AfterHorizon Forbidden Westintroduced an expanded range of tribes, both new and old, Guerrilla Games may have found the perfect balance of tribes to work with for the as-of-yet unconfirmed but highly anticipated thirdHorizongame. BetweenHorizon Zero DawnandHorizon Forbidden West, the core mystery at the heart of the series has shaped the various tribes seen so far across both games. With each tribe, such as the Nora, Tenakth, or Quen, reflecting different ways humanity’s history can be reinterpreted after the Zero Dawn apocalypse, Guerrilla Games should focus on deepening these stories instead of overreaching itself with new tribes.
WhileHorizon 3has not been officially confirmed, the ending of bothForbidden Westand itsBurning ShoresDLC strongly suggests that a third game is yet to come, potentially even concluding Aloy’s story arc as a trilogy. If this is the case, with at least seven distinct tribes already established inForbidden Westand a prospective antagonistmore dangerous than Hades or Far Zenith, the scale ofHorizon 3’s story should be its focus. Rather than bloating the game’s story with even newer and less developed tribes,Horizon 3should keep the balance thatForbidden Westhas successfully achieved.
Horizon Forbidden West Struck A Perfect Balance With Its Tribes
WhenZero Dawnfirst introduced players to the world ofHorizonand by its end revealed the mystery at the heart of the series, the four main tribes included in the game offered different perspectives on how primitive humans would form in the post-apocalypse. For instance, the first tribe players encounter are thoseHorizon’s ongoing legacy protagonist, Aloy, originates from, with her story and characterization shaped by the Nora’s isolationism and restrictive views on machines. The Nora provides the ideal framework forZero Dawnto ease players into the series, emphasizing the mystery behind its robots and the post-apocalypse as they progress through the game.
Between this andForbidden West, the series now has a total of at least seven tribes, though the potential existence of others is hinted at through character dialogue, collectibles, or other in-game lore.
WhileZero Dawn’s tribes did not overtly confirm how they were influenced by former humanity or “the Old Ones,“Forbidden Westcapitalized on players' newfound awareness of the Zero Dawn apocalypse to introduce fresh takes on its tribes. With the likes of the technologically aware Quen and the militaristic influences of the Tenakth,Forbidden West’s tribes added the right depththe series needed as a sequel toZero Dawn.
Horizon 3 Might Struggle For Unique Ideas With Any New Tribes
Despite each having greater depth to their histories and characterization,Horizon’s existing tribes are easily recognized for the archetypal roles they appear to be based on, such as the Oseram’s obsession with engineering and machines or the Utaru’s stereotypes of nature-loving pacifists, farmers, and musical vocabulary. As a result,Forbidden West’s approach to tribesmay have already covered the different ways humanity might evolve after the post-apocalypse. This could mean that shouldHorizon 3attempt to introduce new tribes of its own, they may struggle to be distinctive enough in contrast to its seven others.
Horizon 3’s Story Might Benefit From No New Tribes
Though Guerrilla Games will likely want to continue expanding the world ofHorizonwith new tribes inHorizon 3, especially after teasing several others inForbidden West, it might be better if the developer focuses on concluding Aloy’s trilogy due to the series' ongoing narrative. AfterForbidden Westdropped a bombshell with the hyper-advanced Far Zenith and revealed the incoming Nemesis threat,Horizon 3faces the challengeof having the highest stakes in the series. Therefore, it might not be wise to overcrowd its story with yet more tribes and instead focus on uniting its existing seven together under Aloy for Earth’s last stand against Nemesis.
