Highlights

  • The obstacle of an equipment reset seen in Horizon Forbidden West was justified in the narrative, but it may not work as well in Horizon 3, considering Aloy's upcoming challenges and alliances.
  • A hard equipment reset in Horizon 3 should be gentler than in its predecessor, as Aloy will have access to a base and allies who could provide new gear.
  • The tutorial in Horizon 3 could incorporate an equipment reset by starting with Aloy training or sparring with basic equipment, allowing players to learn the mechanics without stripping returning players of their previous gear for long.

With the reveal that the world will be facing a terrifying threat at the end of Horizon Forbidden West, there is one obstacle that Horizon 3 seems to face that Horizon Forbidden West didn’t. The obstacle in question would take place at the beginning of Horizon 3 in its opening tutorial sequence, and there are many reasons why this obstacle might be a bit of an issue, especially with the potential narrative of Horizon 3.

The obstacle is none other than the equipment reset seen at the beginning of Horizon Forbidden West. In Horizon Forbidden West, the reset was justified, but unfortunately for Horizon 3 there are just too many reasons factoring into why it can’t be justified to have as much of a hard reset as its predecessor had. Considering that Aloy will be facing her toughest foe yet in Horizon 3, as well as having lots of help from various tribes and allies, this one obstacle does raise continuity issues within Horizon’s narrative if a reset is made.

horizon-3-learning-from-god-of-war-alloy-kratos-game-rant
Related
Combat in Horizon 3 Could Use One Feature From God of War

Horizon Forbidden West already upgraded the series' combat significantly, but a God of War feature could make combat all the more exciting.

Horizon 3 Might Not Be Able To Justify A Hard Equipment Reset

Aloy fighting a Clawstrider in San Francisco in Forbidden West

Horizon Forbidden West Weaved the Equipment Reset Into Its Narrative

Many games have tutorials to teach the player how to play the game, and especially many story-driven AAA titles. Therefore, the protagonist doesn’t necessarily have super-powerful equipment in the tutorial. For Horizon Forbidden West, Aloy not having the same equipment in the previous game was easily justified and no one would question it. Guerrilla Games cleverly addressed the equipment reset by weaving a small conversation into the story, starting with a question from Varl about noticing that Aloy had been traveling light since he last saw her, with Aloy's response adding a perfect excuse into the narrative about the equipment reset. As light as an explanation as it is, it still does the job adequately.

“Yeah, I ran into some trouble on the way here and lost a lot of my gear.”

An Equipment Reset Should Be Gentler In Horizon 3

Considering that Aloy will likely have an entire base at her disposal as well as a lot of allies, an equipment reset shouldn’t be as strong as it was in Horizon Forbidden West. In the previous game, an equipment reset was forgivable as it worked well with the narrative of Aloy being on the road with only a few supplies on her.

However, in Horizon 3, Aloy should still have access to a base that will be stocked full of gear and weapons, as well as have various allies and tribes on her side who would provide new gear. That doesn’t mean that Horizon 3 shouldn’t forgo an equipment reset if one can be made logically, as there are various ways to include a reset without it going against the pre-established narrative, in addition to adding some depth to its inevitable tutorial.

How An Equipment Reset Could Weave Into Horizon 3

A screenshot of Aloy in her new gear in Horizon Forbidden West's Burning Shores DLC.

The Tutorial Could be A Training Session

There are many things that Aloy loves to do in her spare time, and one of them is training. In previous games, different types of training were available as side activities, from hunting grounds to melee pits. Perhaps Horizon 3 could start with Aloy training Beta to fight and defend herself, or maybe sparring with one of her friends, such as Kotallo or Erend, while using only basic equipment.

After the tutorial is complete, Aloy can regain her gear from the previous game. This would allow new and returning players to go over the mechanics of the game without returning players being stripped of various weapons, as well as staying true to the game's narrative, just like God of War Ragnarok did by not stripping Kratos of the weapons he gained in the previous game.

Aloy Could Have All Her Gear, But Lose It After The Tutorial

Some games give players high-level gear and weapons in the prologue and tutorial, but then something terrible happens and the player loses all the gear and must start from scratch. Horizon 3 could do something similar by giving Aloy her advanced gear and weapons from Horizon Forbidden West for the tutorial and prologue to give players a taste of the kind of equipment they’ll get at higher levels. After the prologue ends, an event could occur that causes Aloy to lose her powerful gear, therefore allowing the game to put players back to level 1 and to allow them to explore and encounter new equipment and restock their old equipment.

Aloy will likely have a base with backup weapons, but perhaps those backup weapons are the standard basic versions of Horizon's notable weapon types. If Aloy was given a replacement weapon by an ally, then it would make sense for it to be a basic weapon as well. Whatever Guerrilla decides to do to tackle this obstacle, it will likely weave into the story very well, just like the tutorial and equipment reset in Horizon Forbidden West.