1150°

I'm Just Saying, Look At How Horizon's Protagonist Turns Around On Horseback

Kotaku: "I like a lot of things about Horizon: Zero Dawn, but for now let me just say holy shit, look how they animated her legs when you spin the camera while on horseback."

Kingthrash3602610d ago

It's the little things that make quality games.

Nitrowolf22609d ago

FYI while it prompts you to hit triangle to mount, they actually made it so you can jump onto it which I thought was neat because I've called one a few times and jumped from high places

ziggurcat2609d ago

yes, it's those tiny, subtle details that make a huge difference. this will come across as kind of lame, but when I first played Uncharted, I was amazed at when you walked in water, the water line on his jeans showed up depending on the depth you went.

ShadowKnight2609d ago (Edited 2609d ago )

@Ziggurcat

Yup!! I notice that too!

bouzebbal2609d ago

I remember back in the days games like zelda 64 when you climb a ladder link puts each foot on each step, or turn his head around to look around. It's things like this that made it one of the best games ever made.

Killzone 2 had this heavy feel of the weapon, or standing still with the sixaxis on sniper mode .. I love those kinds of details.

YAO-BLING2609d ago

yup, like ants crawling on a tree carrying grass... you saw here first from GG!

andrewsquall2609d ago

@Nitrowolf2 Sounds like we have a game that can stand up to Shadow of the Collossus' horse animations FINALLY.

himdeel2609d ago

How does she keep her dreadlocks tight though?! I bet she smells like pine trees...

AlphaCentyros2609d ago (Edited 2609d ago )

@ziggurcat
Or in TLOU when you shine your flashlight into Ellie's face, she will squint her eyes and will look away, those little details really bring a game to life.

UltraNova2608d ago

God damn this game is a work of art...

XanderZane2608d ago

Having the bow and arrow holder pass through the horse's back is not quality. The animation is very weird and not smooth. They could have had the horse just circle instead. Oh well. No game is ever perfect.

+ Show (8) more repliesLast reply 2608d ago
2609d ago Replies(3)
DarXyde2608d ago

This is definitely up there in cool little touches. I'd say it's the fourth neat little touch I've come to appreciate this generation, right behind...

A) the reloading animations in The Order: 1886.

B) that warm cartilage glow under certain lighting conditions when looking at Nate's ears in Uncharted 4.

C) the fact that Nate experienced muscle strain and he starts shaking when he's holding onto a ledge with one hand and reaching with the other.

I love little things like this. Sony works with some very talented fellows.

MasterCornholio2609d ago

Well I hope her legs dont stay in place while she rotates her torso. That would look really creepy. Kind of like how in the exorcist that women made her head turn 180 degrees.

I'm happy that Guerilla Games paid attention to these types of detail. If I'm not mistaken Naughty Dog did the same where animation is concerned.

kevnb2609d ago

I think working with sony really helps since sony does movies as well.

DoomeDx2609d ago

So did The Witcher and a lot of other games actually.

I love Horizon a lot but animations like this aren't special anymore

dirkdady2609d ago (Edited 2609d ago )

No you can't really turn around while on the horse in witcher unless you turn the entire horse around.

Kingcorey132609d ago

Can you sit backwards on the horse in witcher 3.. I spent over 100 hours in that game and never remember sitting on the horse backward....

Gwiz2608d ago

Did you even play Witcher3?lol.

MasterCornholio2608d ago

I sunk over a hundred hours into the Witcher 3 and you can't make Gerald turn is body around while sitting on the horse.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2608d ago
SpinalRemains1382608d ago

Her name was Regan McNeil and she was no woman. She was 12 years old.

MasterCornholio2608d ago (Edited 2608d ago )

Must have gotten confused with another movie.

I apologise for that.

ziggurcat2609d ago

that's attention to detail.

game4funz2609d ago

Animation really pays off.
I am sure most companies would like good animations for all movements.
It is a shame not all devs have animators to spare.

VideoGamesAreDumb2608d ago

It's actually time and money. I'm sure there's plenty of animators that would love to add these small touches. But they aren't a priority due to timelines and budgets.

Big_Game_Hunters2608d ago

@video games are dumnb. Time is money bro.

Bathyj2608d ago

So if they had heaps of money but no time left, they could just buy more time?

rainslacker2608d ago

Animation is quite labor intensive really. Even when you have motion capture, which helps, it still takes a lot of work to make it look just right and blend in with the overall presentation. Even if something is just off by a cm in game measurements, it can ruin the whole immersion.

IamTylerDurden12608d ago (Edited 2608d ago )

Animation in games is all about the blend. It's arguably the most technically difficult part of making a game lifelike. The difference between low quality animations and Naughty Dog quality animations is immense and arguably more important than the graphical quality itself as it not only affects the aesthetics, but the gameplay as well. What GG, Sony Santa Monica, Sucker Punch, and Naughty Dog are able to achieve is remarkable. These are some of THE best animators in the entire industry. Quantic Dream in terms of cinematic and facial animations is very impressive as well.

rainslacker2607d ago

Blending is more of a process task that will compile and analyze changes between animations. It's done on the fly and not anything the animator has to worry about too much if their tools are good.

