The machines in Horizon Forbidden West can help offer Aloy an advantage if she uses them correctly.
In a new PlayStation Blog discussing the game, principal machine designer Blake Politeski and asset art lead Maxim Fleury explained the tricks that Aloy will be able to deploy around both new and returning machines.
The override mechanic is returning from the first game, letting them fight alongside Aloy. Politeski explains that this time around, you'll be able to influence creature behavior, setting them into an aggressive state if you want to go in with claws out, or a defensive state if you're looking for some protection.
Certain machines might also help Aloy out without being overridden. Politeski also states that "if a machine is searching for certain resources that Aloy happens to be after, they can lead her to stashes if she's observant.
Observation could be key. Guerilla says it's "focusing more on Aloy's ability to survey and plan an encounter before engaging." To help with that, machines will have audio clues that outline their behavior and potential movements. A given machine might have one sound if it's idling, another if it's alerting its allies, and a third for when it decides to initiate an attack, allowing you to make a run for it if you're caught unawares.
Aloy's next adventure is getting ever closer. Horizon Forbidden West might have been pushed back from its original launch window of late 2021, but its new release date of February 18, 2022, isn't all that far away, so we'll get a closer look at these new machines pretty soon.
