Venturing Beyond the Forbidden West: Possible DLC and more for Horizon Forbidden West
If you haven’t finished the game, please turn away now as MAJOR SPOILERS will be discussed. You’ve been warned…..
The largely successful Horizon Zero Dawn and its recent and largely successful sequel, Horizon Forbidden West have set up a large expansive world with deep lore, stunning visuals, an engaging combat system, and a captivating story that evolves as the main character; Aloy learns what her role in the world is.
In Aloy’s latest venture, as the name mentions she traverses the Forbidden West which has her exploring the west coast of the United States where she meets new clans and makes new allies and enemies all while trying to save the world from destruction by not only the Earth dying but now from space with the introduction of the faction of humans that found immortality known as the Far Zeniths. The story of Forbidden West is exceptionally engaging, explores more of the past leading up to the current state of the world as well as setting up the future of the primitive humans that now inhabit the earth. With Aloy successfully activating the A.I. GAIA to save the planet from famine, storms, and famine, she learns of a new threat that the immortal Far Zeniths fear and were escaping.
The threat of NEMESIS that the Far Zeniths are trying to escape by using the earth as a pit stop was a curveball but not necessarily in a way. Not only does this set up a potential 3rd game to turn this franchise into a solid trilogy but also leaves the room for DLC which can and should be used as a means to prepare for the next major threat that Aloy and her allies will face when NEMESIS reaches Earth. My thoughts on what the DLC should cover is the re-acquiring of HEPHAESTUS from the wild, entering the Far Zenith base to use their tech to upgrade everyone’s focuses, weapons, and armor on top of building an army of not only machines but of capable humans lead by Aloy’s group to put up a solid fight while Aloy takes down NEMESIS.
Horizon Forbidden West Rebel Army and Rebel Tremor Tusk’s Press Kit Image Courtesy of igdb.com
By re-acquiring HEPHAESTUS, the group can stop the production of dangerous machines and build up their army such as they did when storming the Far Zenith base during the final fight. This will give GAIA the ability to not only help protect the earth by having machines work on the side of humans but by fixing the Earth all while Aloy and the rest are getting ready to fight NEMESIS. The DLC can allow players to go back to areas such as cauldrons and areas that were affected by dangerous machines to override the ones that are left as a means to clear them out and also get everyone on the same page about the threat that is coming on top of getting those who want to fight ready to join the ranks of defending the Earth.
Another story thread that should be going on in the background during the story of the DLC should be Aloy, Beta, and Sylens learning more about NEMESIS and how to destroy it while Sylens being the sneaky person he is, learning how to harness its power for his own benefit. What benefit that is, that’s for us to figure out during the 3rd game. The slightly open-ended ending of Forbidden West leaves more than enough room for setting up these story beats for the DLC that will lead directly into the 3rd game without the 6-month time skip between Zero Dawn and Forbidden West. The only way a time skip can work is if the DLC takes place over whichever time skip the devs decide to have if they even consider doing another one which would be beneficial for the characters to prepare and actually have a solid chance of defeating NEMESIS and not figuring it out as they go like that have been for the most part.
I do see this as a way to not only give the characters a way to upgrade their gear and skills but to develop their relationships to have a more high-stakes fight that can have major risks such as when Varl died trying to protect Beta. This can be the catalyst to have Aloy and Beta develop that sisterly bond as they are 2 totally different people even though they are both clones of the same person. This was briefly touched on when Aloy was talking to Tilda by mentioning that Beta is her sister. This was not a throwaway line, this was intentional and will pay off in the DLC or in the next game. Having Sylens still being shady but opening up to actually being invested in not only the Earth’s survival but of the group while keeping his shady ways. With this trio being the only ones left at the GAIA base, they will be the main focus of the DLC and for the early part of the 3rd game with the others coming into play at key parts of the story and being major players in the second they return as they did in Zero Dawn and Forbidden West.
Horizon Forbidden West Sun Wing Press Kit Image Courtesy of igdb.com
The possibilities are endless for Aloy and where her story will lead. Let’s all hope that Guerilla Games does come out with a DLC that covers getting HEPHAESTUS back so we don’t have a repeat of Forbidden West by going through catching it again on top of getting ready to fight and destroy NEMESIS.
I look forward to where Aloy heads next and what other adventures she embarks on while on her journey to saving the world and all of humanity.
