There is no doubt that Horizon: Zero Dawn is seen as a colossal success. The best selling new IP on the PS4, this action role-playing title developed by Guerrilla Games is gorgeous, colorful, inventive, and just plain fun. The game's unique blend of nature and technology is awe-inspiring, but that doesn't mean the game is perfect, as any video game has room for improvement.
There are countless rumors and leaks that point to Horizon: Zero Dawn 2 being in development, and there's no doubt that Guerrilla Games will want to double down and create an even more remarkable video game with the sequel.
Horizon: Zero Dawn 2 has the opportunity to be a truly special game. With the original being released back in 2017, there's a good chance that the next game will be released sometime early in the Playstation 5's life. If the sequel could change a few things from the original, Horizon: Zero Dawn 2 could even help set the PS5 apart from the Xbox Series X.
Changes to Overriding in Horizon: Zero Dawn 2
Obviously, one of the coolest aspects of Horizon: Zero Dawn is the animal machinery. Seeing Grazers peacefully roam across the plains or understanding the intelligence of Watchers as they detect humans and run from them to protect themselves is always a joy to see. It's clear that more machine life is what the next game will hopefully have, but one major thing that the first game was missing was the ability to completely override combat machinery.
Aloy, Horizon: Zero Dawn's protagonist, can override and mount a few machines in the original game, but she can't change how they act. The developers explained that Aloy is just learning how to alter the machinery when she overrides them, she doesn't know how to completely control them. So although she learns how to override machines in the game, she doesn't "hack" them to have them do her will. It would be super cool if in Horizon: Zero Dawn 2 Aloy could learn how to hack into the programming of the machines with she overrides them so that the machine would fight alongside her. Having a Thunder Jaw join Aloy in battle would be devastatingly awesome.
Co-op Gameplay in Horizon: Zero Dawn 2
Horizon: Zero Dawn was originally designed with co-op in mind, but over time those ideas were scrapped. As great as the game is in single-player, having co-op elements would have added a whole new layer to the game. The fun and addictive hunting grounds is something specifically where co-op could be a blast.
There are a few ways that Guerilla Games could tackle co-op for the new game, and rumors point to the fact multiplayer is in the works for Horizon: Zero Dawn 2. It's possible that the story mode could be developed entirely for both single player and co-op. Guerrilla Games could also have specific locations in the game where co-op is set up, like the aforementioned Hunting Grounds that work in conjunction with the Hunter Lodge. Players could go to the Lodge to start missions to hunt down enemy machines, but with co-op, they could use the Lodge to link up with friends as well. If Guerrilla Games played its cards right, it could even look at a game like Monster Hunter World and create a mini Monster Hunter-esque experience within Horizon: Zero Dawn 2.
Replaying Cauldrons, Quests, and more in Horizon: Zero Dawn 2
There are so many "wow" moments in Horizon: Zero Dawn. Some of those experiences are enjoyed naturally when traversing the open-world of the game, others were tailor-made by Guerrilla Games like the Cauldrons. There are Cauldrons spread throughout the world that are a blast to explore and are used to unlock the ability to override machines. However, once completed, Alloy cannot revisit them.
This is also the case with quests in the game actually. Everything is pretty much one and done, which is less than ideal because the hand-crafted experiences created by Guerrilla Games deserve to be replayed by anyone who wants to enjoy them a second time. Horizon: Zero Dawn 2 should have the ability to replay any type of mission, quest, Cauldron, etc. that players want to.
Many video game sequels have the chance to be even better than the original. Because Horizon: Zero Dawn was such a special game, the sequel has a high bar to jump over. Guerrilla Games has become a top-notch developer, though so if some of the shortcomings of the original are taken care of, then Horizon: Zero Dawn 2 could be an all-time great.
Horizon: Zero Dawn 2Â is rumored to be in development.
