Horizon Forbidden Westis regarded as one of the best gaming sequels of the recent generation. After the first release,Zero Dawn, became one of Sony and developer Guerrilla Games' most successful new IPs in 2017,Horizon Forbidden Westwent on to improve and expand on its distinct world and characters, advancing the elaborate post-apocalyptic tale and delivering another satisfying open-world action experience.
Of the menagerie ofmemorable machines inHorizon, the equally majestic and deadly Stormbirds are one of the series' most striking and terrifying apex predators. These served as late-game enemies that presented a difficult encounter and offered valuable rewards for defeating them. While they returned to menace Aloy inForbidden West,they weren’t quite the monsters they were in their initial incarnation. As such, and given that they are pretty much a shoo-in to appear in the third mainline entry, it would be good to see Stormbirds rise again as kings of the skies.
Stormbirds Could Use Another Overhaul in Horizon 3 Following Their Subdued Design in Forbidden West
Stormbirds in Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West
Horizon Zero Dawn’s Stormbirdswere some of the most visually impressive and mechanically complex enemies to go up against. As they are essentially mechanized versions of the mythical Thunderbird, complete with electricity/lightning-based weaponry.Zero Dawn’s Stormbirds were truly something to behold and battle. Fighting one was a commitment that demanded a great deal of precision and preparation on the player’s part. Yet, perhaps due to the developer feeling they could sometimes be overwhelming or unbalanced, their behavior and patterns inHorizon Forbidden Westfelt comparatively scaled back.
One of the most effective ways to tackle Stormbirds inZero Dawnis to combine freezing and tying them down with the Ropecaster.
The massive birds seemed to ground themselves more often, making themselves easier targets to pin down and generally being less relentlessly aggressive than their counterparts inZero Dawn. Their iconic cannons were also a bit easier to neutralize or knock off to turn the tables against them. Pound for pound,Stormbirds inHorizon Zero Dawnprovided the bigger overall challenge, and the fights against them were more spectacular, requiring a relatively higher level of skill and strategy. This isn’t to say that they were complete pushovers inHorizon Forbidden West, but they were noticeably less imposing in the second outing and demoted to a somewhat lesser threat level tier.
How Horizon 3 Could See Stormbirds Return to Rule the Roost
Guerrilla has already stated it has ambitiousplans forHorizon 3. The third entry is positioned to build on the firmly established setting and story while likely refining the gameplay and design even further, which will naturally extend to its iconic foes.Forbidden Westintroduced the Dreadwing, who seemed to inherit the Stormbird’s role as the most dangerous aerial threat due to it being harder to damage their parts, while they also had a more diverse and intimidating pool of attacks and movement patterns.
Perhaps something has happened to the Cauldrons or in the world at large by thetime ofHorizon 3’s eventsthat has resulted in the creation of some nightmarish combination of Stormbird and Dreadwing rolled into one. This would present a high level of combat challenge, but still be somewhat familiar to fans. This hypothetical beast could then make use of the traits of both previous iterations while possibly having evolved entirely new abilities.
Another option would be to keep players on their toes by having the Stormbirds function more or less as they did inForbidden West, but giving them some fresh tactics. Although they were previously seen to be solo hunters, having to deal with a flock of two or three at once would be a great way to retain their lethality, even if they are no longer the most badass creature in the sky. Along with whatever other old andnew machine enemies players might face inHorizon 3, Guerrilla should ensure that Stormbirds still rank high on the list of most daunting.
Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition
WHERE TO PLAY
Join Aloy as she braves a majestic but dangerous new frontier that holds mysterious new threats. This Complete Edition allows you to enjoy the critically acclaimed Horizon Forbidden West on PC in its entirety with bonus content, including the Burning Shores story expansion that picks up after the main game.
