Horizon Forbidden West's glider and grappling hook show it learned from BOTW

Horizon Forbidden West has more than a few similarities to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which is great considering how the first wasn't able to have such inspirations.

[phoenixwing]

I didn't realize nintendo owns the idea of gliding. All the games with gliding mechanics before botw must be my imagination. Grappling hooks in arcade games and knuckles being able to glide are just fairy tales I guess.

[Zodiac]

Nothing is inspired by, or inspires anything with that logic

[Teflon02]

Problem is Ratchet and Clank been doing the exact same thing before BotW it's not something new. People just love to credit what's popular. It's like how when Sonic Transformed was announced like a month or so after MK7 showed it's water glider and ground gameplay. They showed a clearly near done game and said they copied MK7 when they said it was inspired by DKR and classics. Which makes it funny. Same with MK8 literally pulling Crash Nitro Karts mid race Anti Gravity section style where the cars transform the same way and everything. But no one will mention it was clearly done by Crash Nitro kart first and if you did everyone's mad. So that's the point.

[Sonic-and-Crash]

Rachet and Clank (and others) did the exact same concept of guliding before BoTW ......

Zelda just made it popular among the non gaming people that play a Nintento game once in a year and think they r gaming

[Babadook7]

Was there a grappling hook in botw?

[VariantAEC]

The gliding and grappling in R&C is much less like that which is in Hcorizon Forbidden West than in Just Cause. Mind you that franchise also predates The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild, but no Nintendo fanboy journalist will ever admit that to themselves.

[gammaray13]

spot on buddy

[Relientk77]

Pretty sure I glided all the time playing Spyro the Dragon on PlayStation. Also playing as Knuckles in Sonic & Knuckles on Sega Genesis. So yeah, gliding has been a thing in gaming for a long time.

[-Foxtrot]

Exactly

Seriously Breath of the Wild is overrated as hell and these kind of articles with this kind of thinking proves it.

How can people sit there and make out BotW introduced all these mechanics which have been around for years

Gliding has been in so many games, hell I’m pretty sure it was in Wind Waker so why does BotW get referenced Zelda wise?

Like I said in another article if you’re talking about gliding

Psychonughts...the ball/bubble

Rayman...his Helicopter ability

Tails in Sonic...like every Sonic game

Kingdom Hearts...glide ability

inFAMOUS...Coles Static Thrusters

[roadkillers]

They both have similar themes BotW and Horizon.

[OMNlPOTENT]

While I agree BOTW didn’t invent gliding, it is hardly over rated. It’s an amazing game that perfected many elements that other open world games still struggle to do correctly years later.

[Neonridr]

@OMNI - save your breath, Fox loves nothing more than a chance to talk down BOTW. He was upset that it won GOTY over Horizon.

[-Foxtrot]

@Neonridr

Oh look the typical Nintendo white knight defending BotW

Got your work cut out for you on this article since most are saying the exact same thing...

[Imalwaysright]

Stop pretending that BoTW doesn't get your panties in a twist. You were talking about crap about the game before it even released and since then you've been talking shit about the game at every chance you get. As for this article it is very likely that GG were indeed inspired by BoTW just like Uncharted was inspired by Gears despite Gears not being the 1st game to have over the shoulder view and a cover mechanic, something that you denied and both of us argued over it until Naughty Dog themselves set the record straight and confirmed Gears of War as being one of their major inspirations. Just like ND were inspired by a game that didn't invent a particular mechanic, it's very possible that GG saw the glider in BoTW and how it improved traversal in another open world game and wanted to emulate it.

[-Foxtrot]

@Imalwaysright

Then stop pretending that people who say they don't think it's 10/10 amazing doesn't get your panties in a bunch. See how it can go both ways?

"You were talking about crap about the game before it even released"

I said it looked dead in the world, people like yourself said Nintendo were not showing us everything so they wouldn't "spoil things". The game came out and most things I said, judging from the trailers came to pass, you guys then moved from "Nintendo didn't want to spoil it" to "there's nothing wrong, it's perfect". Moving the goal posts when that's not the excuse you used originally.

"then you've been talking shit about the game at every chance you get"

You mean like the majority of people in this article and others? Gee must just be me, anyway I've only ever said its overrated, I've never said it was shit. It's a solid 7/10 game, nothing more or less. That's the issue though with you guys, it's either 10/10 or you're a "hater".

"over it until Naughty Dog themselves set the record straight and confirmed Gears of War as being one of their major inspirations"

Dude what the f*** has that got to do about an article on Horizon and Breath of the Wild? You're trying to go off topic to make some "point" to pad your comment out. Want me to go on about how sensitive you get when people clearly state how the new Tomb Raider games, the ones with cinematic set pieces, over the top action, Rambo Lara Croft and the like are NOTHING like the old PS1 Tomb Raider games but to you they are EXACTLY the same? No I won't because there's a time and a place.

