Each of the tribes in Horizon Forbidden West plays an important role in building the story and the world up, with Guerrilla giving players an insight into their individual cultures, weapons, and survival techniques. Of the new tribes introduced in the Horizon sequel, the Utaru are the ones that have a reliance on machines, especially the Plowhorns that tend to their lands.

As an agrarian society, the Utaru heavily rely on agriculture to keep their people fed, something that has ultimately been halted by the spread of the Red Blight. Since the central point of their survival relies on maintaining their fields, the Plowhorns are revered as Land-Gods to the Utaru and are cared for by the tribe.

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Horizon Forbidden West's Plowhorns

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Plowhorns are an acquisition class Machine in Horizon Forbidden West and have an appearance that resembles a Triceratops. They can plow the land by burrowing their massive horns into the soil, which in turn helps the Utaru better plant their seeds and feed the tribe. As an acquisition class, the Plowhorns are responsible for gathering the raw materials necessary for GAIA and her sub-functions to terraform the planet and save it from the Faro Plague.

There are eight Plowhorns that tend to the Utaru fields, and during the events of Horizon Forbidden West, the spread of the Red Blight sees their work going unrewarded since the Blight prevents any crops from growing. As such, the Utaru are left to wonder why the lands plowed by their Land-Gods are not providing them with adequate food.

Utaru’s Land-Gods

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Being Land-Gods of the Utaru tribe, the eight Plowhorns are treated with extreme respect. In fact, they are the only machines that do not actively try to hunt down humans and are content working alongside them. The Utaru are dependent on the Land-Gods for much more than just food, as they use the same crops to create clothing, tools, and buildings, as seen in the construction and look of Plainsong. They are so deeply ingrained into the agrarian lifestyle that Utaru carry around a pouch of seeds throughout their life that is planted after they die, allowing them to live on and provide for the tribe.

The Utaru pride themselves on their agriculture and song, the two cornerstones of their society. They worship the only machine that helps maintain their lands and protect these eight machines by any means necessary. During the events of Horizon Forbidden West, the Plowhorns require a reboot, which Aloy fulfills, but the noticeable anguish among all the Utaru toward the Plowhorns struggling shows players the deep ties this tribe has formed with their Land-Gods.

As a game that broadens understanding through exploration, Horizon Forbidden West’s Utaru tribe is only understood after spending time around their main settlement, Plainsong. From songs to clothes, the Utaru are a unique tribe with a unique perspective on life and the current state of the planet. While the Red Blight continues to plague their lands, they keep complete faith in the Land-Gods and continue to care for them in any way they can, showing that there is still a possibility of co-existence between the machines and the surviving humans. As the Horizon series continues, it will be interesting to watch the Utaru develop as a community and see what happens to their relationship with the Land-Gods.

Horizon Forbidden West is available on PS4 and PS5.

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