For most of the machines in Horizon Forbidden West, variety is introduced by having different elemental variants of the same machines. Burrowers break the mold by featuring the Tracker Burrower, which instead has a unique feature altogether. Future Horizon games should take things further and feature more machine species with varying weapons and special abilities.
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The Horizon Franchise and its Enemy Variation
The Horizon franchise features a future world where human civilization, for the most part, has been reduced to ruins. Humans are still around, and they live in tribes with varying levels of complexity. Life is hard in this new, not least of all due to the scarcity of resources. Humans also have to defend themselves and their settlements against the machines that roam around. These are huge, metal robots that survive by munching on biomass. The machines were fairly passive at first, but the Derangement turned them hostile to humans.
Most of the machines have designs based on reptiles and dinosaurs. For example, the Thunderjaw looks like a Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Slitherfang looks like a serpent. A few of the machines resemble mammals, including the ape-like Clamberjaws and the Leaplashers that look like kangaroos. All these different machines have varying moves and threat levels. Gamers should be well-prepared before taking on a Tremortusk, but there’s nothing to fear from a Tallneck, although it is massive.
In total, there are 43 machine species in Horizon Forbidden West, making exploration equal parts exciting and dangerous. More variety is introduced by the fact there is diversity within individual species. For example, players may come across a regular Clawstrider, or an Acid Clawstrider, or a Fire Clawstrider. There are also Apex versions of machines, which are much stronger than regular machines. This variation ensures that players are always on their toes when they are out exploring, and encountering enemies seldom feels repetitive. The next Horizon game could take things even further and provide greater variety. To do this, some lessons can be learned from the Burrowers of Horizon Forbidden West.
Horizon Forbidden West’s Burrowers
Perhaps the most common machine in Horizon Forbidden West is the Burrower. These small machines look like a cross between a meerkat and a mink, and they can be found in almost all environments, including underwater. Burrowers are fast, and they can dig underground and sneak up on their target. They have a few tricks, though they are relatively weak and easy to take down. However, if they spot Aloy they will alert nearby enemies, so it’s a good idea to deal with them first. They have one big eye, and it’s their weak spot. Fans of Horizon will likely confuse them for the Watchers of Zero Dawn because they look quite similar.
There are a lot of Burrower variants. Most of them are elemental variants, and gamers will come across Fire Canister Burrowers, Frost Canister Burrowers, Shock, Purgewater Canister Burrowers, Plasma Canister Burrowers, and Acid Canister Burrowers. There are also Apex versions of these Burrowers, and they can be tricky to deal with if players aren’t prepared. These variations keep things interesting, but they follow the same pattern as other machine species. Fortunately, there is an additional variant - the Tracker Burrowers.
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Tracker Burrowers, for the most part, look like regular Burrowers, but there are a few key differences. Instead of having an elemental canister, the Tracker Burrower has a Tracker Sprayer. When it is used, it reveals anyone who is using stealth technology. Tracker Burrowers can ruin a good strategy, especially for Horizon players who value the stealth Skill Tree, so it’s a good idea to look out for them. They are the most interesting Burrowers because, unlike the rest, what makes them special isn’t an elemental difference.
What Future Horizon Games Can Learn From the Burrowers
Having enemy variation is very important, as it prevents things from getting repetitive. This is especially necessary for large, open-world games which players will likely sink dozens of hours into. Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West were good in this department, though there are more ways to introduce variety than simply slapping on elemental changes. The Tracker Burrowers serve as an example of what future Horizon games could do. Instead of focusing on elements, future entries could focus on the machine’s components and abilities.
Variety could be introduced by different machines having different weapons. For example, one variation could use lasers while another could use projectiles. Variations like this would also facilitate better teamwork between machines of the same species. One with tracking abilities could survey the playing field, searching for Aloy before alerting the rest of the pack to her location. It would also make hunting these machines down more fun, as players would have the chance to knock off key machine components or even use her enemies’ own weapons against them.
Whether it is through comic books, VR games, or a Horizon television series, it is clear that Guerrilla Games is ready to expand on Aloy’s world. Fans can look forward to discovering more about Project Zero Dawn, Elisabet Sobeck, and Nemesis’ incoming threat. There will also likely be plenty more machines in store. Hopefully, they take a few notes from the Burrowers and vary in more ways than just their elemental attacks.
Horizon Forbidden West is available on PC and PS5.
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