[Imalwaysright]

You literally confirmed exactly what I said about how you go about this game but sure make this about me for all I care and bullshit. You've said many things over the years including your disgusting comment about the developers that were praising the game were being dishonest so yes some users have actual gripes with the game but you seem to have a personal vendetta that goes well beyond the game itself and that is extremely apparent since before BoTW was even released.

"has that got to do about an article on Horizon and Breath of the Wild"

The possibility that devs are inspired by mechanics in other games even if they didn't introduced those mechanics. You've already been proven wrong in a similar situation so don't be surprised if your jumping to conclusions takes you in the same path once again.

Tomb Raider? The games that you once said were puzzle games? Sorry, everything you say about that IP is completely void considering your complete and utter ignorance about it so sure let's pretend that TR games were puzzzzzzzle games.

[darthv72]

Batman did both better than BotW

[Zhipp]

The gliding in Batman was awesome as hell, but it felt nothing like BOTWs gliding. They are two completely different games that took a similar concept and applied it to best fit their design goals. BOTWs gliding was much more restrictive on its application -- presumably to force the player to have to think about how to reach their destination in its best open world. Batman, on the other hand, is a lot more action focused. With the grappling hook + glider combo, you could practically fly.

[neutralgamer1992]

Don't you know it's Nintendo who innovates and others follow. Seriously I am tired of all this nonsense because every game copies something from another this is how it works

BOTW wasn't the first to use gliding and this right here is a fact

[King_Noctis]

Nintendo does not own that idea. However, they are the one who brought it into the limelight.

[Zeref]

They obviously took inspiration from BOTW because it worked so well in it. There's nothing wrong with games taking good ideas from other games if it makes them better games. You really think they looked at a sonic game from decades ago for this? lol

Delusional.

[Abriael]

LOL the clickbait. Imagine believing Zelda invented gliding and grappling hooks in open world video games.

[whitbyfox]

Imagine being so young you don’t remember it and then abbreviating laugh out loud like a teeny bopper.

[giveyerheadawobble]

LOL

[Knushwood Butt]

So young to not remember BOTW?

[FallenAngel1984]

People really wanna credit anything open world to BotW nowadays

[badz149]

next, they will be saying every new game takes inspiration from BoTW's story too.

[Relientk77]

This is exactly what I don't like about Breath of the Wild, the overratedness, people who think it created all these mechanics and think it's so original. It's literally Zelda and a open world game mixed. That's all it is. It's still a good game though.

Also BOTW stole the Ubisoft towers.

[porkChop]

The towers in BOTW don't work anything like the ones in Ubisoft games though. Like, yes, there are towers. You could liken that to Ubisoft if you want to, but the function is entirely different. So you can't really say they were stolen, that's a bit much. That would be like saying the ray gun in COD is stolen from the M1911 in Medal of Honor because they're both guns.

[RazzerRedux]

How can you say they "don't work anything like the ones in Ubisoft games"? The towers in BOTW unlock portions of the map and serve as fast travel points exactly like they do in Ubisoft games. I don't have a problem with its use in BOTW or any other game, but their function is clearly taken from Ubisoft.

[porkChop]

In Ubisoft games climbing a tower automatically marks every point of interest on the map. It actively makes exploration unnecessary.

In Breath, climbing a tower only fills in the terrain on the map for that section. The viewpoint is usually set so you can only visually see 1 or 2 points of interest. You still have to actually go explore in order to find anything.

Towers in Breath are just a starting point, whereas in Ubi games they do all the work for you. That is a drastic difference in gameplay. To say it's "stolen" implies they are exactly the same.

[RazzerRedux]

Yes, there are differences, but clearly Nintendo expanded on the concepts Ubisoft established.

"To say it's "stolen" implies they are exactly the same."

Which is just as false as saying they are nothing alike. They simply are.

[Thundercat77]

I don't understand this argument... So you are telling me that gliding and grappling hook mechanics were created by BOTW? That's total nonsense. It is like wanting to credit BOTW because it looks so good on HFW.

How about all the games that used gliddibg and grappling hooks since the 90s way before BOTW???

This is very ridiculous 🤦.

[chronoforce]

The author does not claim Nintendo created those mechanics only that Forbidden West took inspiration from BOTW. It is plausible GG took some notes as Zero Dawn is bereft of such mechanics and it released pretty close to BOTW.

I think what is more likely is the need for a glider became apparent during the development of Forbidden West probably as climbing became freer. In BOTW you can climb just about anything so the glider becomes pretty important.

[Knushwood Butt]

1983

Roc'n Rope was the first "wire action" game. It became the basis for Capcom's 1987 game Bionic Commando, which Tokuro Fujiwara intended to be an expanded version of Roc'n Rope.[5]

[Aussiesummer]

Thanks wikipedia

[CaptainHenry916]

Well this is an opinion piece article 🤔

[Levii_92]

I hope it also took inspiration from the world design as well and the map like GOT did cause i did not love the first Horizon’s cramped oversaturated map.

