Robots. Bows & arrows. Dinosaurs. Ruined, leafy cities. In many respects, Horizon Zero Dawn looks like an amalgamation of disparate genres. And with a release date of Feb. 28, we’ll soon see whether Guerilla Games – the developers behind the Kill Zone franchise – managed to create a cohesive package.  

Guerilla Games unveiled Horizon, a Playstation exclusive, as a headliner for the then newly-released PS4 all the way back at E3 2015. Since its initial summer 2016 release date, Guerilla Games pushed the project back, and sparked rumors of behind-the-scenes trouble and the developers scrapping the project altogether.

These delays and rumored turmoil certainly dampened the game’s original positive reception, and the developers have countered with a heavy ad campaign leading up to the launch.

Recent trailers took a peek at the narrative and highlighted three of the game’s hopefully many creatures: the Behemoth, Stormbird and Thunderjaw. Gameplay segments suggest that Horizon’s charm will lie with these beasts. 

While the story – in which a chosen protagonist faces an ancient (cliche) evil – looks to falter, peaceful and hostile interactions with the ‘Machines’ seem engaging and tactical. The mechanical beasts appear to share the nuances of monsters in The Witcher 3. Each has specific traits, weaknesses and a role to play in the automated environment.

In one clip, the player scales the back of a massive, docile creature with the body of a giraffe and a head that really looks like The Starship Enterprise. These longnecks, towering above the foliage and other animals, serve as mobile vantage points from which players can spot targets and take in Horizon’s impressive landscapes.

Guerilla looks to have nailed the environments, but these don’t guarantee Horizon will stick with fans. Only two weeks from release and after mulitple setbacks, Playstation is still looking for a mainstay with this title. And speaking for the good of the industry, I hope they get what they want.