After many rumors, it wasn't exactly surprising to see a new Horizon game debut at the PS5 reveal. There'd been various mumblings around the internet about a Horizon trilogy and a sequel coming to PS5, so it didn't come as a shock to see Horizon: Forbidden West was the confirmed sequel. What was shocking to see is the clear increase in scale compared to the original game, and how the next Horizon game could become an iconic PS5 title.
Granted it's not confirmed to be a launch title, nor is there a confirmed release date at all, but it won't be long before fans get to continue Aloy's adventure. Horizon: Forbidden West is a perfect PS5 game because in many ways it's indicative of the PS5's future: taking the success of its predecessor, and rather than trying to reinvent something that isn't broken, building off that foundation with greater scale.
New World, New Story, Same Aloy
That rumor from a few months ago about a Horizon trilogy hasn't been confirmed by Forbidden West by any means, but this latest sequel is a good sign. Forbidden West shows that there's a clear desire to continue Aloy's story far beyond her origins and the origins of Earth as it's known in Horizon: Zero Dawn. Horizon was never constrained to that by any means, but this sequel seems to be hinting at a much grander conflict this time, far beyond Aloy's origins or the origins of Gaia. Now it seems a greater threat has emerged, forcing Aloy on a grand journey to the old American West Coast to stop it.
The interesting thing about Horizon: Forbidden West is that it's very much expanding on the great foundation that Horizon: Zero Dawn set. Even from the trailer alone, the scope of the game is clearly greater than its predecessor. There's free-form climbing, underwater exploration, huge diversity in biomes, and a bunch more efforts on the part of Guerilla Games that showcase how Forbidden West is amplifying the world of Horizon. Narrative-wise, in an attempt to avoid spoilers of any kind, seems to be depicting a certain villainous entity as some kind of plague that's vastly different to its depiction in the original game.
Enhancing the Horizon Experience for PS5
In a lot of ways, it seems Horizon: Forbidden West is borrowing some inspiration from Breath of the Wild, though still retaining much of its original charm and intrigue. Gameplay-wise, the trailer strongly infers that there's going to be some significant upgrades to the climbing, a la Breath of the Wild's free-climb mechanics. Horizon Zero Dawn's climbing was strictly constrained to specific points in the environment instead of an adaptable system like Breath of the Wild. Forbidden West also hints at a higher focus in underwater exploration, with an entire scene during the trailer showing Aloy with some kind of breathing apparatus as she discovers the former San Francisco Embarcadero.
These gameplay enhancements are likely in service to greater exploration in Horizon: Forbidden West. Something that both Breath of the Wild and Horizon: Zero Dawn did intelligently was implement specific world-building locations that served as sort-of echoes of the world prior to calamity. For Breath of the Wild it was the memories of Link and Zelda exploring Hyrule in search of her power as the Triforce of Wisdom. In Horizon: Zero Dawn, it was the holograms of the past that recorded interactions between various humans from pre-apocalypse society. Horizon: Forbidden West seems to have similar scenes for Aloy as she explores an apocalyptic version of the Bay Area.
Horizon: Forbidden West's trailer also featured a significant use of landmarks, something Breath of the Wild utilized prominently as well. Whereas Horizon: Zero Dawn was very much its own unique world far-removed from Earth's modern civilization, Horizon: Forbidden West seems to be implementing more remnants of the old Earth to entice players into exploration.
When To Expect from Horizon: Forbidden West
As for when to expect Horizon: Forbidden West, expect a relatively short wait. Obviously a game's debut trailer typically means the game's well on its way to release, but it is worth noting Forbidden West was one of the few PS5 games during the reveal that didn't share a release window or date. Even though the footage was captured from PS5, it's very possible this game may or may not be a launch title for PS5. If not, Horizon: Forbidden West would likely have a planned release date in February of 2021, similar to Horizon: Zero Dawn's launch on February 28, 2017.
Of course, pandemic and social distancing concerns could certainly change this, like it has for many other games, but it's very likely Guerilla Games would aim for a spring release in 2021. Although nobody would complain if it turns out Forbidden West is a launch title, but basically every other PS5 launch title said so at the end of their respective reveal trailers. More than likely Spring 2021 is the target date range for now. Regardless, Horizon: Forbidden West looks to be a very enticing addition to PlayStation 5's lineup that'd be worth the wait.
Horizon: Forbidden West is in development for PS5.