[Brazz]

I knew it! Some crazy Nintendo fan had to write an article to say "Nintendo did this first ..." and "they are copying Nintendo..."! Bull shit! BoTW does not own these concepts and ideas, and it was also not the first to put this gameplay in a game, stop this ridiculous bullshit!

[Vithar]

This guys first game was BoTW?

[Abnor_Mal]

While I feel the gliding did remind me of BOTW and Fortnite, I'm more bothered by an energy glider instead of using a collapsible metal and animal skin glider. She could kill and skin a few boars and scavenge light hollow aluminum and craft a mini traditional looking glider. When needed she throws out the glider in front of her, it unfurl and aloy catches and dives off the jump point. Also make it that the glider after some rough landing takes damage and have to be repaired with supply gathered, not often but periodically as no one wants to do constant repairs.

I can not see how an enegy glider would keep her aloft, and it didn't even show the glider sending out pulses that give would give it lift.

The fact that she is using a glider doesn't bother me and can see it being used to reach walled off areas, and traveling long distance if Aloy is very high up a mountain or large skyscraper.

[Zhipp]

The glider doesn't give lift, so I don't see why it would need pulses. Maybe (probably) there will be upgrades, but all it is, as presented, is a way to slow your decent and have more control over where you land...

Just like the glider in BOTW.

[Abnor_Mal]

I just don't see how a cyber glider is going to slow her decent, thats why I mentioned the pulses. I would think without the pulses she would just fall out the sky to her death. Like I said how can a light array keep her aloft, its not the same concept as hard light being used as a shield.

Hopefully there are upgrades and info that explains to a degree how some of these gadgets work.

And in BOTW the glider is made with metal or sticks and cloth, which is more believable as a glider.

Anyway, thanks for the reply.

[Zhipp]

I dunno. To me It doesn't seem any less logical than having an energy shield that can block physical attacks. How can light do that? It's silly, but I just chock it up to "game logic" and move on

[Teflon02]

While I get it. you're over thinking it. Zero Dawn is in a future that is ran by machines. Doesn't make sense to us. 100 years ago what we have now wouldn't make sense to them so it's a bad way to think about it as it's like 1000 years in the future or something. Did you watch the Jetsons when it dropped and think I can't see how hovering cars and homes that high in the sky could exist? That's basically what you're doing. Creating a narrative that doesn't make sense by the logic of the series that is so far in the future, you'll never get to even see a possibility of what could be at that time frame.

It's also alot more convenient than her making a makeshift glider. I absolutely do not want to be repairing gliders. I'm so done with weapon repairing and such. They got enough management in the game and we don't need to turn it into a repair fest either. It's also less weight for her to carry if it's like that

[Tacoboto]

Two open-world games release in the same week 4 years ago.
Both score really well, but one in particular sells over double the other while retaining full MSRP (the other drops as low as $9.99), and for all intents and purposes sweeps GOTY awards.

When a mechanic in that game, but not the other, makes its natural way into the sequel of the other, N4G goes out of their way to show how literal they interpret anything and everything that doesn't spin their crowned publisher is the grandest of light.

The article never claims BotW invented anything, since nothing beyond the headline was read.

[majiebeast]

Hey idiot Horizon sold 15M copies that is more then any halo game will ever sell.

[Zhipp]

Wtf does Halo have to do with this?

Also pretty sure Halo 3 sold more than 15mil. It definitely did if you count MCC and the PC release.

[Tacoboto]

majie, thanks for more than proving my point. Your downvote is appreciated.

[Orchard]

@majiebeast Source? Sony have so far only confirmed 10m in sales.

I guess I'm not sure why Halo is relevant here, but Halo 5 sold 5m within 3 months. HZD took 2 years to get to 10 mil. It's very likely Halo sold more than HZD... and Halo has sold 15m in the past. As for BOTW... BOTW has sold at least 18 million copies.

[strayanalog]

Aloy has similarities to Jimmy Hopkins from Bully, too.

[jznrpg]

Nintendo fans are unknowing off games outside of their space . Many games have done this waaaay before Breath of the Wild , come on .

[specialguest]

One article writer from a non-Nintendo exclusive site writes an opinion piece

Oh no! Nintendo fans are..... (insert some blanketed statement)

Do you see how silly your comment is? You and others like you perpetuate this idea that Nintendo fans are all a collective groups of extremist with a hive mind when in reality you rarely see them come on droves to attack. At least not on N4G

[Darkborn]

It's too bad botw copied the open world formula then, as well as the lootet aspect, and action combat.. And gliders and grappling hooks.

Nice try Xbox shill.

