Guerrilla’sHorizonfranchise seems to have nestled comfortably into its core gameplay loop of elaborate, strategic machine hunts cloaked in a remarkably unique science-fiction story. It’s regrettably easy to forget thatHorizon Zero DawnandHorizon Forbidden Westaren’t action-adventure games, though, due to their adherence to contemporary PlayStation blockbuster trends. BothHorizon Zero DawnandHorizon Forbidden Westare terrific games in their own right, but they do suggest that theHorizonseries’ mainline trajectory isn’t going to be as astronomical as its narrative ambitions.
For instance,Horizon Forbidden West’s Sunwing flying mountisn’t unlocked until nearly the end of the game. This will surely force Guerrilla to reconsider how the open world will be designed inHorizon 3, especially considering how spectacularly breathtaking underwater vistas are. Plus, there may not be much more room for ideation, let alone profound features as wonderful as flying mounts, ifHorizon 3does intend to be the third game in a bookended trilogy. Nonetheless,Horizoncould look to its PlayStation neighbor and unabashedly ‘steal’ a dazzling feature that affects its open-world traversal greatly:Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s instantaneous fast travel.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Somehow Made Extraordinary Traversal Even Better
Web-swinging and overall traversal inopen-worldSpider-Mangamesare hotly debated. Some corners of theSpider-Manfandom will stand stalwartly bySpider-Man 2(2004),Ultimate Spider-Man, orSpider-Man: Web of Shadowsas having the best web-swinging, for example, while that of Insomniac’sMarvel’s Spider-Manfranchise has proven incredibly intuitive for modern-day sensibilities. For the sake of its simplicity and fluidity,Marvel’s Spider-Man’s web-swinging is fantastic and is hoisted quite highly by a rich, open-world New York City that is designed to be the perfect sandbox for players to maneuver through.
Then,Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Moralesexpanded on the original game’s traversal slightly by introducing Miles-specific traversal options via his bioelectricity powers, as well as his own unique movement animations.
If Insomniac wanted to, it probably could’ve stuck with the traversal mechanics it had established and merely fleshed out its New York City as it does inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2. Instead,Marvel’s Spider-Man 2debuts web-wing glidingand a fast travel feature that lets players appear anywhere they’d like to on the map, wherein the player will almost immediately be thrown into gameplay wherever they’ve chosen to spawn as their selected Spider-Man.
Horizon 3 Can’t Afford a Misstep Following Forbidden West’s Traversal
There’s no confirmation or indication thatHorizon Forbidden West’s sequel will end Aloy’s story. Trilogies are commonplace in a lot of media, sure, butThe Last of Us Part 2may well be the series’ swan song, andGod of Warmay be poised to conclude its Norse mythology saga after only two installments. That said, with Nemesis looming, it wouldn’t be surprising ifHorizon 3does try to close the book on the central narrative it’s been telling.
If so, there’s no guarantee at all that Guerrilla will bother floodingHorizon 3with a bunch of new mechanics and features if it doesn’t see itself employing them elsewhere thereafter. It seems fair to expect that flying mounts should play a big role in how players maneuver the open world inHorizon 3, for example, and the sky may literally be the limit after all.
Horizoncould look to its PlayStation neighbor and unabashedly ‘steal’ a dazzling feature that affects its open-world traversal greatly:Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s instantaneous fast travel.
Horizon 3could borrowMarvel’s Spider-Man 2’s fast travelfeature and allow players to be hurled into gameplay astride a Sunwing wherever they’ve chosen to spawn. Aloy is unable to web-swing across the landscape, after all, and even if Cauldrons needed to be activated prior, it would be a stunning quality-of-life feature for the series to add to its arsenal if players could soar wherever they wanted whenever they wanted.
