Horizon Forbidden West is a strong sequel for many reasons. It offers a more intriguing story than its predecessor, makes key improvements to facial animations and features like Settlements, and provides fun new Machines for gamers to fight against. Guerrilla Games also introduces the Base to players in this title, a concept many gamers will be familiar with.
The Base functions like the hub areas seen in other video games, with Horizon Forbidden West players able to return to this hideout between quests. At the Base, they can unlock new overrides, gather supplies, and have chats with characters like Zo and Erend. While this is a solid addition that many fans appreciated, it is one area that could undoubtedly be made better when the next Horizon game releases.
Ways Guerrilla Games Can Improve Horizon’s Next Base
The quickest way to improve the Base in the next Horizon game is to give players a more interesting hub to explore. The area players call home in Forbidden West may have some decorated rooms once companions move in, and the survey drones can add scenery to GAIA’s domaine, but it is a bit drab even in its best form. Fortunately, the Far Zenith base from the end of the game provides a far more intriguing space for Aloy and the crew. Not only can players see some of the gorgeous world around them, but it could house tons of technology to mess around with.
Beyond a more interesting area to call home, players should be free to decorate their Base a bit. While options on par with Animal Crossing: New Horizons would obviously be too much to ask for, some basic customization would be more than enough. Being able to purchase some rugs, wall items, and room colors from vendors could give players more to do with their shards, making Aloy’s room or the entirety of the Base feel like it is truly their own instead of the same area every player returns to.
This could extend to Aloy’s companions as well. Much like how the flame-haired protagonist of the series gets items to add to her room throughout Horizon Forbidden West, players could get gifts for their allies. These pieces of memorabilia could work like the Guardian Collectibles from Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, with gamers giving them to Aloy’s friends and getting some interesting stories out of them as a result. Once these items are purchased or found, Aloy’s comrades could use them to decorate their rooms, allowing players to further customize The Base in the process.
Another fun Base feature could work similarly to Sir Hammerlock’s room in Sanctuary 3, Borderlands 3’s hub area. In that game, players would go on hunts to kill rare wildlife. Once dead, the creatures would be mounted on the wall in Hammerlock’s room, allowing players to look back on their past successes and get a close look at the monsters they felled. This could be a great fit for Horizon’s Machines, with players slowly filling out a museum-like room in their Base. After they defeat each of the enemies, they could get a new statue for this area, returning to admire the game's mechanical creatures whenever they wish.
While being able to interact with the crew in the Base is always nice, and it is great to be able to play Machine Strike with Erend at any time, the area is still in need of some personality. After all, though rooms being opened and Aloy powering on new decorations in Forbidden West’s Base is a good gesture, much more could be done with the mechanic. In fact, by adding some proper customization and extra features to the mix, Guerrilla Games could deliver a player hub on par with something like Mass Effect’s Normandy.
Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PS4 and PS5.