[masterfox]

Oh shut up, BOTW copied from everyone, but here we are everything is new cause is from Ninty?, get da hell out of here , is really starting to get very annoying this free pass just because is Nintendo. One thing is certain here Zelda is the Obsolete and Horizon is again a PS exclusive pushing this gaming industry forward, and how they are doing that ?, well very simple , look for a game that looks like at this in PC or any othe platform , is none existent :), same goes for games like Returnal, Uncharted games, TLOU, The new Rachet, Spider Man games, just to name a few PS exclusives :D

[fonduktoe]

I hope this is the dumbest thing I come across today otherwise I'm in trouble. I wish they would stop letting 10 year olds write gaming articles.

[DefaultComment]

Horizon zero dawn, what an amazing game now about this new sequel....I wouldn't say they copied BOTW, since everything is inspired by other ideas that sometimes are similar or even matches but that's about it..
There is not official formula for open world games so each game shines on it's own. Some more or less than others but still every game is unique on it's own terms.
I only hope this game is not released the same year Halo Infinite is released or even worse BOTW2....i hope not.

[Sidewinder-]

Total ripoff of Sonic 2 (on Master System).

[Sniperwithacause]

Marry Poppins been gliding since before most of yall were born!

[VersusDMC]

True. When i saw the gilding in the video my mind went straight to the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 scene...which is a Mary Poppins call out.

[Knushwood Butt]

Yeah but Mary totally ripped that umbrella idea off from the inventor of the parachute.

[Inverno]

Batman would like to have a word with you all. Cause long before BoTW he's was grappling and gliding all over in the comics. Batman games came out before BoTW too. Wind Waker had a giant leaf, Minish Cap had a cape, Shadow of The Colossus had a parachute aswell, Far cry 3 had a wing suit, pretty much every platformer in existence has had a way to glide! the list can go on and on. BoTW is like Fortnite for the media, everything apparently originally came from BoTW and is inspired by it.

[Lexreborn2]

“Horizon Forbidden West's glider and grappling hook show it learned from BOTW”

Just Cause Franchise: Am I a JOKE TO YOU!?

[VariantAEC]

No kidding! Exactly BoTW copied JC and no you and I are the only people who apparently noticed out of everyone who plays videogames on Earth apparently.

[WillyC009]

Huh, had no idea Zelda invited gliding and grappling hook in games. Such a new innovation from Breath of the Wild. One thing it certain doesn’t ‘share’ with breath of the Wild is the dead open world. Forbidden West’s world has a lot of life to it.

[WillyC009]

*Invented*

[whitbyfox]

Nothing new here Somy has been copying Nintendo for generations.

Doubt they can copy the 97 Metacritic score that the masterpiece Breath of the Wild got though.

[badz149]

how can they or anybody else for that matter? the story and plots in other games are part of their reviews but Nintendo's games get an automatic 10 for not having a story OTHER than saving the princess! CoD put more effort into making a story for its games released every year than any Nintendo games EVER! and when it comes to Nintendo games, it's always "gameplay over graphics" EVERY SINGLE TIME like every other games have bad gameplay or something! why? because when compared to other games on other platforms, they look AT LEAST a gen behind! These are the long tradition double standard in the industry and you know it!

[Ratchet75]

Just cause did it way before than zelda.
😂 😂 😂

[VariantAEC]

Oh hey look a 3rd guy who recognizes that BoTW copied Just Cause's flying mechanics as well as its focus on physics bound havoc.

TLoZ:BoTW is a reskinned Just Cause for little kids sans the guns, helos, fighter jets and in place of a communist dictator to overthrow you've got a shape-shifting monster named Gannon.

[OhReginald]

Yea we'll see how much breath of the wild 2 takes from horizon zero dawn.

[silkylove]

If anything I hope HZD 2 takes the ability to climb just about anything from BotW. I'm tired of games where they use colors to tell you where you're allowed to climb.

[Doomeduk]

Accolades should go to quicksilver for glider rider 1986 for spectrum, c64 and amstrad machines

[mastershredder]

Kids these days...as if Zelda was the primordial ooze games evolved from. A ridiculous plethora of 80’s game mechanics would love for you to stfu now, but unfortunately your game reference history only goes back to botw (and is sadly fixated). We’ll call it a handicap and treat you as such.

[Graey]

Man people are really trying to downplay HZD2. Must have pissed some people off. I'm assuming they are comparing the two because of the glider, hook, and because Zelda came out a couple of days later. I don't consider either of them a Masterpiece, but I do think Zelda got a pass. Not saying it was not a good game, but a Masterpiece it is not. Still got to get your free clicks in. Will be curious to see how HZD2 fairs as well as the next Zelda.

[LucidIllusion]

BOTW is so overrated and average it hurts. Most of the population is brain dead, so it isn't hard to figure out why.