Summary
Every video game franchise has unique patterns, with idiosyncracies stretching to seemingly mundane details such as time between releases, post-launch campaigns, and even spin-off cycles.Horizonis no different, and fans of Aloy’s journey to save the Earth from forces that would love to see it destroyed are familiar with Guerrilla Games' traditions at this point. It’s been a year since theBurning ShoresDLC took gamers to the volcanic ruins of Los Angeles, and all eyes have since panned to speculation aboutHorizon 3’s development. With tradition in mind, it stands to reason to expect the next installment to feature a full-blown DLC like its predecessors.
In the modern gaming era, the post-launch campaign for a new title can be as essential as the base game, as the thirst for more content grows in droves. Given the game-saving potential that DLCs are known to possess, as in the ever-impressive case ofCyberpunk 2077Phantom Liberty, it’s basically assumed that every new release will get some form of additional content to beef up the initial release’s storyline. Not one to be left out from trends,Horizonhas obeyed this principle since it burst onto the scene in 2017 through its critically acclaimedFrozen Wilds(and more recently,Burning Shores) content packs, and there’s even more logical backing behind a DLC forHorizon 3in the aftermath of the showdown with Nemesis.
Horizon 3 Should Realistically Feature One Big DLC
DLCs in role-playing games, while typically not belonging to the linear overarching storyline of the base game, usually offer a refreshing perspective in a world after the completion of the main plot.Horizon: Zero Dawntook things to the next level with its details, going beyond the sidenote plot expected of DLCs in itsFrozen Wildsexpansion.
Zero Dawn and Forbidden West’s DLC Calendars Hint at Horizon 3’s Post-Launch Plans
Arriving in the same year asZero Dawn’s release,Frozen Wildsbrought a host of new enemies in theDaemonic Machines classthat dynamically challenged gamers' abilities. The progression from going through the motions at levels 40 and above in the base game to duking it out with tougher enemies madeFrozen Wildsan instant hit.
In the case ofForbidden West, in the aftermath of its explosive finish, it wasn’t clear how Guerrilla Games would carve out a DLC without spoiling the next installment’s perceived Nemesis premise. The developer composed a similar tune toFrozen WildsinBurning Shores, continuing to build out Aloy’s adventures – albeit in something of a corrective effort forForbidden West’s shortcomings. The second mainline edition was understandably preoccupied with the Far Zenith and the bigger universe picture, and Burning Shores redirected its focus toAloy’s personal stories.
Horizon 3’s DLC Could Picture Life After the Nemesis Threat
Burning Shorestook just over a year to debut afterForbidden West’s release, and judging from the pattern of DLC release periods in theHorizonfranchise, the same timeline should apply toHorizon 3.Horizon Forbidden West’s sales databacks up Guerrilla Games' strategy of favoring a single DLC over multiple smaller packs, and the uniformity of the pricing for its additional content has contributed to this achievement. Although things could still change inHorizon 3, the status quo is expected to remain untouched, especially with the prospect of Aloy’s tale as gamers know it coming to an end.
In keeping with tradition,Horizon 3has an enviably clear path for its DLC content to follow. However the trilogy’s tale might end, the developer could allow players to explore Earth (or whatever remains of it) after the epic showdown between the franchise heroine and Nemesis for the future of humanity. It’s still unclear what to expect plot-wise fromHorizon 3; whether Aloy fails in her quest, Nemesis somehow loses, or the tale continues on another planet. In terms of story continuation, however,Horizon 3has the soundest logical path to include DLC, and Guerrilla Games' tradition should continue in the upcoming title.
