Summary
- Horizon is a trusted and popular open-world action RPG series with exceptional gameplay and great storytelling, and taking one's time in the open world is often more rewarding than rushing through the main missions.
- However, Horizon 3, Aloy and her companions will face the urgent threat of Nemesis, a vengeful and destructive AI entity.
- Nemesis could add a sense of immediate urgency to the narrative, making the story something that players are a lot more eager to get through as opposed to leaving it on the back burner.
Though the first and second game each released in the shadow of other genre-defining titles, Horizon is a series that has become one of the most trusted in the open-world action RPG genre, and one of Sony's biggest and brightest properties. Aloy's beginnings as a Nora outcast eventually leading her to becoming the savior of Earth is a great and heroic tale, and one that spans two excellent single player offerings. 2022's Horizon Forbidden West is far from the end of the road for the series, however, as a planned multiplayer game, Netflix TV series, and third chapter to Aloy's story are in the pipeline.
The Guerrilla-developed franchise's growing popularity is due in large part to the exceptional gameplay, likable characters, and great storytelling, somehow fusing the humility of tribal communities with farfetched science-fiction that never breaks immersion, but instead greatly adds to it. The Far Zeniths are even more outlandish, but play a major role in Horizon Forbidden West's narrative, and bring with them the biggest threat that Aloy has ever faced. Nemesis is coming, and with it, a race against time to save Earth - something that could work wonders for Horizon 3.
Horizon's Open Worlds Reward People Who Take Their Time
Horizon is a series that doesn't need to be experienced over a weekend or in long play sessions. Instead, it is far more rewarding when players take their time in the world, collecting side quests and scooping up collectibles, seeing the main scenario missions as another thing that has to be done in a long line of activities. The first game released in 2017 and was far better than what most imagined a first party open world game could be. Prior to it, Sony's offerings like InFamous Second Son felt somewhat limited, but Horizon Zero Dawn's setting was both expansive and incredibly polished.
Because of this, it was easy to get lost, with hours going by in a flash because there were so many curiosities in all corners of the map. At no point did Horizon Zero Dawn feel urgent through its gameplay or presentation, and while in Horizon Forbidden West the stakes are higher than ever, the revelation that Nemesis is heading to Earth makes the next outing feel far more pressing, which could be a big factor in a shift in tone, atmosphere, and general storytelling.
Aloy's Exploits have a Time Limit in Horizon 3
The closing encounter with Tilda in Horizon Forbidden West shows the extent of the Far Zenith's errors, as Aloy and Beta learn of Nemesis' fateful, and fast-tracked arrival on Earth in the near future. It's a corrupted AI entity, forged from the mistakes of the Far Zeniths, and something that is vengeful and destructive. Tilda, Gerard, and Erik's arrival on the planet was just a pit stop to somewhere far away, where their past failures can't hurt them.
It seems as though the third game's main narrative will include Aloy and her companions' quest to unite the people of the United States, conjuring enough strength in numbers to offer some kind of resistance. This will likely not be an easy feat, and having the looming threat of Nemesis' arrival will give the narrative an immediate sense of urgency. Like defeating Ganon in Breath of the Wild, the mere presence of something wicked is a great way to keep a sprawling game focused, ensuring that there is always a light at the end of an expansive tunnel.
Horizon Forbidden West is available now for PS4 and PS5.