After the success of Horizon Zero Dawn, Guerrilla Games had some high expectations to meet with its sequel. However, things changed since the release of the first game. Unlike Horizon Zero Dawn, the studio had to deal with developing the game for two consoles thanks to the release of the PlayStation 5. Furthermore, Guerrilla Games’ director, Hermen Hulst, had been promoted to head of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, leaving the studio under the new leadership of Jan-Bart van Beek and Michiel van der Leeuw. Despite the hurdles, the studio was able to rise above it all, releasing Horizon Forbidden West.
Horizon Forbidden West has enjoyed great reviews from critics and a warm reception from gamers. Most of this is because the developers have taken inventory of the responses to Horizon Zero Dawn, and it shows in the end product. Through the way it balances familiarity with the introduction of exciting new features, Horizon Forbidden West illustrates how effective video game sequels are crafted.
Spoilers for Horizon Forbidden West ahead.
Horizon Forbidden West Retains What Is Important
There have been many sequels that have ambitious aspirations, and as a result attempt to revolutionize everything the first game did. Although this is a laudable endeavor, it can result in a series losing the essence of what originally made it good. For example, some gamers argue that the Saints Row series has veered too far into wackiness and has, in the process, lost its heart, while others claim that the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has completely forgotten what made the first few games so good.
Horizon Forbidden West avoids this pitfall by keeping the elements of Horizon Zero Dawn that worked. Most notably, Aloy is the same girl that gamers fell in love with in the first game, and she still has the same fierce independence and desire to help others. Once again, she is not weighed down by romance plots or petty rivalries, as she instead keeps her eyes on the goal. The game uses much of the same visual language as the first game, which lessens how much new information players have to learn. For example, red grass still provides stealth, and machines will light up red when they have targeted Aloy.
One of the most fun parts of Horizon Zero Dawn is the cauldrons that Aloy can complete. Cauldrons are facilities where machines are built, and they can have quite a labyrinthine structure. After a bit of tricky navigation and dealing with a few machines, Aloy will have to deal with a larger machine that will put up a good fight. It is worth enduring the trials and tribulations of cauldrons, as completing them grants Aloy the ability to override more machines. Cauldrons are back in Horizon Forbidden West, and they are just as good. They provide some exciting, intense challenges, and the overrides gained are worth it.
Horizon Forbidden West feels like an extension of the first game in all the right ways, and all the things that attracted gamers to the first game are still present with a bit of extra polish. Players who have spent some time with Horizon Zero Dawn will feel right at home with the sequel, as it features the same Aloy and same post-apocalyptic world, just with a new adventure.
Out With the Old, in With the New
If Horizon Forbidden West merely focused on the same elements that also existed in Horizon Zero Dawn, it would be a very stagnant game. Fortunately, it has plenty of new features to ensure that players are met with many surprises during their playtime. These features complement the existing elements and help to make Aloy feel more nimble and free while expanding the environments to explore.
One of the most welcome changes Horizon Forbidden West brings can be found in its climbing system. In Horizon Zero Dawn, there are limited places where Aloy can climb, and it greatly limits where she can go. Furthermore, it turns mountains and cliffs into impassable obstacles. With Horizon Forbidden West, this problem is no more, because Aloy can climb almost all mountain faces with ease. This greatly increases Aloy's mobility and makes it feel as though there are no limits to exploration.
Aloy's freedom is also expanded thanks to the addition of the ability to explore underwater environments. At first, Aloy's ability to do this is limited since she only can stay underwater for as long as she can hold her breath. However, as soon as she gains a diving mask, she can spend much more time exploring sunken ruins. In underwater environments, Aloy can find precious treasures, but she may also come across destructive machines that could turn her day into a bad one.
In Horizon Zero Dawn, machines pose a huge problem for Aloy, but they are also occasionally helpful. Once Aloy gains the ability to override machines, she can mount them and use some of them as a means of transportation. Hopping onto a Strider or a Charger allows Aloy to gallop across vast expanses speedily, and they can help to escape from hostile machines that are on her tail. Although riding four-legged machines is fun, many gamers wanted to ride flying machines. The ability to mount flying machines is perhaps Horizon Forbidden West's greatest addition. Now gamers can admire the beauty of the natural environments from up high, and they can experience the adrenaline-raising joys of soaring over mountains on a Sunwing.
Making a sequel is a daunting task for developers, as they have to deal with the incredibly high expectations of gamers. This requires throwing in plenty of surprises to ensure that the sequel is a new experience while ensuring that the game retains enough of the original game to not corrupt the franchise's core identity. Horizon Forbidden West gracefully walks this tightrope, and it makes some daring choices while remembering to stay true to its roots. The result is an impeccable sequel that not only tastefully expands Aloy's story, but serves as a golden example of how to follow up a critically acclaimed game.
Horizon Forbidden West is available on PS4 and PS5.