Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores reveals new Waterwing and atmosphere technology

The team at Guerrilla Games has revealed some interesting details about Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores. This new DLC pack for the 2022 hit PlayStation game has a lot to offer, especially since it’s exclusive to the PS5. Although Horizon Forbidden West is available for both PS4 and PS5, the DLC can take many more leaps due to its exclusivity to this generation’s technology. Guerrilla has just recently revealed in a tweet and blog post new features capable with the PS5 for Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores.

New features revealed for Horizon Forbidden West DLC

Screenshot via Guerrilla

On March 29, a PlayStation blog post by Guerrilla’s Sr. Community Manager, Narae Lee, showcased the leaps in technology implemented in the DLC. The Atmospheric team revealed how they approached working with the PS5’s capabilities, and their technical challenges working with new cloudscapes. In brand new screenshots, Guerrilla showed just how beautiful Horizon Forbidden West can look on the PS5. But how did they figure out this new cloud technology? The blog post had this to say:

“In the early 2010s, feature film and animation VFX started using volumetric rendering to create clouds. For video games, this technique took too long to render with high-quality results at interactive framerates, but developers knew it held game-changing potential.”

Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores uses a volumetric cloud system that conveys dynamic moods. Also, the team was inspired by artists who created landscape paintings, such as 19th-century painter Albert Bierstadt. Continue reading the blog post if you want to understand more about this voxel technology.

Meet The Machines!

The Waterwing is a medium-sized flying machine that can dive deep underwater. It is highly maneuverable and, when disturbed, is an unrelenting foe.

Get ready to take the plunge with this epic new machine in Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores! pic.twitter.com/ZjqNJJoRfD

— Guerrilla (@Guerrilla) March 30, 2023

Even more features were revealed for Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, just a day later. On March 30, Guerrilla tweeted a video revealing a new machine called the Waterwing. Not only can it soar through the clouds, but it can swim through the ocean. A nearly one-minute video showcases sharp visuals of Aloy riding the machine through many different landscapes. 

Either friend or foe, this beast looks like the Waterwing will come in handy as you travel the skies and seas. Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores releases on April 19 for the PS5.