Summary
If a new job listing is to go by, the upcomingHorizonmultiplayer game could change how certain Machines behave against more than one would-be scavenger. One of the manyHorizonprojects in development is an online multiplayer spin-off that will allow fans to take on the post-apocalyptic world ofHorizontogether using gameplay from the past two entries. It isn’t clear yet when thisHorizonmultiplayer will be shown, much less released, and there is still plenty of speculation about how the previouslysingle-player formula ofHorizon Zero DawnandHorizon Forbidden Westwill translate to a multiplayer format.
This includes one of the most defining elements of theHorizonseries: the massive, animal-like Machines that Aloy hunts, tames, and rides throughout her ongoing journey. Each of these mechanical creatures has its own behaviors and functions inthe ravaged world ofHorizon, and players have to adjust their strategies for battling each one due to their particular movements, abilities, and weaknesses.Horizon Zero DawnandHorizon Forbidden Westwere both designed for a single player to challenge these Machines with the occasional help of NPCs, meaning that the futureHorizonmultiplayer title might have to modify a few things to keep things challenging for fully human-controlled raiding parties.
According to a recent job listing,Horizondeveloper Guerrilla Gamesis currently hiring a Senior Machine Combat Designer to help “update behaviors on iconic machines of theHorizonfranchise as well as new machines.” While this listing doesn’t necessarily specify the project this Senior Machine Combat Designer will be working on, part of the description text mentions “provid[ing] a variety of challenges against multiple players,” which seems to indicate that the job is connected to Guerrilla’s in-developmentHorizonmultiplayer spin-off.
Guerrilla is Hiring Senior Machine Combat Designer for a New Horizon Game
This also seems to confirm that theHorizonmultiplayer game will introduce new Machinesalongside old ones like the Thunderjaws and Tallnecks. In addition to the time-honored struggle between humans and Machines, theHorizonspin-off could feature player-vs-player combat thanks to the many feuding tribes in theHorizonuniverse. While some fans find the human enemies of pastHorizongames boring in comparison to their more mechanical counterparts, having these battles against other players could add more strategy and intensity.
The pastHorizongameshave already provided a solid foundation for a gripping multiplayer experience in terms of setting and gameplay, and it will be interesting to see how Guerrilla Games takes the elements of its single-player offerings and revamps them for its upcoming online title. This includes the signature Machines of theHorizonfranchise, and squads of players may have to prepare for some new challenges from these great metal beasts.
Horizon
The Horizon franchise follows Aloy as she is forced to contend with a series of powerful, towering robotic creatures in a post-apocalyptic landscape. The third-person action-RPG has already seen a sequel with Horizon: Forbidden West and gives players the freedom to explore the open world as they see fit.
