Will you Reach the Daunt?
This week sees the release of Guerilla Games’ highly anticipated adventure Horizon Forbidden West — and as players guide hero Aloy through her new lush environment, they can know that their actions are contributing a little toward our own lush environment — courtesy of Sony’s “Play and Plant” scheme.
The project, a collaboration between Sony and the Arbor Day Foundation, will see the publisher plant a tree for every player who bags the “Reached The Daunt” trophy — an award offered relatively early within the critically acclaimed sequel. The new trees will be part of a reforestation project that aims to rebuild three major greenies in North America: The Douglas County Forest, The Sheep Fire Private Lands, and The Torreya State Park.
It is estimated that each reforestation project will require somewhere in the region of 288,000 trees to see its completion. Given that Horizon Forbidden West has already sold millions of copies in pre-orders, this lofty-sounding goal should be more than achievable. There’s gonna be a lotta digging going on!
In addition to its work in the United States, Sony is working with European ecological projects to help promote the release’s environmentally friendly message. In the UK, a 12-acre flower garden is to be built in Lancashire, while Cornwall’s stunning Eden Project Biodome will see its coloring changed to reflect that of Aloy’s trusty Shieldwing technology. In France, Sony will plant a tree in the beautiful Grand Est region for every five players who earn the in-game trophy “Cowards Reached.”
Horizon Forbidden West launches on PlayStation platforms tomorrow, February 18.