Guerrilla Games and Kojima Productions have worked closely together, thanks in part to Guerrilla’s proprietary Decima Engine being shared. Not only has Decima powered both Horizon titles made by Guerrilla Games, but also Kojima Productions’ first Death Stranding game. Given the fact that these two AAA studios share technology, it should come as no surprise that one of Death Stranding’s most unusual aspects is featured prominently in Horizon Forbidden West.
When you compare Aloy’s Focus to Sam “Porter” Bridges’ BB, you’ll notice that the scanning capabilities of both futuristic devices are strikingly similar. They can be used to scan for places of interest (usually opposing combatants and their varied strengths, weaknesses, or equipment), as well as to get a fast overview of the environment and the current threats.
These dangers are plainly defined in Death Stranding by simple colored lines and symbols that lay out the strength of a certain path, ranging from blue to yellow to red depending on the intensity and sheer amount of difficulty Sam Bridges would have navigating it. Red pathways are almost always nearly impassable, and losing control or being unable to safely advance with your cargo intact is a foregone conclusion.
Regardless, Aloy’s focus in Horizon Forbidden West has been enhanced with some of that secret Kojima tech in order to give the player greater agency in climbing around the terrain. The most visible sections of the traverse are still marked with yellow-painted handholds, just as they were in Horizon Zero Dawn, but Aloy’s climbing prowess has been enhanced to accommodate free clamoring over most surfaces in the game. Because not every vertical grab or cliff face will be painted sunflower yellow to light the way, scanning the environment with Aloy’s attention illuminates the path forward when things become less visible.
The improved Focus is a simple improvement that enhances the climbing and parkour of Horizon Forbidden West that much more pleasurable, thanks to technologies transferred from Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding and put into Horizon Forbidden West. Even if you go back to the first Horizon Zero Dawn, the scripted aspect of important climbing moments persists in the sequel, but with less evident guidance because the player can now move more freely about the world.