Guerrilla Games' Horizon: Zero Dawn released on February 28, 2017, introducing the gaming populace to a vision of the future where humans live in a more tribal society as animalistic machines roam the planet. Its protagonist Aloy stands alongside Spider-Man, Kratos, and more as an icon of the PlayStation 4 era, but the game's hulking machines are just as iconic - and Guerrilla is celebrating that with a fourth anniversary giveaway.
Many of the mechanical beasts that players encounter in Horizon: Zero Dawn are based on real-world creatures, such as the "Tallnecks" that open up portions of Aloy's map looking like giraffes. Perhaps the most stand-out machine in the game is the "Thunderjaw," a combative bot based on the T-Rex that serves as one of its greatest challenges. Guerrilla Games knows this, and is now using the Thunderjaw to celebrate the game.
Horizon: Zero Dawn released with a Collector's Edition box set that included a statue of Aloy, but fans could later purchase a Thunderjaw Collection box from stores like Walmart that included a "premium" statue, a replica of Aloy's ear piece, a world map, and lithograph prints of the game's art. The collector's item originally cost $199.99 US, but for the fourth anniversary Guerrilla Games is giving one away for free. To enter the raffle, fans need to follow the developer's Twitter account and reply to its announcement with "your favourite way to take down a Thunderjaw" before March 3, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. CET.
Those who did not snag a Thunderjaw statue when it first released, or those who only got into the game after it became available on PC in August 2020, will likely jump at the opportunity to get a free collectible item. A sequel is currently in development, and Aloy's voice actor Ashly Burch said Horizon: Forbidden West will have more of what players loved from the first game.
Mechanical beasts like the Thunderjaw are no doubt one thing people liked about the original that will return in Forbidden West, but they aren't the only things. Final Fantasy 7 Remake co-director Naoki Hamaguchi said the Horizon series is an inspiration for their next installment, though it's unclear when that will release considering additional content for the PS5's Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade was just announced.
No matter when that game comes out, the idea that a long-running and iconic series like Final Fantasy is taking inspiration from a relative newcomer like Horizon: Zero Dawn is impressive. Many fans are just as excited about the game four years later, and the upcoming sequel should keep them interested for a long time to come.
Horizon: Zero Dawn is available now for PC and PS4.
Source: Walmart