One of the most anticipated games of 2022 is Horizon Forbidden West. The game will continue Aloy's story as she tries to survive in a world full of killer robots and murderous enemies. As the Horizon Forbidden West trailer at The Game Awards revealed, the foes that Aloy will be facing are bigger and have a bad attitude. Fortunately, Aloy is now a seasoned survivor, and she also has a few new tricks up her sleeves.
Guerrilla Games has been teasing players with a steady trickle of information regarding the upcoming game. New machines have been showcased, and combat between both humans and machines has been revamped. As part of the studio's aim to improve every aspect of Horizon Zero Dawn for its sequel, a new ability called Valor Surge has been added.
What is Valor Surge?
Gamers got their first glimpse of Valor Surges during Sony's State of Play on May 27. While battling with a human enemy, Aloy finds herself in a tight pinch which she escapes from by sticking her spear into the ground and letting off an electric shock that temporarily stuns her rival.
Guerrilla Games has explained that there will be multiple kinds of Valor Surges that Aloy will be able to use, and each of the Valor Surges will have different effects. Players can unlock the various Valor Surges by working through Aloy's skill tree and spending skill points. Different Valor Surges will accommodate different playstyles, so players should work towards Valor Surges that best fit them.
To activate Valor Surges, players will have to fill up an energy bar. This is done by accumulating tactical combat XP, which is awarded for playing smart. This can be done, for example, by scoring headshots on human enemies and removing components from machines. When the Valor Surge energy bar is full enough, players will be able to unleash a powerful Valor Surge. There will be a total of twelve Valor Surges to unlock, and they can be upgraded along three tiers. Higher-level Valor Surges will take longer to charge up, but they will produce a far more powerful attack.
The skill tree that Valor Surges are unlocked from has received a complete overhaul in Horizon Forbidden West. Although Horizon Zero Dawn does feature a skill tree, it is a relatively simple one, and it just will not do for the sequel. The new skill tree is designed to support various playstyles, so players will have to carefully decide how they will spend their skill points.
How Will Valor Surges Improve Horizon Forbidden West?
One of the weak points of Horizon Zero Dawn is human combat. Dealing with human enemies does not require much brainpower, and it becomes a tedious experience very quickly. This is because human AI is very poor, and enemies seldom strategize or surprise players with some sneaky tricks. Consequently, clearing enemy camps is as easy as letting off a deluge of arrows.
Information released by Guerrilla Games confirms that Horizon Forbidden West will feature human combat that is far more in-depth. Trailers show enemies engaging in melee combat and grabbing Aloy during tussles. Players can also expect human enemies to work together, making them more challenging to overcome.
With Valor Surges, Aloy will be equipped to deal with these smarter enemies. A shockwave to stun enemies will be useful to Aloy in scenarios where she is surrounded. Although details on the different Valor Surges have yet to be released, they will also have their unique abilities that will be useful to Aloy in different situations. Used in conjunction with her other new abilities — such as dropping smoke bombs and adhesive grenades - far more creative play will be possible.
Horizon Forbidden West releases on February 18, 2022, on PS4 and PS5.
