Summary
TheHorizonfranchise stars the red-haired Aloy who is a fierce, intellectual warrior determined to save the human race. Along her journey, she is joined by friends such as Zo, Erend, and Kotallo, who ensure she’s never alone when facing big challenges. There’s plenty of combat to keep players on their toes, but there’s also a lot of exploration.
Players won’t regret exploring the map that is teeming with different environments to discover whether it be dense jungles or snow-capped mountains. Exploration involves quite a bit of climbing, and while the system has been improved over time, it does have its flaws. Nevertheless, theHorizonfranchise would be better off focusing on mounts when it comes to exploration, rather than trying to reinvent the climbing system.
Why Climbing in the Horizon Franchise is Controversial
InHorizon Zero Dawn, climbing was a controversial feature. It doesn’t require much skill or strategy, and it’s almost impossible to fail. All players have to do is follow the markings on the side of the mountains. The matter was made worse by the fact that there’s a lot of climbing when it comes to exploration, especially when traveling toplaces such as The Cut. Consequently, some players accuse the game of excessive hand-holding when it comes to climbing.
Things improved withHorizon Forbidden Westwhere players can turn off the markings, making climbing feel a bit more natural. Nevertheless, the process is still extremely easy and there aren’t many ways to get things wrong. One’s initial instinct may be to change the system and make climbing a lot harder. However, this may not be the best solution. Climbing may not be the most exciting aspect of exploration, but the franchise has been slowly adding more ways to get around it, which may make climbing increasingly redundant.
The Many Mounts of the Horizon Franchise
Aloy doesn’t need to be on her feet to get around. She can use machines as mounts to travel, provided she overrides them first.Flying mounts were introduced inHorizon Forbidden West, allowing players to bypass mountains by simply flying over them. It’s a fun way to get around, and it gives players gorgeous views of the various environments.
Why the Next Horizon Video Game Shouldn’t Focus on Altering the Climbing System
Instead of focusing on making climbing more complex, thenextHorizongameshould instead focus on coming up with better ways to get around using mounts. Climbing may be cool, but flying around is a lot more fun. There would be a lot more to gain from including more flying mounts. It would also be a good idea to include new mounts that specialize in climbing. This would make climbing an enjoyable experience without having to alter the climbing system much.
It’s also worth considering Aloy’s personality and character within the franchise. She is a driven, highly skilled warrior who can take on any challenge that she encounters.Aloy has been taught well by Rostand exploration comes naturally to her. By making climbing hard to fail, Guerrilla Games stresses just how skillful and agile Aloy is. Having climbing that is easier to get wrong may make Aloy appear less capable than she actually is.
The nextHorizongame will certainly have plenty of mountains for Aloy to conquer. It may not be important for Guerrilla Games to make major changes to the climbing system to keep things interesting, nor does it need to be as freeform as titles likeThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Instead, the franchise should focus on mounts and how they can help Aloy overcome environmental obstacles such as mountains.
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.
