PlayStation's Amsterdam-based studio, Guerrila Games, made a name for itself with the Killzone series during the PS3 generation, but ever since it launched Horizon Zero Dawn in 2017, the company has almost exclusively focused on making Horizon games. Despite their widespread critical and commercial success, Horizon Zero Dawn and its 2022 successor, Horizon Forbidden West, have gotten a bit of a bad rap from a few corners in the gaming community. While the franchise has a lot of fans, some people think that the Horizon games are too plain and formulaic compared to Killzone, and they believe that Guerrilla Games is investing too much money into promoting them. In spite of these criticisms, though, neither PlayStation nor Guerrilla have plans to abandon the franchise anytime soon.
Guerrilla Games announced a few years ago that it was working on not one, but two new installments in the Horizon series. The first of these games is an online multiplayer Horizon game that supposedly has a Fortnite-like art style and seems to be inspired by Monster Hunter. The other game, meanwhile, is the third mainline entry in the Horizon trilogy, colloquially named Horizon 3. The studio hasn't shared any major details about either of these games yet, so it seems like they're both still a ways off from hitting the market. Before Horizon 3 gets released, however, Guerrilla should expand Horizon's reach by porting the franchise's first two installments to other platforms, like Xbox.
Horizon 3 May Suddenly Be Under More Pressure Than Any Other PlayStation Exclusive
The next mainline installment in the Horizon franchise may have a lot to live up to, after the release of one acclaimed PlayStation exclusive.
PlayStation Should Bring the First Two Horizon Games to Xbox
The Horizon Series Has Largely Been Exclusive to PlayStation Consoles
Horizon has, for the most part, been a PlayStation-exclusive series. Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West, and the VR-only spin-off game, Horizon Call of the Mountain, have all made their debuts on PlayStation consoles. The Horizon series, however, has been used as a guinea pig of sorts for PlayStation's multi-platform strategies. Horizon Zero Dawn was ported to Windows PCs in 2020, making it the first-ever modern PlayStation first-party game to be released on a non-PS platform. Meanwhile, the newly-released LEGO Horizon Adventures was simultaneously launched on not only PS5 and PC, but Nintendo Switch, as well.
PlayStation is Becoming More Multi-Platform, As Can Be Seen With Helldivers 2 on Xbox
The thought of Horizon Zero Dawn or Horizon Forbidden West coming to a platform other than PlayStation seemed absurd a few years ago, but it doesn't sound so implausible now. Although PlayStation has often prided itself on its exclusive first-party content, the company has lately become more multi-platform than ever before. LEGO Horizon on Switch aside, perhaps the best example of this can be seen with Helldivers 2, which, despite being a PlayStation-published multiplayer shooter, is making its way to Xbox Series X/S this August.
Unlike Horizon, Helldivers 2 was not developed by a PlayStation first-party company. It was instead made by Arrowhead Game Studios, an independent Swedish developer who had previously worked on titles like Magicka and Gauntlet. In spite of this, though, PlayStation — not Arrowhead — has complete control over what platforms the game goes to, because it is the one that owns the Helldivers franchise. Even though Helldivers 2 isn't a true first-party title, it seems like it was entirely PlayStation's decision to bring the game to Xbox. PlayStation has never directly published a game on Xbox before, so the fact that Helldivers 2 is coming to the platform suggests a shift in its overall business strategy.
Since Guerrilla Games' upcoming multiplayer Horizon game will likely be a live service title, like Helldivers 2, it's possible that it will be released on Xbox a year or two after its PlayStation launch.
Bringing The First Two Horizon Games to Xbox Could Encourage Xbox Players to Get a PS5 for Horizon 3
Technically, Helldivers 2 being on Xbox doesn't necessarily guarantee that Horizon will come to the platform, as well. Since Helldivers 2 is a multiplayer live service game, it benefits greatly from being available on as many devices as possible. Horizon, on the other hand, is a primarily single-player franchise, so PlayStation may not be as interested in bringing it to Xbox. That said, a multi-platform expansion of the series could still be advantageous to the company in some ways. If PlayStation and Guerrilla Games bring Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West to Xbox in the next few years, they could get Xbox players interested in the Horizon franchise. That way, those individuals may be more inclined to buy a PS5 (or a PS6) for Horizon 3, whenever that game is eventually released. It's a risky strategy, but it could work well for PlayStation and Xbox players in the long run.
Horizon Forbidden West
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 96%
- Released
- February 18, 2022
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Guerrilla Games
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Engine
- Decima
- Franchise
- Horizon
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unsupported
