Pixel Sundays: The Evolution of the Horizon Series – From Zero Dawn to Forbidden West
This week in our Pixel Sundays article, we’re talking about a franchise where machines and humans collide. We’re diving into the Horizon series, which includes Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West.
Summary
- Horizon Zero Dawn – The Beginning of an Epic Journey
- Horizon Forbidden West – A Sequel with New Horizons
- Technological Advancements and Graphics of the Horizon Series
- Expanding the Franchise
- The Future of the Franchise
- Conclusion – A Look Ahead at the Horizon Series
The Horizon series was developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It made its debut in 2017 with Horizon Zero Dawn. This game set new standards in the action RPG genre and was a big hit with both fans and critics.
Horizon Zero Dawn – The Beginning of an Epic Journey
After finishing Killzone 3 in 2011, Guerilla Games started working on Horizon Zero Dawn. At first, only a small team developed a prototype. But after Killzone: Shadow Fall was released, the whole studio focused on the new project. John R. Gonzales, who had worked on Fallout: New Vegas, was brought on as the lead writer. The team also intentionally chose a female protagonist to move away from the typical hero stereotype. The game finally launched in 2017.
In the game, you play as Aloy, a young hunter and warrior. The world she lives in is full of giant, animal-like machines. Humans live in tribal societies again, and nearly all old technology has been lost.
Since birth, Aloy has been an outcast, and she wants to find out where she came from, who her mother is, and what happened to the old civilization. So she sets out on a journey. Along the way, she discovers advanced technology in ruins and uncovers part of the truth behind humanity’s downfall. But she also faces a new threat — corrupted machines that she must fight.
The game features a huge open world for you to explore, with a variety of different biomes home to different machines. There are deserts, forests, and snowy areas, and you’ll meet people everywhere who need your help.
The combat system combines melee and ranged elements. For close combat, you use your spear, and for ranged attacks, your main weapon is a bow. As the game progresses, you can add slingshots and other bows to your arsenal. These can be equipped with ice, fire, or other elemental ammo, letting you strategically target enemy weaknesses.
You earn XP by completing missions and defeating enemies, which lets you level up Aloy like in most games. You can unlock new skills and gear — for example, a heavy spear strike that stuns enemies or the ability to set traps. Traps can stun your enemies and make them easier to defeat, adding a strategic layer to the gameplay.
You have to craft your own traps and ammo out in the wild. You can gather many different plants and bushes. That’s not all — you can also loot defeated machines to collect important resources and mods, which let you further upgrade your weapons.
Later in the game, it will also be possible to ride the machines and fight alongside them. This allows you to travel even faster through the vast world and discover new locations. Tamed machines can also be incredibly helpful during battles.
The game was initially released exclusively for PlayStation 4 and was praised by both fans and critics for its open world, story, graphics, and combat system. By February 2022, over 20 million copies had been sold worldwide, making it one of the most successful PlayStation 4 games. On August 7, 2020, the game was also released for PC.
In November 2017, the “The Frozen Wilds” DLC was released. This DLC takes you to a new icy region, where you’ll encounter completely new machines and storylines.
Horizon Forbidden West – A Sequel with New Horizons
Horizon Forbidden West is the successor to Zero Dawn and was released on February 18, 2022, exclusively for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The PC version was announced later and launched on March 21, 2024 via Steam and Epic Games. On PlayStation 5, the game received a significant technical upgrade, offering 4K resolution, haptic feedback, 3D audio, and virtually no loading times thanks to SSD technology.
The story takes place about six months after the events of Horizon Zero Dawn. Aloy travels to the so-called “Forbidden West“, a vast and previously unexplored area. She is there to investigate a mysterious plague threatening the world. Along the way, she encounters new tribes such as the technologically advanced Tenakth clan—but a greater threat awaits her: former members of Far Zenith, a group of surviving humans who had once escaped into space.
The gameplay has also seen many improvements compared to its predecessor. Starting with the vertical and horizontal exploration, which has been greatly enhanced. In the first game, Aloy could only climb certain walls—now she can climb freely on any rock face. With the new diving mask, Aloy can now explore complex underwater environments. And the new glider lets her descend quickly and safely from high places.
The combat system also gained several new features. The most important addition is the “Valor Surge” system, which gives you access to powerful special abilities that charge up during combat. There are also new weapons like the shieldwing—a type of returning disc—and more melee combat options. You’ll also find more weapon mods, allowing you to customize your weapons even further to suit your style.
