Guerrilla has shown off some further screenshots for Horizon Forbidden West on PlayStation 4, and unsurprisingly, the game looks absolutely beautiful even on older hardware.
As shared on Twitter, Horizon Forbidden West developer Guerrilla spoke further about the sequel’s upcoming launch on PS4. “We’ve showed you a lot of footage of Horizon Forbidden West on PS5 so far,” writes the developer, “but the game also looks – and plays – stunning on the PlayStation 4”.
Alongside the tweet, the developer showcased a range of images for the game that beautifully capture its blend of nature and technology. As well as displaying the sequel’s desert and wetland environments, the screenshots also further detailed some of the Forbidden West’s upcoming features, showing off several of the game’s mechanical creatures, a previously featured human settlement and some homegrown natural wildlife – including a particularly wholesome looking fox.
While the game certainly looks stunning on PS4, that’s not necessarily a surprise given that Guerrilla has previously noted that it was designed with the hardware in mind. “A lot of the development has taken place on the PlayStation 4, and a lot of playtesting has been done on PlayStation 4,” said Game Director Mathijs de Jonge earlier this year. “So we are ensuring that owners of that console have a great experience and the game will look fantastic on that console.”
That being said, the game will launch with a number of graphical differences between the console and its PlayStation 5 counterpart. During the same interview, de Jonge noted that current-gen console owners should notice a number of graphical improvements – particularly where water and lighting is concerned. Despite creating a game that will need to deliver across multiple console generations, separate comments by de Jonge explained that the experience was “not limiting in any way.”
Horizon Forbidden West is set to launch February 18, 2022. For players who are currently on PlayStation 4 hardware but thinking about making the switch to current-gen, Forbidden West will come with an upgrade path between the two systems.
For more on Horizon Forbidden West, make sure to check out this piece detailing how the game has an entire team of developers dedicated solely to making the game feel alive. And, if you’ve read that, then why not try this piece offering a closer look at the game’s new abilities.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.