If the Horizon franchise is featured as a trilogy, then Horizon Forbidden West is effectively its second act leading into a final, epic conflict with Nemesis. It is unknown what horrors the corrupted AI entity could unleash when it finally arrives, but Horizon Forbidden West’s narrative concludes with Aloy and her newfound crew of companions deciding to prepare for whatever may come of it. This sets the stage for a climactic battle, not unlike the one precipitated in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that will culminate in Tears of the Kingdom.
Horizon Forbidden West’s inevitable sequel may therefore resemble Tears of the Kingdom in more ways than one, but its biggest similarity could have to do with where each game takes place. Horizon Forbidden West’s Burning Shores DLC whisks Aloy off to Los Angeles for a time, though it is suggested that Horizon Forbidden West’s sequel will keep it firmly rooted where Horizon Forbidden West took place instead. If the sequel remains in the west, it could follow Tears of the Kingdom’s lead and reprise its predecessor’s original map.
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Keeps Breath of the Wild’s Map
Indeed, many fans shared their disappointment when it was revealed that Tears of the Kingdom would be using Breath of the Wild’s map. Of course, Tears of the Kingdom has a lot of new abilities and an entire region in the sky to freely traverse to-and-from, but fans likely expected that much more about the game would be different or improved due to how long it has been since Breath of the Wild released.
Instead, it is fantastic for Tears of the Kingdom to reuse its map and assets if it means that Nintendo could concentrate its efforts elsewhere in gameplay. This could be the same approach that Horizon Forbidden West’s sequel may want to take, especially since its own narrative seems to have put roots down in its open-world map as well. Horizon Forbidden West introduces a lot more NPCs who aid Aloy as her companions and by the end of the game they have all decided to bunk together in the Base, and it would be an odd decision for the sequel to suddenly abandon it.
Horizon Forbidden West’s Base could be expanded upon in a sequel and house even more resources and companions, but if the sequel is going to stick to Horizon Forbidden West’s map it needs to also feature substantial additions to the open world that were not there before. Like Tears of the Kingdom’s sky architecture, Horizon Forbidden West’s sequel would need an elaboration upon its world that gives players more to explore, whether that is via sky or water.
Why Horizon Forbidden West’s Sequel Might Move On to a New Region
It is possible that the Base could be attacked, making relocating necessary in the sequel. Otherwise, the Horizon franchise has found success traveling to new areas in each installment and DLC expansion, which may be a hint that no installment will stick around in a location that was already fully explored.
The Horizon franchise has the longest shelf life possible if it examines other parts of the world and uses their landmarks as forgotten locations that are now ruinous and dilapidated. Nothing is particularly wrong or uninteresting with regard to Horizon Forbidden West’s locale, but it would need to have a completely new catalog of NPC side quests and collectibles, and substituting all of that content in the same map might make it feel bloated and unengaging if there is not a dramatic change to the environment that players traverse.
Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PS4 and PS5.