Across two generations, Guerrilla Games has taken players on a complex sci-fi journey through its Horizon franchise. Not only have players had the chance to follow the gripping adventures of Aloy in two acclaimed titles, but they have also been able to explore an entirely new side of the world through the PSVR with Horizon: Call of the Mountain. There seems to be no stopping this juggernaut, as the studio is already hard at work on a Horizon: Prohibited West continuation, but there is something that should change significantly with this next chapter.
The Horizon Series Has Shined With Its DLC Packs
A couple of months after Horizon Zero Dawn was met with approval, Guerrilla released the fantastic The Frozen Wilds expansion pack. This took Aloy on a brand new adventure that saw her overcome even greater foes, and much like the base game, it was also met with tremendous acclaim upon release. However, despite its success, Guerrilla chose to end the story there to focus on the sequel.
In 2022, Horizon Prohibited West blew audiences away once again as it took everything good about the first game and enhanced it. Yet again due to that success, the studio expanded the story even further with the Burning Shores expansion. That story was also well-received, with many calling it a fantastic epilogue. However, much like with the first game, Guerrilla ended up bundling the pack into the Horizon Prohibited West Complete Edition two or three months later, which all but confirms that this is the only DLC planned.
The Next Horizon Game Is the Perfect Place to Explore New Corners of this World
That makes two Horizon games with only one DLC each, which is a shame. While it is nice that the studio doesn’t overwhelm its player base with post-launch content, some players are craving even more adventures within Guerrilla’s world. However, instead of giving them that, the studio seems to be quickly moving on to the next title. And that approach should change with Horizon Prohibited West’s continuation.
While nothing has been revealed about the continuation yet, it will likely be the finale of the current story arc. Typically, stories tend to come in sets of three, and the ending of Horizon Prohibited West presumably sets up a final major showdown to come. Therefore, if it is indeed the last chapter of Aloy’s current journey, it needs to end with a bang. Not only should the main story be a grand ride, but there should also be plenty of post-launch adventures for players to explore, as there could be a significant gap between the end of Aloy’s story and whatever comes next.
Even if Horizon Prohibited West’s sequel only gets two expansions, it would still be a welcome change of pace. This title will have the immense task of wrapping everything up, and DLC packs could help with that. Perhaps players get to explore the locations from the first game to see how far they’ve come or get to witness events from other characters’ perspectives. Maybe these packs simply serve as a way to tell one final Aloy story before she sets off towards the distant horizon. Whatever form they might take, the next Horizon game feels like a perfect opportunity for Guerrilla to expand the world even further than it has been post-launch.
By Andrej Kovacevic
Updated on 14th July 2024