An incredibly talented artist has reimagined Horizon Forbidden West as a 2D platformer in stunning demake art. Horizon Forbidden West launched to rave reviews a little less than two months ago, inviting fans of Zero Dawn to join Aloy on another adventure in the primitive, post-apocalyptic future. This time, however, Aloy finds herself thrust in a race against time, trying to save the biosphere from certain damnation amid chaotic storms and a devastating blight.
The scope of Horizon Forbidden West eclipses its predecessor in every conceivable way. From the open-world design and storytelling to the side missions and secondary characters, the latest entry in Guerrilla Games’ acclaimed sci-fi series upped the ante considerably. Aloy herself matured between games, too, which is most notably evident thanks to Ashly Burch’s praiseworthy performance. In addition, despite its status as a cross-gen title, Forbidden West inarguably counts among the most beautiful games on the market. But what would the adventure’s lush open-world landscape look like if rendered in pixel art?
Artist and Twitter user Orioto recently shared their first demake art piece, which reimagines Aloy’s adventure in Horizon Forbidden West as a gorgeous 2D platformer. As seen by the overgrown Golden Gate bridge that looms in the background, Orioto’s work specifically took inspiration from the San Francisco section of Forbidden West. Aloy is pictured on the far left, facing off against a couple of fearsome Clawstriders on the right side of the image. Those interested in the stunning artwork can purchase a copy on Orioto’s official Redbubble page. Check out the 16-bit version of Horizon Forbidden West in the tweet linked below:
Orioto’s work appears to be packed with small details. For example, Aloy’s fiery red hair and the red bushes she uses for stealth provide the demake art with its only instances of warm colors. The chainlink fence separating the platforms in the foreground from the water in the background serves as yet another nice touch. Suffice it to say, this is an art piece that all Horizon Forbidden West fans will want to see.
Forbidden West’s west coast-spanning adventure ends in such a way that another sequel seems inevitable. Still, hopes are high that Guerrilla Games will support the newer entry long-term with content updates and an expansion akin to Zero Dawn’s Frozen Wilds DLC. Whether or not the studio intends to do just that presently remains unknown.
Horizon Forbidden West is in stores now for PS4 and PS5.
