Highlights
- Horizon is expanding with new projects across mediums to reach wider audiences, including a TV series and multiplayer offering.
- While Horizon has potential for endless stories, wise selection of projects and practical use of Guerrilla’s resources is crucial.
- Guerrilla Games must focus on quality over quantity to ensure Horizon’s legacy, avoiding dilution with too many releases.
Sony seems to be going all-out with its first-party IP, expanding them with new entries and debuts in new mediums to bring them to as many people as possible. Horizon is one of the lucky ones to be given more attention, with plenty of projects planed to keep it in the minds of both gamers and other audiences. In the games space, it’s got a lot going on, with a sequel to the sublime Horizon Forbidden West as well as a TV series and a multiplayer offering being developed behind the scenes.
The end of Horizon doesn’t seem to be in sight, which is a cause for much excitement for fans of Aloy’s story, but as the blossoming franchise looks to be one of the all-time open-world greats, the next few years are of paramount importance. Guerrilla Games has to be smart about which projects it gives the green light, because sometimes less really is more.
Horizon 3: Why Aloy May Be Anchored to a Close Location
Because of the Base that Aloy and her companions have become well established at in Forbidden West, Horizon 3 may not be able to venture too far away.
Horizon’s Potential is Endless, But Development Resources Aren’t
Guerrilla Games is a studio known for high-quality releases. Horizon is the tip of the iceberg, as the Killzone franchise was, despite its somewhat stunted legacy, a fantastic offering in the first-person shooter space. Aloy’s story is undoubtedly the Amsterdam-based studio’s magnum opus, however, so it’s little surprise that Sony wants to take full advantage of the success, with a Netflix series, a multiplayer title, and a third game all in the pipeline.
This all sounds like a recipe for prolonged success, but the reality is that gamers are always wanting something new, and staying on one series for too long can be a red flag for some. There are many that think that The Last of Us has run its course after just two mainline games, and as Horizon hopes to have a bigger catalog of offerings when all is said and done, the volume of projects could really be a step back instead of the intended few steps forward.
A Million Stories in Horizon’s World, But Only a Few are Worth Telling
Each new Horizon game will require significant funding to develop. The high quality of the previous outings have also set a standard that fans expect, so each game that Guerrilla makes already faces an uphill battle. With that much financial backing, only the most pressing stories and ideas should be pushed forward. While unexpected side projects like, say, a beat-em-up focused on the Tenakth tribe’s culture and customs could be fun, it’s likely not going to move the needle enough to justify its worth.
Horizon Needs to Remember That Less is More in AAA Gaming
The likes of Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty seemingly haven’t understood that a longer time between releases can be beneficial to a new game’s reception. Being on a consistent cycle means that some can become complacent with a series’ quality, and the strides that are taken between releases are largely disregarded. For the games themselves, an abundance of releases can cloud the impact of each one, meaning it can be hard to be truly excited for the future.
Horizon being a first-party franchise means it already has the pressure of carrying the success of its native PlayStation hardware while also finding a way to provide a thrilling threequel after Forbidden West‘s conclusion. Focus on that is of paramount importance, and the introduction of spin-offs in different genres, with new gameplay loops, could mount the pressure on Guerrilla to the point where all the products suffer. One world-class project is always going to be more memorable than a handful of mediocre ones, and as Horizon is still searching for the recognition it deserves after launching next to Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Elden Ring, simplifying the release schedule is the right choice, both financially and for its legacy.
Horizon Forbidden West
Aloy returns in the sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn. Forbidden West follows the now iconic machine-hunter as she embarks to the aptly named Forbidden West to attempt to find the source of a powerful plague that is destroying all that it infects.
- Released
- February 18, 2022
- Engine
- Decima
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- How Long To Beat
- 29 Hours
- Metascore
- 88
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
