RAIN OR SHINE

MATHIJS DE JONG GAME DIRECTOR OPM: How did you approach designing the ecotopes, and how will they affect gameplay in Horizon Zero Dawn?

Mathijs de Jong: I think in general we have a very elaborate weather system, which is way more sophisticated than you would think when you first see it. For example, we have a very advanced cloud rendering system as well as a day/night cycle and dynamic weather, which are very smooth in a way. But it doesn’t necessarily directly impact gameplay other than visually… The weather system is more [about the] impairing of vision; for example, at night, robots can be harder to see but also can have lots of light and sparks when you shoot at them, so there’s a bit of a balance there. In general, things feel more dangerous when your vision is more limited. And the same’s true with the weather system. We have – in a region that you haven’t played yet – dust storms as well, which really limit the visibility.