News broke recently about a rumoredHorizon Zero Dawnremake, although details are unclear about whether it is intended to be a remaster or a remake. Accompanying this rumor was another that suggests a multiplayerHorizongame is also in development. Because of how little information was shared,Horizon’s rumored multiplayer game is left entirely to speculation, and it is therefore possible that the project is fictional. If it is true, however, the potential foraHorizonmultiplayer gameis exceptional, especially if it taps intoMonster Hunter’s ideas.
Horizon Zero DawnandHorizon Forbidden Westalready lend themselves fairly well to the idea of a multiplayer game. It seems natural that the premise would be to hunt machines in an open-world PvE environment, where players could potentially create custom characters and customize the weapons they have equipped. It would be incredible to see customization options allow for players to choose their desired tribe affiliations as well. However, when considering how gameplay could be designed in a multiplayerHorizongame, there is a wealth of inspiration it should take fromMonster Hunter.
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The Horizon Franchise Lends Itself to Monster Hunter Mechanics
There are already a number of incredible similarities between gameplay in theMonster Hunterfranchise and theHorizonfranchise. Based solely on each franchise’s premise, players encounter enormous, creative creatures, whether they are organic or mechanical, and arduously battling them. This pits players in cinematic bouts where they somersault about and utilize a unique range of weaponry to strike the creature’s critical points.Horizoncame afterMonster Hunter, and as such these comparisons are more apparent in Aloy’s encounters with Thunderjaws, Stormbirds, Rockbreakers, and the like.
Aloy sprints around, takes aim, and wields her Focus to scan detachable machine parts to strike. Unlike inMonster Hunter,Horizon’s creatures cannot be subdued with traps and tranquilizer bombs, and must be destroyed for parts to salvage in the open world. But when looking ahead to the potential of a rumored multiplayer game, there isa lot more thatHorizoncould implement fromMonster Hunter. Perhaps one of the most exciting ideas would be that the multiplayerHorizongame could elaborate on is its Hunters Lodge.
Here, players could cooperatively submit hunting trophies and earn rank in their guild. If a multiplayerHorizongame distilled it to its bestMonster Hunterfeatures and added its social features, it could truly be a fantastic experience in the franchise.
Forbidden West’s Traversal Gadgets Could Be Essential in Multiplayer
Horizon Forbidden Westimproves uponHorizon Zero Dawn’s traversal in significant ways. Gadgets such as the Pullcaster and Shieldwing are definitive of the sequel and seem inseparable from the franchise now, and a multiplayer game where players cooperatively hunt machines would be a logical place to see these gadgets appear. Shieldwings have no precise equal inMonster Hunteras players rarely get to leverage the environment for traversal in a hunt withoutMonster Hunter Rise’s Wirebug mechanic. Having a glider to descend from high cliffs could be great inHorizon’s multiplayer, where multiple players all soar from the top of a mountain.
However,Horizon Forbidden West’s Pullcasteris similar in function toMonster Hunter World: Iceborne’s Clutch Claw. InHorizon Forbidden West, the Pullcaster is used to grapple to nearby points of interest with the option of launching upward from it afterward into the air. Later in the game, players can then use the Pullcaster to grapple onto Sunwings. In a multiplayerHorizongame, this gadget could be used similarly toMonster Hunter’s Clutch Claw, grappling onto rampaging machines and then carving away at their parts with a spear or other close-quarters-combat instrument.
AHorizonmultiplayer game is rumored to be in development.
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