It's been five years since Horizon Zero Dawn was released, and Guerrilla Games - the studio originally known for Killzone - would never be the same after that. Fans were introduced to one of the more beautiful, well-realized post-apocalyptic worlds in gaming, a fearless female protagonist in Aloy, and a tantalizing mystery. Five years later, Horizon is now one of PlayStation's biggest IPs, and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere anytime soon.
Horizon's rise was a slow burn, but its popularity has skyrocketed in just the past two years. A lot of that is due to Sony's aggressive marketing in preparation for Forbidden West, but it worked. Fans have gotten a couple of chances to grab Horizon Zero Dawn for free or for a very reasonable price, so it's pretty easy to get into. The hype surrounding the franchise has slowly increased, building up to a big five-year anniversary. Guerrilla hasn't announced any specific plans to celebrate the 5th anniversary of Zero Dawn, but it doesn't really need to.
How the Horizon Franchise Has Expanded
New IPs are always a risk, and Horizon was no different. When it launched in 2017, no one knew what to expect. Putting Horizon Zero Dawn and Killzone side-by-side, few would guess they came from the same studio. PlayStation has been taking a more hands-off approach with its first-party studios, letting them create things that they're actually passionate about, and Zero Dawn was a direct result of that approach.
Horizon Zero Dawn is far from a perfect game, and it has been criticized for things like lackluster melee combat, rudimentary climbing mechanics, and robotic facial animations during conversations. However, something about it stuck with fans, and now the franchise is growing at an exponential rate. Notably, Horizon Zero Dawn has a sequel that released just this month: Horizon Forbidden West. Forbidden West solidified the Horizon franchise's place in PlayStation's lineup, and was marketed as one of the biggest PlayStation-exclusive launch titles since the PS5 came out. It ranks with IPs like God of War, The Last of Us, and Insomniac's Spider-Man.
There's more than just a sequel, though. Aloy has been featured in a multitude of collabs, expanding Horizon's reach into other genres. Horizon was directly referenced in Ghost of Tsushima and its Legends DLC. Aloy has also been featured in Fortnite, Genshin Impact, Fall Guys, and Sackboy: A Big Adventure; not to mention the original game's successful Frozen Wilds DLC, PC port, and upcoming VR game.
Horizon Zero Dawn Gets a Sequel Exactly Five Years Later
Even though there aren't any anniversary plans to celebrate Zero Dawn, Guerrilla is really celebrating with an incredible sequel. Horizon Forbidden West launched almost exactly five years after Horizon Zero Dawn, and while it's not perfect either, it has received an outstanding reception.
Fans are divided on Forbidden West's story, which leans more heavily into sci-fi elements, but virtually no one is arguing about the game's beautiful world, exploration, side quests, and combat. Guerrilla listened to fan feedback on Horizon Zero Dawn, establishing a great precedent for future titles. Just about every desire, from highly requested traversal methods to more engaging conversations and companions, was addressed.
Forbidden West is a worthy sequel that improves on Zero Dawn in just about every way. Horizon is bigger and better than ever, and if the trend continues there's no telling what awaits fans in another five years. In the gaming world, five years is a relatively short amount of time, and it's amazing to see how far Horizon has come.
It hasn't necessarily surpassed some of PlayStation's other big franchises, but as players start finishing Forbidden West, analyzing its many twists and turns, and speculating about the next installment, it certainly could. Both Zero Dawn and Forbidden West were well-received and there's nothing else quite like them on the market. Horizon is also uniquely marketed by fans thanks to elements like their photo modes.
PlayStation is Focused on the Future of Horizon
After a successful first five years, PlayStation seems more focused on the future of the Horizon franchise than ever. The best example of this is the upcoming VR game Horizon Call of the Mountain. Developed specifically for PlayStation VR2, Call of the Mountain tells a new story through the eyes of an original character. Aloy's story will have to come to an end at some point, but Call of the Mountain proves that fans don't need to worry about leaving the world of Horizon behind.
Horizon Forbidden West was the grand finale of PlayStation's original PS5 showcase, and so far Call of the Mountain is the biggest thing that's been announced for PS VR2. If that's not enough to prove Horizon is here to stay, Sony's new PlayStation Studios logo features Aloy as its first character, followed by Kratos and Nathan Drake. There's even a Horizon Zero Dawn LEGO set now, so Sony is consistently placing Horizon in prominent positions.
The gaming world is focused on Forbidden West right now, but it's important to not forget about the game that started it all. Zero Dawn set an incredible foundation five years ago that Guerrilla can build on for many years to come. Based on how Forbidden West ends, a third game is probably coming. After that, if Sony continues to let Guerrilla do what it does best, and if Guerrilla continues accepting feedback, there's no telling what the franchise could grow into over the next five or even 10 years. There's sure to be a lot more games, collabs, and merchandise in the future, but it all started with Horizon Zero Dawn.
Horizon Zero Dawn is available now on PC and PS4.
Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PS4 and PS5.