With the release of Horizon Zero Dawn: Remastered and LEGO Horizon Adventures now behind them, Guerrilla Games can dedicate their resources more fully to the development of both an unnamed Horizon multiplayer game and Horizon 3. Following the launch of Horizon Forbidden West in 2022 and the Burning Shores expansion in 2023, fans have been busy speculating about possible conclusions to the Horizon trilogy. Will Aloy venture across the Pacific to seek help from the technologically advanced Quen Empire, or could Sylens harness remnants of 21st-century technology to confront Nemesis? While these are interesting possibilities, there’s another crucial angle Horizon 3 could explore: the reactions of established tribes to revelations about humanity’s ancient past.
Ever since Ted Faro obliterated the APOLLO subroutine from Project: Zero Dawn thousands of years ago, human society has remained somewhat stuck in the past. With remnants of 21st-century buildings and giant robotic creatures scattered throughout this post-apocalyptic world, people have been left to interpret these relics much like ancient civilizations would have. For instance, the isolationist Nora interpret automated security alerts as messages from the deity All-Mother, while the Carja worship the sun in a similar fashion. Many tribes view the ruins and machinery of the old world as menacing entities that punished their ancestors, due to a lack of understanding of their true nature.
Not all societies were completely in the dark, though. The ancient Quen managed to recover a number of Focus devices, which granted them partial access to old-world knowledge and allowed them to build a highly advanced empire. Similarly, the Tenakth learned from historical museum exhibits, adapting old military tactics to their own strategies. Instead of forsaking old technology, the Oseram became skilled at repairing it, including the holographic showcases found in Las Vegas, which they used to inspire their innovations. Various tribespeople continue to discover Focus devices scattered about, often connecting with still-active ancient facilities, much like Sylens did during Horizon Zero Dawn.
Across the series in both Zero Dawn and Forbidden West, Aloy has steadily uncovered truths about the old world thanks to her Focus, the guidance of Sylens, and her genetic link to Dr. Elisabet Sobeck, the architect of Project: Zero Dawn. By the conclusion of Forbidden West, Aloy and her companions manage to acquire a version of APOLLO from the Far Zenith — extraterrestrial humans — effectively integrating its data with the GAIA A.I. from Project: Zero Dawn. This revealed a wealth of historical information that could help them tackle the Nemesis threat. In the Burning Shores expansion, Erend plans to return to the Oseram to distribute Focus devices among their tribe, gearing up for their confrontations with Nemesis.
Despite Erend and Aloy’s well-meaning plans to share ancient knowledge with their respective tribes, they could inadvertently stir tensions and create friction with other established factions. Post-apocalyptic tribes have traditions that have guided them for centuries, and not all will be eager to hear that their long-held beliefs were misconceptions. For instance, religious authorities within the Utaru and Carja, like the Sun Priests, may vehemently reject the idea of old-world knowledge disrupting their power dynamics when their deities are revealed as non-divine.
Contrary to the more open Quen, who restrict ancient knowledge to a select few within their authoritarian regime, they could resist Aloy’s efforts to democratize that wisdom among other tribes, fearing it might destabilize their societal structure. Meanwhile, the Oseram and Tenakth might welcome this knowledge, seeing it as a means to enhance their technology, weaponry, and combat strategies. Even though Aloy’s endeavors have earned her the respect of many tribes throughout the Horizon series, she might still encounter prejudice and cultural resistance in Horizon 3 as she strives to unite these disparate groups against the looming enemy, Nemesis.
Throughout the Horizon franchise, players have been introduced to the richness of seven unique tribes: the Nora, Carja, Oseram, Banuk, Utaru, Tenakth, and Quen. Each with its own distinct relationship to ancient knowledge and artifacts, these tribes paint a vivid picture of a world grappling with the shadows of a forgotten golden age. As the series progresses, it remains fascinating to see how revelations about the past will steer this intricate world and its people into the future.
