Horizon Forbidden West Struck the Perfect Balance of Tribes…

After Horizon Forbidden West introduced an expanded range of tribes, both new and old, Guerrilla Games may have found the perfect balance of tribes to work with for the as-of-yet unconfirmed but highly anticipated third Horizon game. Between Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West, the core mystery at the heart of the series has shaped the various tribes seen so far across both games. With each tribe, such as the Nora, Tenakth, or Quen, reflecting different ways humanity's history can be reinterpreted after the Zero Dawn apocalypse, Guerrilla Games should focus on deepening these stories instead of overreaching itself with new tribes.

While Horizon 3 has not been officially confirmed, the ending of both Forbidden West and its Burning Shores DLC strongly suggests that a third game is yet to come, potentially even concluding Aloy's story arc as a trilogy. If this is the case, with at least seven distinct tribes already established in Forbidden West and a prospective antagonist more dangerous than Hades or Far Zenith, the scale of Horizon 3's story should be its focus. Rather than bloating the game's story with even newer and less developed tribes, Horizon 3 should keep the balance that Forbidden West has successfully achieved.

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By Josh Cotts

Horizon Forbidden West Struck A Perfect Balance With Its Tribes

When Zero Dawn first introduced players to the world of Horizon and by its end revealed the mystery at the heart of the series, the four main tribes included in the game offered different perspectives on how primitive humans would form in the post-apocalypse. For instance, the first tribe players encounter are those Horizon's ongoing legacy protagonist, Aloy, originates from, with her story and characterization shaped by the Nora's isolationism and restrictive views on machines. The Nora provides the ideal framework for Zero Dawn to ease players into the series, emphasizing the mystery behind its robots and the post-apocalypse as they progress through the game.

Between this and Forbidden West, the series now has a total of at least seven tribes, though the potential existence of others is hinted at through character dialogue, collectibles, or other in-game lore.

Nora
Carja (and Shadow Carja)
Banuk
Oseram
Utaru
Tenakth
Quen

While Zero Dawn's tribes did not overtly confirm how they were influenced by former humanity or "the Old Ones," Forbidden West capitalized on players' newfound awareness of the Zero Dawn apocalypse to introduce fresh takes on its tribes. With the likes of the technologically aware Quen and the militaristic influences of the Tenakth, Forbidden West's tribes added the right depth the series needed as a sequel to Zero Dawn.

Horizon 3 Might Struggle For Unique Ideas With Any New Tribes

Despite each having greater depth to their histories and characterization, Horizon's existing tribes are easily recognized for the archetypal roles they appear to be based on, such as the Oseram's obsession with engineering and machines or the Utaru's stereotypes of nature-loving pacifists, farmers, and musical vocabulary. As a result, Forbidden West's approach to tribes may have already covered the different ways humanity might evolve after the post-apocalypse. This could mean that should Horizon 3 attempt to introduce new tribes of its own, they may struggle to be distinctive enough in contrast to its seven others.

Horizon 3's Story Might Benefit From No New Tribes

Though Guerrilla Games will likely want to continue expanding the world of Horizon with new tribes in Horizon 3, especially after teasing several others in Forbidden West, it might be better if the developer focuses on concluding Aloy's trilogy due to the series' ongoing narrative. After Forbidden West dropped a bombshell with the hyper-advanced Far Zenith and revealed the incoming Nemesis threat, Horizon 3 faces the challenge of having the highest stakes in the series. Therefore, it might not be wise to overcrowd its story with yet more tribes and instead focus on uniting its existing seven together under Aloy for Earth's last stand against Nemesis.

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