Horizon 3 Needs to Soar Where Forbidden West Only Hopped

Traversal has certainly evolved across Guerrilla Games’ two Horizon titles, with Horizon Forbidden West really making it a core part of the experience and taking it to greater heights. That being said, there is still room for growth, and Horizon 3 could and arguably should capitalize on that to ensure the series’ traversal reaches its full potential. One of the major ways Horizon Forbidden West improved those mechanics is by introducing a flying mount, which, in theory, sounds like a great time. Unfortunately, the mount wasn’t accessible until the game’s story was almost over, making it feel almost useless at that point.

This is just one of the ways Horizon 3 could improve on the strides its predecessor has already taken to making the series’ traversal a standout feature of the whole experience. It isn’t just flying mounts that could receive more attention either, as ground mounts have been largely sidelined due to more accessible systems like fast travel and climbing. Needless to say, there is plenty of room for Horizon 3 to soar where Horizon Forbidden West only hopped, which would inevitably make exploration feel more rewarding in the long run.

Horizon 3 Should Take a Couple Pages Out of Baldur’s Gate 3’s Book

Guerrilla Games’ expected Horizon 3 should be inspired by Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 to introduce a classic RPG mechanic to the series.

Horizon 3 Has the Chance to Fully Evolve Traversal Across Land, Sea, and Air

Flying Mounts Should Be a Core Mechanic, Not an Endgame Reward

In Horizon Forbidden West, the ability to ride flying mounts was introduced so late that it wasn’t really possible to even enjoy it or make full use of it. Sure, it played a central role in Horizon Forbidden West‘s ending, but it would have been much better had players been able to utilize it during exploration. More than likely, Guerrilla Games has already considered this and implemented changes moving forward into Horizon 3, but that still doesn’t necessarily guarantee players will have access to a flying mount early enough in the game to really take advantage of its capabilities.

It isn’t just flying mounts that could receive more attention either, as ground mounts have been largely sidelined due to more accessible systems like fast travel and climbing.

In Horizon Forbidden West‘s Burning Shores DLC, for example, Aloy’s Sunwing is unusable from the get-go due to some aerial defense towers in the area. It isn’t until players destroy the first tower that they gain access to the Sunwing again. Then, around the midpoint of the expansion, players acquire the Waterwing, which functions like the Sunwing but also allows underwater travel. As such, it’s possible that Horizon 3 will have some reason why players can’t begin the game with a flying mount, but at that point, it might feel like nothing more than an excuse to keep players grounded. It would arguably be better for Horizon 3 to allow players a flying mount from the beginning, rather than to make them wait once more.

Climbing and Grappling Could Finally Feel Freeform and Seamless

Of course, while flying mounts are great, there is still much more to Horizon‘s traversal than meets the sky. One way Horizon Forbidden West improved climbing and ground traversal was by implementing the Pullcaster, a tool that allowed Aloy to grapple to specific locations and pull objects towards her. However, the fact that it was restricted to certain grapple points and limited free-climb zones made it feel like it didn’t capture the freedom of traversal seen in other open-world games like Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

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Horizon 3 could make up for these limitations by introducing a more freeform climbing system where players aren’t bound to specific routes defined by yellow paint. By now, Aloy has grown into someone who is more than capable of climbing without so much assistance, so it could even make sense from a narrative standpoint. Grappling mechanics could also chain into flying mount take-offs, shieldwing glides, and cliff scaling to make traversal feel more seamless, as well as more visually engaging.

While Horizon 3 might not be the last game in the Horizon franchise, it could very well be the final chapter of Aloy’s story. If that’s the case, there may be no better time to really up the ante on the series’ traversal mechanics by giving players a flying mount from the start and more seamlessly integrating grappling and climbing into the whole experience. Time will tell, however, which direction Guerrilla has chosen to go with this one.