Summary
Horizon Forbidden West, the sequel to Guerrilla Games’Horizon Zero Dawn, brought a host of new features to the franchise, including a larger and more diverse map, new machines, new abilities, and an expanded crafting system. One major addition that wasn’t included in the first game was the Base, a retired Regional Control Center that Aloy and the team converted into their main base of operations. Whereas Aloy was more of a nomad inZero Dawn,Forbidden Westprovided her with a place to hang her hat, so to speak, that even grew and improved as the story progressed. It also served as a quiet locationwhere Aloy could catch up with her companions, accept new quests, and craft new gear.
Horizon 3has yet to be announced, but there have been enough rumors and hints about its development that it is all but confirmed. Assuming the next installment in the series will take players to a new location, just asHorizon Forbidden Westdid, it will need to heavily consider what to do with the Base. It might feel like a waste to simply do away with it in the name of taking Aloy to a new region, so she may end up anchored to a location within proximity to the Base as a result. In light of that, whatever new region the next installment may introduce would also be affected.
Horizon 3’s New Region Should Depend on the Base’s Location
Horizon 3’s New Region Will Need to Be Close to Forbidden West’s Base
Horizon Forbidden West’s map is massive, especially in comparison toZero Dawn’s. As its name suggests,Forbidden West’s mapstretches far west ofZero Dawn’s, with the Base located just shy of the center of the map. The Base’s location is prime real estate here, as it allows players to always be about the same distance from it, no matter which way they go. However, if a new region is introduced in the nextHorizongame, the Base would no longer be in the center of the map, so the new region would need to at least be close by to justify the Base’s continued use. Take Aloy too far from the Base, and it’s no longer viable to keep traveling back.
Horizon 3 May Have No Choice But to Simply Expand Forbidden West’s Map
Horizon 3’s mapcould potentially expandForbidden West’s to the north or south without putting too much distance between it and the base. Currently,Forbidden West’s map stretches more west than it does north or south, so it could potentially work. Taking Aloy to an entirely different region that is in no way connected toForbidden Westwouldn’t work, as it would ultimately disconnect her from the base. The only other option would be to narratively force Aloy and her companions out of the base, but that is a tired plot point that Guerrilla should avoid.
There is very little wiggle room here to take Aloy beyond the Forbidden West inHorizon 3without compromising the Base in the process. AssumingHorizon 3would take the opportunity to expandForbidden West’s Baseby allowing new features like interior customization, it wouldn’t readily give it up in exchange for an entirely different region. Aloy and her friends have already worked hard to establish themselves there inForbidden West, so the best move would be to salvage the Base and simply expand the map. Of course, this means Aloy wouldn’t be going far beyond where she was in the first two installments, but that might actually be best for the series' overarching narrative.
Horizon Forbidden West
WHERE TO PLAY
Join Aloy as she braves a majestic but dangerous new frontier that holds mysterious new threats. This Complete Edition allows you to enjoy the critically acclaimed Horizon Forbidden West on PC in its entirety with bonus content, including the Burning Shores story expansion that picks up after the main game.Explore distant lands, fight bigger and more awe-inspiring machines, and encounter astonishing new tribes as you return to the far-future, post-apocalyptic world of Horizon.The land is dying. Vicious storms and an unstoppable blight ravage the scattered remnants of humanity while fearsome new machines prowl their borders, and life on Earth is hurtling toward another extinction.It’s up to Aloy to uncover the secrets behind these threats and restore order and balance to the world. Along the way, she must reunite with old friends, forge alliances with warring new factions and unravel the legacy of the ancient past.
