During their Siggraph 2015 presentation, the developer released an amazing time lapse video showing off the real-time volumetric cloudscape going on in Horizon: Zero Dawn’s sky. They were aiming for a sky with “evolving and realistic results”, not only concentrating on the clouds, but on the lighting depending on the time of day as well. Their methods are explained in detail by FX artist Andrew Schneider.
Horizon: Zero Dawn is a step up from what Guerilla is used to working with. The Killzone series are what the developer is known for, and FPS games are usually very limited when it comes to maps, restricting gamers to a “predefined track”. In this new game, their goal is to allow gamers to “traverse large distances”, says Schneider.
But wait… there’s more!
The FX artist took the time to list off key points Guerilla had in mind for their new creation, and everything points to a promising open world game. They promise the ability to travel wherever you want. If you see the tip top of the mountain and decide that’s where you want to go, then so be it! That is where you will go.
There will be a “time of day cycle”, just like in the real world. The weather will change and evolve, the scenery (mountains, forests, plains, lakes) is described as “epic”. But the most important part are the skies, not only filling up half of the screen, but also taking part in the storytelling.
Guerilla Games is aiming for a 2016 release for Horizon: Zero Dawn, and as a reminder, the game will be a PlayStation 4 exclusive.
