No sequel can find success by treading all the same ground as whatever came before it. It has to offer something new. One of the best ways to introduce something new in a sequel is by taking familiar characters to a new setting, expanding on the world, and putting player characters through interesting new experiences. That’s apparently the plan for Horizon: Forbidden West. Aloy is going to explore a totally new region that the first Horizon game left mysterious. Whatever’s out there is sure to offer a challenge to her, both physically and personally. There’s already a slew of menacing new machines that look like they’ll be significant threats.
But, what about the personal side of things? Although information about the dangers of the Forbidden West is coming out little by little, it’s unclear what kind of people can be found there. Trailers for the game suggest that Aloy won’t totally be alone out there, even if it’s uncharted territory, but it’s supposed to be extremely dangerous out there. The contrast between the setting’s reputation and the game’s intentions builds some tension. Horizon Zero Dawn made a big deal out of the way Aloy behaved with other people, yet there weren’t many characters that stuck close to her. How does Horizon: Forbidden West intend to introduce strong characters in an area that might be light on humans?
Some fans complained that Horizon Zero Dawn was a little light on memorable characters. Naturally, there was the ambitious, rebellious, and intelligent Aloy, and some key supporting characters like Rost and Sylens, but lots of other characters came and went as Aloy explored the world beyond her tribe’s territory. To appease these fans, Forbidden West either needs to revisit old characters in greater depth, or it needs to add more characters and examine those more closely than the first game would have. Since there probably won’t be many old characters following Aloy into the West, the second option seems more likely.
Forbidden West has the potential to have some really interesting new characters. The titular region is supposed to be overrun with some of the strongest machines known to humanity, so whoever lives out there is sure to be hardened and ingenious, full of valuable insight for Aloy to gain. However, it seems unlikely that this region can justify a slew of new character. If the Forbidden West is really that dangerous, how can there be whole human civilizations out there? The game will have some significant explaining to do to have Aloy meet many major characters than the last game.
Perhaps the most obvious solution to Guerrilla Games’ problem is if the truth about the Forbidden West is stranger than fiction, as i’s well established that the tribes of Horizon Zero Dawn aren’t very well informed about the world outside of their own cultures and traditions. It could be that there’s just more people and less machines in the West than people realize. However, from a player perspective, that would be a little disappointing. Players are going into the game expecting machines that will really test their skills, and Guerilla Games can’t sacrifice too much on the established lore for the sake of characterization.
Still, something’s got to give. There needs to be a way for Aloy to develop strong bonds with characters new or old. Otherwise, it’ll be a rather lonely sequel to a game that was so much about a person’s place in a society. No matter what angle the developers take, Horizon Forbidden West will probably have to subvert expectations in some way to ensure Aloy has lots of friends and allies of note. Whether that means a lot of returning characters or a surprising number of new humans, there’s bound to be some surprises in store.
Horizon Forbidden West releases in 2021 for PS4 and PS5.
![\"IT電腦補習](\"http://itteacheritfreelance.hk/test/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/logo2-2.png\"){kind=logo}
www.itsec.hk
www.itsec.vip
www.itseceu.uk
Leave a Reply