To say Sylens and Aloy have a love-hate relationship come Horizon Forbidden West would be an understatement, to say the least. Sylens is a little rough around the edges, but he’s not truly antagonistic until the second game and is hinted as such at the end of Horizon Zero Dawn. Prior to release, many believed Sylens would be showing his true colors, and he did—just not in a way that many expected.
WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD FOR HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST’S ENDINGAt the beginning of Horizon Forbidden West, Aloy and Sylens are not so different. Aloy has taken on the mantle of restoring GAIA and saving the world all on her own, resisting Varl’s help once he discovers her and more. She believes it's her responsibility to bear, but throughout the game, she learns that she has to trust in others. Varl, Erend, Zo, Kotallo, Beta, Alva, and even Sylens all come together to see her mission through to the end.
Horizon Forbidden West Ending: Sylens’ Choice
Meanwhile, Sylens has always been a loner. He has a deep respect for Aloy and her capabilities, but his pursuit of knowledge has seen him in isolation for most of his life. His indirect aid to Aloy in Horizon Forbidden West early on and even for the first game mostly is from afar. This pursuit of knowledge also means that he is the first to know of Nemesis’ existence, outside of Horizon Forbidden West’s Far Zeniths. He concocts a plan, one to survive Nemesis, but he also knows Aloy will never go along with it—putting the two at odds.
When Sylens is beaten at his own game, he has to join Aloy and her companions in their assault of the Far Zenith base. When all is said and done, Sylens faces a choice: he can survive the arrival of Nemesis and obtain his ultimate prize—access to the APOLLO databases aboard the Odyssey—or he can remain on Earth with Aloy and her companions, where he feels they will all ultimately perish.
The choice for Sylens seems clear; knowledge has always been his pursuit. He’s likely able to study APOLLO all he wants on Earth, but with a time limit, making the Odyssey and its holdings incredibly appealing. As he goes to leave, though, he looks upon Aloy and her companions. He chooses to stay, even if he does walk away from the group.
Horizon Forbidden West: How Aloy Changes Sylens
This highlights two important aspects of his character development. The first will likely be fully realized in the threequel, but his faith in Aloy perhaps means he thinks that—together—they can stop Nemesis. The second development is how important that keyword there—together—is. Sylens may always be the least social one in the group, but he’ll no doubt have to work with them to survive Nemesis’ arrival in the next Horizon game. Choosing that, over an entire ship filled with all the knowledge in the world, speaks to how much of an impact Aloy has had on him.
Now, he may not be drinking with Erend come Horizon Forbidden West’s sequel, but he will be there. He may even prove to be a key factor in humanity’s survival.
Horizon Forbidden West is available for PS4 and PS5.
