While the stunning landscape of the Forbidden City might describe a post-apocalyptic North America, Horizon’s world was crafted in a studio in the heart of Amsterdam. At Guerrilla, we are always happy to introduce our Dutch roots to the international community. So when there was an opportunity to work with the Rijksmuseum, we had to take it.
The Rijksmuseum is the Netherlands’ national art and history museum. Its collection features famous works by Dutch masters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer. Working alongside the museum’s experts, a handful of these artworks have been chosen to feature in a pivotal moment in the story of Horizon Forbidden West.
The result is an intimate experience that not only speaks to the importance of preserving cultural artifacts, but also demonstrates how art helps us process emotions and connect with one another.
Spoiler alert: This section includes some of Horizon Forbidden West’s top-level story revelations
“Don’t be too quick to dismiss the comfort we can find in art. Or the insight we can gain. ” These are the words of Tilda van der Meer, a big new character in Horizon Forbidden West. She was always considered an immortal in space who returned to Earth after a thousand years of absence. met with the Rijksmuseum in 2019, Guerrilla’s narrative team reimagined the character as a Dutch technologist, authenticator, and art collector who fights to preserve elements of the series museum collection from the ravages of time.
When the Rijksmuseum looked at Tilda’s new biography, Assistant Curator Denise Campbell and her team were inspired to pick ten perfect pieces for the collection included in the game, each piece matching her personality. by Tilda.
Guerrilla then worked on creating an in-game space to showcase these pieces, preserved for a millennium: the vault inside Tilda’s mansion. When Aloy first walked in, she was captivated by the wonderful work that stood out against the tall concrete walls and pedestals. In this atmospheric zone, Aloy — and the player — can linger as long as they want and discuss puzzle pieces with Tilda through Aloy’s Focus. Ultimately, this provides a connection between both characters, brilliantly played by Ashly Burch and Carrie-Anne Moss, demonstrated through Tilda’s mutual admiration and interpretation of the collection.
The Rijksmuseum has been an extraordinary collaborator over the past few years, from the selection to the present. They cordially invite Horizon Forbidden West fans as well as art aficionados to join the Aloy Tour at any time and get a close-up view of the magnificent collection displayed in the historic museum halls. The ten selected works are:
- The Night Watch, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1642
- The Woman Reading the Letter, Johannes Vermeer, ca. 1663
- Titus in a Monk’s Habit, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1660
- Jeremiah laments the destruction of Jerusalem, Rembrandt van Rijn, 1630
- Woman reading music, Han van Meegeren, 1935-1940
- Selene and Endymion, Gerard de Lairesse, ca. 1680
- A ship on the high seas captured by Squall, called ‘The Gust’, Willem van de Velde (II), ca. 1680
- Custodian of the property set for the Association of Jewelers of Amsterdam, Adam van Vianen (I), 1614
- Frenzy, Artus Quellinus (I) (do), na 1648 – in of voor 1662
- Bacchant, Adriaen de Vries, 1626
If you’d like to know more about how we made Tilda’s Vault and choose which key artworks are featured in the game, please watch the video below:
