Guerrilla Games’ Horizon franchise has earned a reputation for delivering some of the most visually stunning single-player experiences in gaming. With Aloy at the center of its narrative, Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West first earned their stripes on the PlayStation platform, and the PC port allowed even more players to explore the lush post-apocalyptic world.
Narrative and open-world aside, the Horizon franchise was also praised by many for its strategic combat approach. Now, with a co-op online game in development, the Horizon series is stepping into new territory—and the novel voyage is bringing along a massive challenge the single-player entries never had to face.
Horizon 3’s Latest Rumor is Disappointing, But Not Surprising
The next mainline Horizon game is apparently going to follow in Horizon Forbidden West's footsteps, which, while disappointing, isn't surprising.
Guerrilla Games Will Have To Find A Balance Between Solo And Co-op Battle Experiences
Charting unknown waters with a new co-op game might prove easier said than done. In a single-player title, balance is straightforward, as developers know exactly how much damage Aloy can deal, how long it takes her to bring down a Forbidden West Thunderjaw depending on the weapons she has, and how much healing she has access to. Every encounter is designed around one player’s capabilities.
However, in a co-op setting where multiple players are involved, things become a little complicated. The Horizon online game is rumored to feature a new roster of characters that players can choose from, presumably with distinct gear, roles, and tactical interactions. Hence, the game will need to feel fair and engaging for both solo players and groups of two, three, or even four in a collaborative effort to hunt massive machines (assuming that's the core conceit).
If players are allowed to swarm a machine with four different characters, there is a risk of losing the epic tension the games have become synonymous with over the years. Conversely, if the machines are scaled up too much in size or health to match co-op firepower, solo players may find the game unfairly punishing or outright unplayable.
The challenge, then, is designing machines and encounters that scale intelligently. In this regard, it seems Guerrilla Games is already taking necessary steps, as the developer's recruitment of a new Senior Combat Designer back in late 2024 did not go unnoticed.
Guerrilla Games Can Take Inspiration From Games With A Similar Premise
The difficulty system in Horizon Forbidden West lays a solid foundation for the developer to build off of, as the scaling in the Very Hard and Ultra Hard levels altered combat mechanics and behaviors significantly. Enemies transform from mere damage sponges to alert (intelligent, even) threats with a doubled perception range and an invisible health bar. Smoke bombs also become less effective against Horizon's bigger machines in this mode, which forces players to switch up their combat tactics and brings heightened stakes to the battlefield.
As such, Guerrilla Games has demonstrated an innate ability to scale enemy behavior, which should ideally translate to the online game single-player/co-op conundrum. That said, the franchise might need to look to examples of scaled co-op gameplay for further inspiration, and Elden Ring could provide the perfect canvas in this area.
It's no secret that FromSoftware's golden child is renowned for its incredibly challenging boss fights and extensive playstyle customization options. As such, some players opt to take on bosses in a group by summoning skilled friends or randoms into their battles to help them claim victory.
Elden Ring’s mechanics increase the health of bosses for every summon, in a bid to balance the scales of being outnumbered.
Guerrilla Games could model its upcoming title after this, where the machines become stronger as the party number increases, making their vulnerable points harder to exploit as quickly. Certain traps and tools should also become less effective, like the smoke bombs in Horizon Forbidden West, to counteract any perceptual imbalances.
Horizon Forbidden West
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 96%
- Released
- February 18, 2022
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Guerrilla Games
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Engine
- Decima
- Franchise
- Horizon
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unsupported
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 29 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