You’ll also encounter some familiar enemies from the first game. But of course, Forbidden West introduces a whole set of new machine types. In total, more than 20 new machines have been added, offering plenty of new challenges to adapt to.
On April 19, 2023, a story DLC called “Burning Shores” was released, which directly continues the story. This DLC is only available for PC and PlayStation 5, as the developers took advantage of the more powerful hardware to build complex environments—meaning the PlayStation 4 isn’t capable of running the DLC. The new area features the ruins of Los Angeles, complete with active volcanoes, lava flows, and an entirely new ecosystem.
There, Aloy meets Seyka, a new member of the Quen tribe, who becomes her ally. A new Far Zenith villain also emerges, providing glimpses of possible future developments for the franchise. The DLC places a strong focus on Aloy’s emotional growth.
Technological Evolution and Graphics of the Horizon Series
The technological development and visual quality of the Horizon series have been shaped largely by the use of the Decima Engine. This engine, developed by Guerrilla Games, first appeared in Killzone: Shadow Fall and has been continually improved. It supports 4K resolution and High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDR), delivering stunning visual results.
In Horizon Zero Dawn, Guerrilla Games showcased the potential of the Decima engine, demonstrating how to create a vibrant and detailed world that was praised by critics. With Horizon Forbidden West, they took advantage of the engine’s expanded capabilities, especially with the power of the PlayStation 5. The environments became even more realistic, characters more detailed, and gameplay even smoother.
On October 31, 2024, a Remaster of Horizon Zero Dawn was released for PlayStation 5 and PC. This version features enhanced graphics, including updated character models, lighting, and textures to match the visual quality of Horizon Forbidden West. New features were also added to make full use of the current hardware generation.
Franchise Expansion
But the Horizon franchise hasn’t been limited to games — and doesn’t intend to be. On February 22, 2023, Horizon: Call of the Mountain was released as a launch title for the PlayStation VR2 headset. In this spin-off, you take on the role of Ryas in first person. Ryas is a former Shadow Carja warrior, setting out to uncover the cause of the increasing aggression among machines.
The gameplay focuses on climbing, archery, and exploration of the lively world. The controls are very intuitive, making it easy to fully enjoy the impressive graphics.
Also, since November 14, 2024, there’s a Horizon game developed in collaboration with LEGO. Of course, we’re talking about LEGO Horizon Adventures. The game is available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. It follows the story of Zero Dawn, reimagined with classic LEGO humor. Once again, you’ll join Aloy and various companions. The entire world is built from LEGO bricks. You can play the game solo or in two-player co-op mode, both locally and online.
Future of the Franchise
In April 2023, Guerrilla Games officially confirmed they are working on a sequel to Horizon Forbidden West. In a statement, the studio said that Aloy’s journey will continue in future adventures. No specific details about the content or a release date have been shared yet, so for now we just have to wait and see.
Additionally, the studio is working on an online multiplayer project set in the Horizon universe. In this game, it will be possible to explore the post-apocalyptic world of Horizon and fight machines together with at least one friend.
And earlier this January, we also got news of Horizon entering another medium — Sony, in collaboration with PlayStation Productions and Columbia Pictures, is working on a Horizon movie. This decision came after a planned series adaptation in partnership with Netflix was cancelled.
Conclusion – A Look at the Future of the Horizon Series
Since its debut in 2017, the Horizon series has established itself as an impressive franchise in the action-RPG genre. The journey began with Horizon Zero Dawn, set in a post-apocalyptic world full of machines. The female protagonist Aloy and the innovative gameplay won over almost everyone. The sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, built on these strengths with new mechanics, a more detailed world, and technical innovations. And the Horizon series will only get better with its next installment.
In addition to the main series, there are spin-offs like Call of the Mountain and LEGO Horizon Adventures that expand the franchise and appeal to different audiences. The upcoming movie will also reach a wider audience, possibly even those who have never heard of the games. That’s a great move to gain even more fans for the brand. The online game currently in development will add a co-op element to the franchise, and the sequel promises even more story content.
Hey, I’m Kilian, but online you’ll probably know me as “Tux1243.” I've been part of the team for almost two years now, always trying to keep you in the loop with the latest and coolest gaming news. I also have a huge passion for doing deep dives and detailed analyses of entire game series and franchises. I love getting to the bottom of things and exploring the little details and backstories that make game worlds so fascinating.
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I love Horizon Saga, glad for this article explaining the origins. First game is a very special game, the first time you see a machine and can look at all the details is astonishing and the story, for the first game, is very good, no spoilers but it is without a doubt worth playing and discovering. Second game lost the novelty but still one of the most original sagas of the last decade.