It's more making the actual animation that is being created look natural. Funny thing is, animation is often exagerrated from what the same movement would be in real life to achieve this. Getting those types of proper movements right is what takes time and and can be quite tedious.

Show all comments (99)
280°

DF Weekly: Do we actually need The Last of Us Part 2 and Horizon Zero Dawn remasters?

With the details we now have in terms of features and pricing, I don't think there are any significant concerns remaining - just that perhaps that the term 'remastered' in the title is a little misplaced. Essentially, what we're dealing with here is broadly equivalent to a release along the lines of Death Stranding: Director's Cut. It's the original game with a dash of extra content and additional visual modes that tap into the power of PlayStation 5.

Read Full Story >>
eurogamer.net
-Foxtrot138d ago

Bloodborne, Infamous, Killzone, Resistance, Puppeteer, Jak and Daxter etc are all better choices

Even a full on remake of Drakes Fortune I’d take

PrinceOfAnger138d ago

killzone 2/3 definitely a better choice, i have recently finished the games on pc and thought about that, a full remake like demon souls is even better

darthv72137d ago

2&3 are still fine... I'd take the first one as a full remake before the others. They could flesh out more of the backstory that the sequels touch on. Even go deeper into the lore of Helgan.

specialguest137d ago

KZ 2/3 would be amazing. KZ 2 was a graphical masterpiece back then. With today's modern tech, all of those tricks Guerilla Games did to create the effects like the lighting, storm effects, etc, they could now be done in real-time and more realistic

Cacabunga137d ago

Killzone 2-3
Golden Abyss remake
Infamous 2

RaidenBlack138d ago

Uncharted 1 still got a decent remaster for 8th gen ... a remake is not that much of a requirement ...
instead remake candidates should be from 5th or 6th gen
and as for proper remasters (not just lazy res upscale): Killzone 2 & 3 obviously and also Resistance/inFamous (as well as MGS4 :P)

-Foxtrot137d ago

My point with the list is that I’d rather see those titles than what we are getting…titles which are only 3-5 years old and still hold up today

CrashMania137d ago

Sony own the Demons Souls and Bloodborne IP, I wish they'd do something with Bloodborne at the very least.

vfl523137d ago

The way you worded that makes me think you don't realize they already remade demon souls

137d ago
GamingSinceForever137d ago

Not one of those will sell more copies than TLOU2 Remaster. The sooner we realize that these gaming sites and their followers are less than 1% of the buying public the better off we’ll be.

Sure we prefer newer titles but this is business and a business is what Sony is running.

JackBNimble137d ago

Don't you think they could be doing something better with their time and money, like maybe making something new? Or have they become lazy and just reliving the past with the same old games over and over.

Gez ... do something fresh and new already .

notachance137d ago

I'd rather for them to go Square Enix route and remake/remaster their PS1 libraries instead of these unnecessary remaster

come on, legend of dragoon..

Gamingsince1981137d ago

What's with the "need" anyway ? This is video games, no one needs them at all, we need water , we need air, we don't need games.

Barlos137d ago

I would love a remake/remaster of KZ1. For its time it really pushed the PS2 hard and because of that it had a few issues. This is begging to be given the Bluepoint touch and brought up to date. I'd love to see an updated Killzone trilogy collection for sure.

Yi-Long137d ago

Sony killed the game and the studio behind it, but a Remaster of the excellent Driveclub would absolutely be my favorite release if it happened. Just a delicious racing game.

FinalFantasyFanatic137d ago (Edited 137d ago )

So many better choices, I can't fathom why reasonably recent games are getting picked over Classics that are more deserving.

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 137d ago
Battlestar23137d ago

Well I want a Horizon Zero Dawn remaster especially if it's an upgrade to Forbidden West Graphics and Animation.

137d ago Replies(2)
Duke19137d ago

Nope. But HD remasters are an easy cash grab that the masses shovel cash for because while they complain about remakes, they still buy them

PRIMORDUS137d ago

Not if they release on a platform that never received the original in the first place like PC.

46player137d ago

No complaint here, I want the updated graphics.

Ra3030137d ago

My thoughts on this is do we need Richard Leadbetter's or Digital Foundry's opinion on anything........ever? I know I don't they do nothing for me and never have.

specialguest137d ago

You may not, but tons of people do since the video has 4,700 Likes to 112 Dislikes

Chocoburger137d ago

That guy is a buffoon, DF Direct is the best gaming podcast around. I look forward to it every week.

BehindTheRows137d ago

By that same token, some may not NEED remasters, while others may/do.

