As a seasoned gamer with a knack for spotting hidden gems, I must say that Horizon Forbidden West has taken the cake when it comes to immersive world-building. While the game may initially seem like just another fictional universe, a closer look reveals a fascinating tapestry of real-world influences.
Initially, the realm of Horizon Forbidden West might seem to be a wholly fictitious environment, filled with colossal landscapes teeming with machinery, and tribes and cultures that are relatively new. However, as one ventures deeper into the narrative of Horizon, the subtle influences from the real world become apparent. Specifically, both Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West draw heavily on the western United States, encompassing states like Utah, Nevada, and California.
Horizon Forbidden West’s Mainland Real-World Inspirations
In the game Horizon Forbidden West, a wealth of real-world location references abound, often going unnoticed by players as they traverse these familiar-yet-altered landscapes. Despite being set in the 31st century, many emblematic western states’ landmarks miraculously endured the Faro Plague that ravaged the world in 2066. Although the millennium brought drastic changes to these locations, with the possible collapse of the San Andreas Fault around 2150 causing coastal municipalities to flood, their remnants continue to stand as a foundation for future tribes to rebuild upon.
After the introduction of “Forbidden West,” players traverse to Barren Light, situated within The Daunt region, to breach the Carja boundary and explore the Forbidden West in pursuit of the renegade AI HADES. Remarkably, this barren red canyon mirrors Zion National Park’s landscape in present-day southern Utah. As players uncover the fragments of HADES, they may proceed southwest towards a misty water obstacle near the map’s edge. Although much of this backdrop is submerged within Jagged Deep lake, it represents the Hoover Dam, which stands on the border of Nevada and Arizona today.
Nevada Locations in Horizon Forbidden West
Near Jagged Deep, explorers will come across The Stillsands, a region resembling the Las Vegas strip in ruins. This area features recognizable landmarks like the summit of the Strat and Paris Hotels and Casinos. Delve deeper into the Dunehollow to discover even more familiar locations, all accessible for exploration and entry. Heading north from The Stillsands, adventurers can traverse Death Valley’s salt flats before reaching the remnants of Nevada’s Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, now serving as the Desert Tenakth’s capital, Scalding Spear.
In the game “Horizon Forbidden West,” not all real-life locations have been scaled accurately or placed at their actual distances for the purpose of making the regions more compact and less challenging to traverse.
Horizon Forbidden West’s Coastal Real-World Inspirations
In time, adventurers will visit a group of islands known as the Isle of Spires, located off the shore from the mainland of the Forbidden West. Despite being submerged for over three millennia in the future, these islands are all that remains of San Francisco. Players can explore remnants of this famous city, with the Golden Gate Bridge’s ruins standing out among them. Notably, a colossal Horus combat machine’s wreckage lies on one of the bridge’s towers near the northwestern edge of the Forbidden West map.
At Legacy’s Landfall Quen settlement, you might spot a towering pyramid-shaped structure, often referred to as the Transamerica Pyramid. This structure, once the tallest in the city and the eighth tallest globally (until 2018), served as the foundation for Ted Faro’s Thebes bunker’s Digsite. As you soar overhead, you’ll also notice the vestiges of the ancient Church of Saint Francis of Assisi and Coit Tower.
To the south of Legacy’s Landfall, players might discover the submerged relics of Oracle Park, a stadium that housed the San Francisco Giants baseball team. Remarkably, some locations can be found beneath the water, like the Palace of Fine Arts situated near the submerged remains of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Burning Shores’ Los Angeles Locations
From the 2022 announcement trailer, many gamers recognized that the Burning Shores DLC in Forbidden West would be set amidst the remnants of Los Angeles due to the appearance of the damaged Hollywood Sign. In addition, several other famous LA landmarks appear within the Burning Shores, though they may take on an island form or be partially submerged under lava compared to their current state. Some of these recognizable spots include the TCL or Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the U.S. Bank Tower, the Angels Flight Railway, Los Angeles International Airport, and the Griffith Observatory. While these are some well-known real-life locations you can find in Horizon Forbidden West, there are numerous others for players to uncover and learn about.
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2024-08-26 15:34