Highlights

  • The Base in Horizon Forbidden West serves as a central hub for Aloy and her quests, offering stability and new opportunities for growth.
  • The next installment in the series will likely need to be in close proximity to the Base to maintain narrative continuity and player engagement.
  • Guerrilla Games may opt to expand Forbidden West's map in Horizon 3 instead of introducing a completely new region to keep players connected to the Base.

Horizon Forbidden West, the sequel to Guerrilla Games' Horizon Zero Dawn, brought a host of new features to the franchise, including a larger and more diverse map, new machines, new abilities, and an expanded crafting system. One major addition that wasn't included in the first game was the Base, a retired Regional Control Center that Aloy and the team converted into their main base of operations. Whereas Aloy was more of a nomad in Zero Dawn, Forbidden West provided her with a place to hang her hat, so to speak, that even grew and improved as the story progressed. It also served as a quiet location where Aloy could catch up with her companions, accept new quests, and craft new gear.

Horizon 3 has yet to be announced, but there have been enough rumors and hints about its development that it is all but confirmed. Assuming the next installment in the series will take players to a new location, just as Horizon Forbidden West did, it will need to heavily consider what to do with the Base. It might feel like a waste to simply do away with it in the name of taking Aloy to a new region, so she may end up anchored to a location within proximity to the Base as a result. In light of that, whatever new region the next installment may introduce would also be affected.

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Horizon 3's New Region Should Depend on the Base's Location

Horizon 3's New Region Will Need to Be Close to Forbidden West's Base

Horizon Forbidden West's map is massive, especially in comparison to Zero Dawn's. As its name suggests, Forbidden West's map stretches far west of Zero Dawn's, with the Base located just shy of the center of the map. The Base's location is prime real estate here, as it allows players to always be about the same distance from it, no matter which way they go. However, if a new region is introduced in the next Horizon game, the Base would no longer be in the center of the map, so the new region would need to at least be close by to justify the Base's continued use. Take Aloy too far from the Base, and it's no longer viable to keep traveling back.

Horizon 3 May Have No Choice But to Simply Expand Forbidden West's Map

Horizon 3's map could potentially expand Forbidden West's to the north or south without putting too much distance between it and the base. Currently, Forbidden West's map stretches more west than it does north or south, so it could potentially work. Taking Aloy to an entirely different region that is in no way connected to Forbidden West wouldn't work, as it would ultimately disconnect her from the base. The only other option would be to narratively force Aloy and her companions out of the base, but that is a tired plot point that Guerrilla should avoid.

There is very little wiggle room here to take Aloy beyond the Forbidden West in Horizon 3 without compromising the Base in the process. Assuming Horizon 3 would take the opportunity to expand Forbidden West's Base by allowing new features like interior customization, it wouldn't readily give it up in exchange for an entirely different region. Aloy and her friends have already worked hard to establish themselves there in Forbidden West, so the best move would be to salvage the Base and simply expand the map. Of course, this means Aloy wouldn't be going far beyond where she was in the first two installments, but that might actually be best for the series' overarching narrative.