Sony and Guerrilla Games have a gem on their hands. Horizon Zero Dawn was such a hit that the development of Horizon Forbidden West is no surprise. Many of Horizon Zero Dawn's fans agree that Guerrilla Games came up with an excellent perspective on a sci-fi apocalypse, and they can't wait to see what lies beyond the small slice of the ruined United States where Horizon Zero Dawn takes place. However, a strong setting only works if there's a strong protagonist to carry it, and Horizon has that. The IP is inseparable from Aloy, the fearless huntress and engineer at its heart.
Horizon Forbidden West was made possible by Aloy. Guerrilla Games makes the most of her throughout Horizon Zero Dawn, telling stories that are made possible by her determined, practical, and technically minded perspective on a world filled with humans who've lost their knowledge of technology. As successful as Aloy is though, it's not just Horizon Forbidden West that's spreading Aloy's influence; she's making new appearances across the game industry. The more visible she becomes, the clearer it is that Sony loves her, and the brighter Horizon's future looks.
Aloy's Latest Appearances
Over the course of the last several months, Aloy has managed to crop up in a few remarkable places. For instance, there's an Aloy skin available in Fortnite as of this writing. Aloy's appearance in Fortnite isn't just remarkable because Fortnite is such a famous and influential game, it also matters who she's paired with. Fortnite is filled with skins drawn from pop culture like John Wick, various Star Wars characters, and a long list of Marvel and DC superheroes. The fact that Aloy gets to stand next to such famous characters in Fortnite proves that Horizon is also a heavy hitter.
Another Horizon Zero Dawn crossover also just got announced. Genshin Impact isn't overwhelmingly known for crossovers despite constantly introducing new playable characters. Even so, developer miHoYo recently revealed a collaboration with Sony and Horizon Zero Dawn, thanks to which Aloy became available as a playable character. Aloy is a five-star Cryo character and bow user, meaning she's both rare and very impactful. Although usually that means Aloy would be pretty hard to get, she'll temporarily be available for free in Genshin Impact's Version 2.1 update. That ought to vastly boost her presence and visibility.
Fortnite and Genshin Impact are very different games, but they've both got huge audiences. Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West may have Sony to bolster their popularity, but there's certainly no harm in boosting her further via games like these. Epic Games' and miHoYo's eagerness to join in on Aloy collaborations show that they're aware of her star power too. The Aloy collaborations are a win for fans, giving them a new way to show their love of the Horizon games. If Horizon Forbidden West didn't already have enough hype around it, these collaborations ought to stack quite a bit more on top.
Sony Appreciates Horizon Zero Dawn
As valuable as the work done by Epic Games and miHoYo is, Sony's implied decision to enable these collaborations might be the most important sign for Horizon's popularity. Sony wouldn't license Aloy out to so many other big names if it didn't feel good about the Horizon IP. Rather than being conservative with Horizon, Sony is using Aloy as one of its most important ambassadors. She appears constantly in PlayStation advertising on top of her appearances outside of her franchise, making her a face as important as Kratos and Spider-Man.
Sony is clearly proud of the protagonist that Guerrilla Games came up with. Sometimes it's hard to predict whether an IP as young as Horizon has staying power, but Sony must feel good about Horizon Forbidden West and every game that comes after it. Aloy's appearances in advertising and other games aren't just bolstering the potential audience for the Horizon Zero Dawn sequel, Sony is working hard to establish Aloy as a mascot early on so that she can represent the PlayStation for years to come.
That says a lot about what will come after Horizon Forbidden West. There's almost certainly a third game with Aloy at the helm coming after Forbidden West, meaning a huge, sprawling franchise could come of this young universe. Even if Horizon eventually moves on to other protagonists, the franchise will owe everything to Aloy for being such a likeable and versatile character. While it certainly remains to be seen whether Aloy endures over many years, Sony's commitment to her is a good sign early on. Guerrilla Games and the Horizon IP have a stalwart ally in their publisher.
Horizon Forbidden West is the Next Step
As good as Aloy's promotion is for the franchise, a clean execution on Horizon Forbidden West is the most important thing for Aloy's future. On the whole, Horizon Forbidden West looks excellent, with enhanced graphics, teased new mechanics, and a plot as enticing as the first game. Unfortunately, Horizon Forbidden West's release date remains a mystery, which might make some fans concerned about the game's state of development. Ideally, Forbidden West still releases this year in order to capitalize on Aloy's latest ventures as best as possible.
The uncertainty around Horizon Forbidden West should be a short-term issue, though. Fans remain optimistic that it's just a matter of a release date getting announced, and then the franchise will be back on track. Again, Sony wouldn't be pushing Aloy's presence so much if it didn't think Horizon Forbidden West was going to perform. Although the Horizon series has only been around for a couple years, one can already imagine there's a lot of big things on the way. Aloy has really put in the work, acting as a lens for exploring the new world that Guerrilla Games created, so her continuing appearances across the game industry are only a taste of the many adventures ahead.
Horizon Forbidden West is set to release in late 2021 for PS4 and PS5.
