Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the premier titles available on the PS4. Guerrilla Games really outdid themselves. They crafted a breathtaking world with a thrilling narrative. The lore of the land and the boiling conflict between the factions provide a background in which the fierce Aloy, Horizon Zero Dawn's wonderful heroine, seeks answers to the fog of mystery surrounding the past. The game has so much going for it, but we still have a wishlist for the sequel of things that could make the experience all the more enjoyable. Here we go!
10 More Machines To Ride
Relatively soon into the game, Aloy masters the technique required to override the wild machines that roam the land. It's a useful skill, but it also enables her to mount several of the machine types. Broadheads, Chargers, and Striders can all be ridden into combat or across varied terrain. But imagine the possibilities if you could ride more of the beasts! In the sequel, we want to see Aloy flying on the backs of Stormbirds and crashing through forests with a Thunderjaw. With the stunning level of development that went into the first game, we're sure that Guerrilla Games could make this happen.
9 Playable Flashbacks With Rost
Aloy's father figure is an exile with a strong moral backbone, and he's a wonderful element in the cast of characters that Horizon Zero Dawn introduces to the players. To expand the history of the people from which Aloy departs, it would be cool to play as Rost in his younger days. Aloy has so much love and respect for the man, so it would be simple enough to integrate that into the story. She could find journals of his life, or she could hear stories from old companions. More insight into Rost's past would be a welcome addition.
8 Confrontation With Sylens
One of the most elusive characters that Aloy encounters, Sylens defies definition in the first game. At times he acts as an ally, but there are other motives that drive the man. We want to know what he plans and how he factors into the world. Aloy discovers information about his past and mistakes that he has made, but the shadowy figure is quiet about his current drive. Whatever choices he makes will greatly affect the outcome of the world Aloy has protected, so we've got to know more. What's he doing and why?
7 More Hunts For The Lodge
If you ever needed to take a break from the intriguing story, there were plenty of diversions in the world of Horizon Zero Dawn. One of the most entertaining was the initiation into the Lodge, and the subsequent forays out to hunt machines. Aloy grows in stature among the hunters of the Lodge, and she assists in changing the leadership of the organization. But we want to see more outlandish and dangerous missions to track down the wily machines of the wild. There's no better distraction than tethering down an angry beast that wants to kill you. So let's have more of the same in the next game.
6 New Machines
The diverse list of machines that are scattered about the land is impressive. Guerrilla Games created a large catalog of machines to challenge Aloy and to populate the wilds beyond the various settlements. But we're greedy, so we obviously wish they'll create new species of machines. Expanding the arsenal would be epic, and it would give Aloy some unexpected adversity to surmount. More winged machines. Maybe some subterranean ones. Go wild with it. The more, the merrier. Aloy can handle it, right?
5 A Companion For Aloy
We're not suggesting Aloy needs romantic possibilities in the sequel. She's a helluva woman and doesn't need to be tied down. But it would be interesting to see one or two AI companions that join her from time to time. Aloy fights alongside allies in the first game, but a dedicated friend who can accompany her on her journey would be exciting. It would grant Guerrilla Games the opportunity to deepen the character as Aloy could open up to another person more often. Similar to the relationship between Lara Croft and Jonah in the newer Tomb Raider games.
4 Additional Weapons
Shooting humans or machines with a bow and arrow is immensely satisfying, and the other tools that Aloy employs during her travels are equally fun. Yet it never hurts to have more options. We'd be pleasantly surprised to hunt with new traps and weapons to turn the tide in our favor. Aloy confronts some tough enemies throughout the game, and that's not likely to change in a sequel. So more firepower or gadgets would provide new ways to defeat the many foes that threaten the world of Horizon Zero Dawn. Give the girl some new toys.
3 Bigger Map
Aloy is a Seeker, which means she travels the world unrestricted by the traditions that bind others in her tribe. It also means that she's an explorer. A pioneer. So she needs new territories and other biomes to discover. Different environments and new locations would expand the world in interesting ways. More people, more machines, and more of the beautiful graphics that Guerrilla Games gifted us the first time around. We loved what we were given the first time, but an even bigger map would be a boon to players. It's not too much to ask for, right?
2 More Downloadable Content
It's greedy, we know. And it requires a lot of work for the developer. Horizon Zero Dawn had one DLC that released. The Frozen Wilds gave players a chance to uncover more information about the Banuk tribe, and it expanded the snowy world beyond the green lands of the Nora people. If we're going back into the life of Aloy, what better reward than to have several DLCs follow up what will surely be an incredibly successful launch of the sequel? It would be a chance for Guerrilla Games to build on exciting ideas that their development team must have cooked up during their time on the game.
1 The Same Thing A Second Time
Horizon Zero Dawn was an amazing game. It had an intricately-crafted narrative that wove together the lives of compelling characters and warring tribes. Exotic and deadly machines roamed the land, and it was up to Aloy to quell the conflicts that arose time and time again. Guerrilla Games knocked it out of the park. Which is why we don't want them to change too much. Add on. Make more content, by all means. But don't alter the recipe. The developer found an approach that blew us away, and our expectations are high for a sequel. So keep doing what you're doing because you're doing it right.