Despite being overshadowed somewhat by Elden Ring, FromSoftware's latest masterpiece, Horizon Forbidden West still garnered strong sales and immense critical acclaim when it released earlier this year. It improved upon the first game in so many ways, and presented a story that gave satisfying answers and left even more intriguing questions. A third game is inevitable as Horizon has so many unique quirks that makes it so ripe for new stories and adventures to unfold. Its harsh yet stunning environments and elaborate but expertly crafted script ensures players will keep returning to its take on the California coastline in the months to come.
Horizon Zero Dawn received further content in the form of The Frozen Wilds DLC expansion, bringing the snow-dwelling Banuk tribe into the fold. Horizon Forbidden West has yet to receive such a luxury, and there are currently no plans to extend Aloy's journey before the third game hits shelves. With a landscape so full of potential and characters with deep and complex development, it would be a shame to not reenter the Forbidden West before the story possibly takes players to somewhere far from home.
Aloy's Californian Quest Has More to Give
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While there are aesthetic similarities, the setting in which Horizon Forbidden West takes place is significantly different from the Rocky Mountains of the first game. Structurally and tonally the backdrop of a ruined California offered more obstacles to overcome, and Aloy truly feels like a fish out of water as a result. It's not the home she knows, so Aloy is learning about the environments at the same rate as the players are, which brings so many options and possibilities for further exploration. Sending her to the West Coast was a stroke of genius, but there's still so much of it that's left unexplored.
California is one of the most densely populated land masses on planet Earth, and the human influence on it can be felt from top to bottom. There are architectural marvels in its cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, and despite wielding a massive open world, Horizon Forbidden West leaves much of the state uncharted. Sights like the Transamerica Pyramid, Getty Center, and even the Golden Gate Bridge that can be seen but not traversed in Forbidden West would be a treat to discover. Using the same gameplay loop as the one presented in the base game, but broadening the horizon in a DLC expansion would do well to add new content while never encroaching on the story that Guerrilla is telling through the main quest.
Horizon Forbidden West's Characters Deserve More
Unlike most of the first game, Aloy isn't alone in this new journey. Her fight to save the planet and fend off the curiously well-traveled Far Zeniths is not a solo effort, and drawing crew members from a number of different tribes is essential to ensuring her fight isn't for nothing. However, through long stretches of gameplay they spend much of their time at the base, and as such their character development feels inconsistently paced. Never taking no for an answer, Varl stands alongside Aloy throughout, but his story is cut short and never fully explored. It's clear that so many of Aloy's acquaintances have lived a storied life before they committed to her cause, so spending more time with them would be a good way to experiment with the combat and take the pressure of the spotlight away from Aloy for a while.
The diversity of Horizon Forbidden West's cast and their differing backstories are ripe for further exploration, especially as players have likely spent dozens of hours learning more about Aloy's character. Like the titular character in Spider-Man: Miles Morales or Fetch from InFamous: First Light, a separate story featuring one of the many side personalities could go a long way to making Horizon feel like it its inhabitants are more than just bland NPCs. Even the less predictable characters like Tilda van der Meer offer an unexpected wrinkle in the story having lived far beyond the usually human life expectancy. She clearly has a story to be told, so it would be interesting to explore her arc more to make the game's ending carry more weight.
The Sound of Sylens
While the likes of Alva, Kotallo, Erend, and Zo are compelling in their own ways, there is only one character who feels like they steal every scene they're in. The events of Horizon Zero Dawn paint Sylens as a friendly, if a little untrustworthy character. He assists Aloy when he can, but keeps his own cards close to his chest and never reveals his true intentions. The desperate pursuit of knowledge consumes Sylens, and it's clear from the opening hours of the first game that his plans stretch far beyond any other characters' understanding of the situation. In many ways, he's a more capable and more intriguing player in the Horizon narrative, and with a past so inherently tied to Aloy's adventure, a DLC expansion could greatly build upon what he was doing during the events of Horizon Forbidden West.
After being betrayed by Sylens, Aloy stumbles across his makeshift camp under a colossal machine and searches for answers. It appears he's far ahead of Aloy and has already found a back-up of GAIA. The conclusion of the game confirms that Sylens will stay and fight with Aloy, but a man so shrouded in secrecy naturally brings so much narrative potential that DLC could easily explore. Be it as a playable character or viewing him from the eyes of someone else, Sylens deserves more screen time, and it's clear he won't be getting a game of his own. As such, a Sylens-led DLC could be a perfect alternative.
DLC is an Industry Expectation
Downloadable content is a slippery slope. While it can offer further insight into a story and more time with a game's mechanics, if handled incorrectly it can be seen as opportunistic on the part of its developer. The Frozen Wilds proved that DLC for Horizon Zero Dawn falls into the former category, so replicating its format would do well to flesh out the characters, world-building, and lore that Horizon Forbidden West presents. It was by no means essential to understanding the events of Forbidden West, but did well to add more lore to the land.
If the wait between Zero Dawn and Forbidden West is any indication it will likely be years before the Horizon trilogy is completed. Giving players something to help make the wait manageable would be welcomed, and it could further generate anticipation for when the next game releases.
Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PS4 and PS5.