Amplitude137d ago (Edited 137d ago )

DF videos are typically absolutely amazing game reviews first and foremost. They have great intros, explain the mechanics well, tell you if they enjoyed it or not (I usually vibe well with John's games personally), and then they have the best tech breakdowns of a game's performance which is very very important to me. I want to know what settings to run at on PC, and on PS5 I wanna know if the 60fps mode runs well or not because if it doesn't... well I'll just get it on PC (If it isn't completely broken there too). DF Retro is also always unbelievably interesting and super well edited and inspired my YouTube channel which just crossed 1200 subs (wooo!). They helped me a lot with understanding game development and got me interested in goofing around with game engines and PC building in general back in the day.

I don't mean any offence by this but you sound like somebody who skims their analysis videos, selectively scrolls to the stats, says "who cares?", and then closes it. Or possibly somebody who watches (stolen) cut clips on TikTok? Even if you are somehow unaffected by blurry images and fluctuating frame rates (some people are and I envy you) I recommend watching a full DF episode one day. They're extremely interesting and I watch literally all of them even if I have no interest in the game.

VonAlbrecht137d ago

"I personally don't enjoy this extremely well-presented and highly informative content so it shouldn't exist."

-Ra3030, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee

Show all comments (66)
80°

Joris de Man on composing music for the Horizon series

In the video game industry, where visual design and game mechanics typically grab the limelight, the significance of music in enhancing the overall gaming experience is often underestimated. Music can be a key component in the player’s emotional connection with a game. It amplifies emotional impact, heightens tension, and can be a powerful driver of narrative. We’ve had the chance to speak to Joris de Man, a renowned Dutch composer best known for his work on the Killzone series, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and its sequel Horizon: Forbidden West. During the Game Access conference in Brno, we talked about the process of composing music for video games and how he created the harmonies that have shaped some of our most beloved gaming experiences.

Sonic1881303d ago (Edited 303d ago )

To keep using him as the music composer in their games.

ChronoJoe303d ago

Joris seems like a great guy. I spoke to him briefly once about how much I loved his music and he was really friendly/humble.

230°

20 Years of Guerrilla: The Story of a PlayStation Studio

The Amsterdam-based studio reflects on its humble beginnings, beloved franchises, and growth through the years.

Read Full Story >>
blog.playstation.com
SullysCigar343d ago

Up there with the top tier in the industry. Love Guerrilla Games - Horizon Burning Shores is simply STUNNING.

1Victor343d ago

Can’t wait for their next franchise

SullysCigar343d ago

Same. They nailed it with Horizon. The trouble is I also want a new Killzone! Can't I just have it all?!

jznrpg343d ago

I’m with you I want Horizon 3 , Killzone and new IPs

badz149342d ago

I have yet to play Burning Shores as I just started Forbidden West (bought at launch, just unwrapped last weekend LOL) and playing on PS5.

man...I still can't believe the graphics especially now I'm playing it on my LG OLED. that graphics and with stable performance backing it up, GG really is the master of their craft!

Vengeance1138343d ago

32.7M sales in the Horizon franchise! With 8.4M coming from Forbidden West alone! Truly a hugely successful game and franchise as a whole. Looking forward to Horizon III

Shane Kim343d ago

That's kind of a huge drop though. It's only been two games.

VersusDMC343d ago

One year after realease HZD sold 7.6 million.

https://www.noobfeed.com/ne...

So not a drop off.

Unless you're saying a HFW should have sold as much now as HZD sold in 5 years?

Vengeance1138343d ago

It's been 3 games, this includes Call of the Mountain. Also no, its a great improvement over HZD.

solideagle343d ago

lol you are comparing:

HZD: 28 February 2017 - May 2023 (6 years+)

HFW: 18 February 2022 - May 2023 (1 year+)

We will see if it surpass original number.

Phoenix76343d ago

@shane, 2 full main games, 2 DLC add ons, 1 VR spin off game, oh and a an official LEGO set.
Not too bad for an ip that's only been on market for 6 years

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 343d ago
REDGUM343d ago

Wow, very impressive. I didn't know the numbers were so high for Forbidden West. Still playing through it myself

thesoftware730343d ago (Edited 343d ago )

Yooo, when I first saw that Killzone 1 footage at E3, my friends my brothers and I were like, Holy shit! When it came out, it didn't look exactly like it, but we sunk so many hours into 1 & 2.

I even liked Killzone: SF, it was a spectacle to look at, and even today it looks good. I hope they make a new one. Can you imagine how that will look, and they can get some modern FPS pointers from Bungie.

blacktiger342d ago

thank you fps lover, I'm with you

talocaca343d ago

Such a wonderful studio. They deserve all their success.

The Decima Engine is absolute 🔥 I'm just mad they have abandoned Killzone.

OzzY-waZZy343d ago (Edited 343d ago )

Kinda wish they move on from Horizon tbh.

potatoseal343d ago

They are probably working on mutiple projects. One of them is Horizon 3, but another is a multiplaer game and probably somehting else.

Imalwaysright343d ago

There were rumours that they were working on a Socom reboot.

Show all comments (47)