Highlights

  • The Machine Strike mini-game in Horizon Forbidden West helps familiarize players with the game's machine creatures, but it could be improved in future installments by transforming it into a life-like, immersive battle between overridden machines that Aloy plays from the skies astride a Sunwing.

Horizon Forbidden West is a by-the-numbers open-world ‘checklist’ kind of game in many ways. That’s not necessarily a boon nor a curse, thankfully, since that might be precisely what some players want even if others don’t. Nonetheless, it’s important to consider that unless Guerrilla decides on some massive overhaul to the IP and its systems, Horizon will probably remain an open-world action-adventure franchise, at least in its mainline entries.

Therefore, more of the same can be expected from it whenever a sequel to Horizon Forbidden West launches. That puts the third game in a precarious position because if gameplay only meets the standards put out by Horizon Forbidden West or fails to meet them at all it will be lambasted. The power of the PS6 may already be upon the industry by the time a Horizon 3 is released and with that Guerrilla could make some game-changing improvements to its open-world systems, particularly its addicting Gwent equivalent.

2:41
horizon-forbidden-west-complete-edition-pc-features-release-date
Related
Horizon Forbidden West Confirms PC Version Features and Release Date

A new trailer for Horizon: Forbidden West reveals the upgraded features in the game's PC version, while also confirming its release date.

Forbidden West’s Strike Helps Flesh Out Horizon’s Open World

Strike is a collectible-oriented mini-game in Horizon Forbidden West and functions similarly to other mini-games such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s Orlog, Splatoon 3’s Tableturf Battle, or Sea of Stars’ Wheels. This has been a fairly trendy feature of many games as it introduces a collectible element alongside an alluring distraction from other open-world activities. If executed well, these mini-games are centered around the lore of the game’s world or have some parallel to that title’s gameplay.

Of course, such activities might not interest everyone. Still, they’re fantastic for anyone who adores collecting items throughout the game world that contribute to their efficiency while playing a mini-game immersively interwoven into the experience.

In fact, mini-games such as Strike are all usually baked into the lore with NPCs excited to play against the protagonist.

Horizon Forbidden West’s Strike is no different and helps familiarize players with the gigantic chassis monstrosities they frequently come across. However, while Strike’s board game aesthetic and ornate game pieces are phenomenal, there’s one way Horizon could make the mini-game wholly epic.

Horizon 3 Needs Strike to Return in a Big Way

Instead of Strike being played between Aloy and an NPC at a table, exploding the mini-game into a life-like battle between overridden machines would be exhilarating and on a scale that the PS6 should be able to nail—assuming it takes that long for Horizon 3 to come out. Forgoing board and game pieces entirely, it could be thrilling to have a collection of previously overridden machines become available for Strike.

Then, the mini-game could be played on any stretch of open land, perhaps with the same environmental advantages and pitfalls that Strike traditionally features, but with Aloy and her NPC opponent commanding their ‘pieces’ from atop opposing cliffs to get a brilliant view of the spectacle. Better yet, both competitors could take to the skies on a Sunwing and watch the mini-game unfold below them. Each machine could have its own animations when moving positions or destroying an opponent’s machine, giving in to the same premise of Strike but on a scale that equates to the actual machine battles players experience in Horizon.

Strike Might Be a Luxury Aloy Doesn’t Have in Horizon 3

r (1)-14

On the other hand, Strike being a quaint mini-game with collectible pieces may have been enough for Horizon with no need to iterate on it. Indeed, if Nemesis is as big of a looming threat as the ending of Horizon Forbidden West made it out to be, then Aloy may not have much time to indulge in Strike as she and her company prepare to meet a terrifying foe. In that case, though, there wouldn’t be reason to suspect any open-world activities in Horizon 3 and that is far less likely than Aloy having a bit of downtime.