Summary
Horizon Zero Dawnwas a significant departure for Guerrilla Games, setting aside the linear, first-person shooter genre in favor of something more expansive. In 2017 the developer took players to a distant United States and put them in the shoes ofAloy, a Nora outcastwho has stronger ties to the land than anyone, and she desperately tries to save the world that has been taken over by machines. Though its release was overshadowed byThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it has earned many devoted fans. The 2022 sequel,Forbidden West, improved on the first in most key areas, but as a third mainline entry is all but revealed, there are still improvements that can be made.
Narratively, the stage is set as Aloy and her companions will have to push back against Nemesis, but while the story has given clues as to where it will go, the gameplay and how it will improve are as-yet unknown. Combat is one of the core pillars ofHorizon, and expanding it to feel fresh will be important to keep fans of the franchise entertained. Tweaking melee combat to make it more fluid and viable would be a good start, as its rigidity has been one of the few knocks on the series that has quickly become one of the best in PlayStation’s ever-growing first party catalog.
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Horizon’s Combat is Jack of All Trades
Aloy is always presented as a capable character, and one that has refined her combat prowess to make her dangerous to all manner of enemies. The range of weapons allows players to be creative with battles, and the exceptional stealth mechanics do well to give the option to go in quietly, or even avoid conflict all together. Player agency is high inHorizon; there are lots of options, but the only weapon that seems like an absolute necessity is some kind of bow. LikeLara Croft in the recentTomb Raidergames, her proficiency with a bow and arrows makes Aloy an effective hunter, and even when things get tough, the different types mean that Aloy can dispatch bad guys even from short range with the right timing.
From the blast sling to the ropecaster, combat inHorizoncan feel like a puzzle more than a fight, making each encounter genuinely tense and exciting. The weapons, combined withthe Focus makesHorizonfar smarter than a lot of its contemporaries, and makes the player, as well as Aloy, feel powerful. The third game needs to uphold this tradition, but sometimes the pressure against tougher enemies means that melee mechanics have to feel like an effective way to keep Aloy alive.
Melee Combat Could Be Refined in Horizon 3
Aloy’s spear is used through the story as a vital tool to help her connect with the past, interact with the world, and uncover the map, be it by using it to open doors oroverride Tallnecks to reveal new areas. It’s also a proficient weapon in its own right, but in the first game felt like a last resort option, as it was slow and clunky to control. InForbidden Westthe melee combat was better, but still wasn’t a viable way to handle combat on a regular and consistent basis. This was likely a conscious decision from developer Guerrilla, as other methods are closer to the forefront, but having a deeper close range alternative could bolster the mechanical diversity ofHorizon 3, giving even more choice to players who want to get creative.
Horizon’s combatis already more diverse than most other open-world offerings, as there isn’t one prescribed path to victory. It’s something that stands out alongside the series' amazing environments and gorgeous presentation. But if the third game is to reestablish the bar asForbidden Westdid, improving Aloy’s melee prowess could be a good start.
Horizon Forbidden Westis available now on PS4 and PS5.
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