial Sunwings to the mammoth Tremortusks to amphibious Snapmaws). McCaw called the game a "massive open world."

As the direct follow up to 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn, Forbidden West sees Aloy travel to the western coast of post-apocalyptic America. Occurring six months after the first game, Aloy is investigating a blight that threatens to destroy the Earth. Forbidden West is set to launch on both PS4 and PS5.