I explored ways to expand and refine the weapon wheel to support new weapon types and ammo variations introduced in Horizon Forbidden West. The goal was to build on the strengths of the original system while accommodating additional complexity without overwhelming the player. My work focused on layout, clarity, and responsiveness, ensuring players could stay in the flow of combat while managing a growing arsenal.

Here is a small selection of prototypes made in Adobe XD that could be navigated with a Sony PlayStation gamepad.

An early prototype for the lower-left tool slot panel, exploring how players cycle through and use consumables like potions, traps, and food in the heat of combat. The focus was on clarity, responsiveness, and minimizing visual clutter while keeping key survival tools within easy reach.

A prototype exploring how the Focus device presents contextual tools like scanning, tracking, and quest markers. This video shows early interaction patterns and layout ideas aimed at keeping the interface lightweight, readable, and immersive.

The game’s Light RPG skill tree system was praised for its flexibility and variety, with many reviews highlighting how it supported different playstyles. Design efforts focused on making choices approachable, readable, and rewarding while accommodating the game’s expanding range of abilities.

Given the depth of the system, we did extensive prototyping and exploration into how to make the vast system accessible to players and able to adjust to individual play styles.

Here is a collection of prototypes and wireframes from the early part of the skill tree’s development.

These videos show prototypes of early UI Art visual exploration, along with audio from the sound design team to really bring the presentation together.

There was an idea tossed around to have the Skill Tree (initially presented as a radial mandala-shaped radial design) be charted to the game’s accurate celestial map from the night sky, making new constellations over the same stars we see today. The idea was eventually abandoned, but it’s fun to see some of the early suggestions.

I worked on early visualizations and flow for Machine Strike, Horizon’s in-world strategy board game. My focus was on defining how players learn and navigate the game, including turn structure, unit selection, and UI presentation. These early explorations helped establish a clear, readable structure for an entirely new gameplay experience within the world of Horizon.