It’s been five years sinceHorizon Zero Dawnwas released, and Guerrilla Games - the studio originally known forKillzone- would never be the same after that. Fans were introduced to one of the more beautiful, well-realized post-apocalyptic worlds in gaming, afearless female protagonist in Aloy, and a tantalizing mystery. Five years later,Horizonis now one of PlayStation’s biggest IPs, and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere anytime soon.
Horizon’srise was a slow burn, but its popularity has skyrocketed in just the past two years. A lot of that is due to Sony’s aggressive marketing in preparation forForbidden West,but it worked. Fans have gotten a couple of chances to grabHorizon Zero Dawnfor free or for a very reasonable price, so it’s pretty easy to get into. The hype surrounding the franchise has slowly increased, building up to a big five-year anniversary. Guerrilla hasn’t announced any specific plans to celebrate the 5th anniversary ofZero Dawn,but it doesn’t really need to.
RELATED:How Horizon Forbidden West Perfects Modern Gaming’s Climbing Mechanics
How the Horizon Franchise Has Expanded
New IPs are always a risk, andHorizonwas no different. When it launched in 2017, no one knew what to expect. PuttingHorizon Zero DawnandKillzoneside-by-side, few would guess they came from the same studio. PlayStation has been taking a more hands-off approach with its first-party studios, letting them create things that they’re actually passionate about, andZero Dawnwas a direct result of that approach.
Horizon Zero Dawnis far from a perfect game, and it has been criticized for things like lackluster melee combat, rudimentary climbing mechanics, and robotic facial animations during conversations. However, something about it stuck with fans, and now the franchise is growing at an exponential rate. Notably,Horizon Zero Dawnhas a sequel that released just this month:Horizon Forbidden West. Forbidden Westsolidified theHorizonfranchise’s place in PlayStation’s lineup, and was marketed as one of the biggest PlayStation-exclusive launch titles since the PS5 came out. It ranks with IPs likeGod of War, The Last of Us, and Insomniac’sSpider-Man.
There’s more than just a sequel, though. Aloy has been featured in a multitude of collabs, expandingHorizon’s reach into other genres.Horizonwas directly referenced inGhost of Tsushimaand itsLegendsDLC. Aloy has also been featured inFortnite, Genshin Impact, Fall Guys,andSackboy: A Big Adventure; not to mention the original game’s successfulFrozen WildsDLC, PC port, and upcoming VR game.
Horizon Zero Dawn Gets a Sequel Exactly Five Years Later
Even though there aren’t any anniversary plans to celebrateZero Dawn,Guerrilla is really celebrating with an incredible sequel.Horizon Forbidden Westlaunched almost exactly five years afterHorizon Zero Dawn,and while it’s not perfect either, it has received an outstanding reception.
Fans are divided onForbidden West’sstory, which leans more heavily into sci-fi elements, but virtually no one is arguing about the game’s beautiful world, exploration, side quests, and combat. Guerrilla listened to fan feedback onHorizon Zero Dawn,establishing a great precedent for future titles. Just about every desire, from highly requested traversal methods to more engaging conversations and companions, was addressed.
Forbidden Westis a worthy sequelthat improves onZero Dawnin just about every way.Horizonis bigger and better than ever, and if the trend continues there’s no telling what awaits fans in another five years. In the gaming world, five years is a relatively short amount of time, and it’s amazing to see how farHorizonhas come.
It hasn’t necessarily surpassed some of PlayStation’s other big franchises, but as players start finishingForbidden West,analyzing its many twists and turns, and speculating about the next installment, it certainly could.BothZero DawnandForbidden Westwere well-received and there’s nothing else quite like them on the market.Horizonis also uniquely marketed by fans thanks to elements like their photo modes.
RELATED:Horizon Zero Dawn Passes Incredible Sales Milestone
PlayStation is Focused on the Future of Horizon
After a successful first five years, PlayStation seems more focused on the future of theHorizonfranchise than ever. The best example of this is the upcomingVR gameHorizon Call of the Mountain.Developed specifically for PlayStation VR2,Call of the Mountaintells a new story through the eyes of an original character. Aloy’s story will have to come to an end at some point, butCall of the Mountainproves that fans don’t need to worry about leaving the world ofHorizonbehind.
Horizon Forbidden Westwas the grand finale of PlayStation’s original PS5 showcase, and so farCall of the Mountainis the biggest thing that’s been announced for PS VR2. If that’s not enough to proveHorizonis here to stay, Sony’s new PlayStation Studios logo features Aloy as its first character, followed by Kratos and Nathan Drake. There’s even aHorizon Zero DawnLEGO setnow, so Sony is consistently placingHorizonin prominent positions.
The gaming world is focused onForbidden Westright now, but it’s important to not forget about the game that started it all.Zero Dawnset an incredible foundation five years ago that Guerrilla can build on for many years to come. Based on howForbidden Westends, a third game is probably coming. After that, if Sony continues to let Guerrilla do what it does best, and if Guerrilla continues accepting feedback, there’s no telling what the franchise could grow into over the next five or even 10 years. There’s sure to be a lot more games, collabs, and merchandise in the future, but it all started withHorizon Zero Dawn.
Horizon Zero Dawnis available now on PC and PS4.
Horizon Forbidden Westis available now on PS4 and PS5.
MORE:Horizon: Call of the Mountain Proves Guerrilla Games is a Top PlayStation Studio
