The world ofHorizonis filled with a wide variety of animalistic machines roaming the post-apocalyptic United States. From the small Watchers to the towering Tremortusks and even ancient war machines such as Corruptors, all machines inHorizoncan prove to be lethal foes if provoked or attacked when unprepared. However,Horizon Forbidden Westintroduced a new type of technology and machines to go along with the new tech based on the sleek, menacing designs of the Far Zenith. While only a few Far Zenith machines were featured inForbidden West, more machines like them may appear inHorizon 3for better or for worse.
The Technology and Machines Derived from Horizon’s Far Zenith
Afterthe Faro Plaguebegan and was on the brink of wiping out 21st century humanity, some of humanity’s wealthiest and smartest individuals escaped the planet aboard the Odyssey starship and colonized the faraway planet of Sirius. For about 1,000 years, Sirius became a technological utopia with the Far Zenith developing highly advanced technology, even gaining the ability to cease aging and achieve a form of immortality. Most of Far Zenith tech was centered around nanotechnology and advanced energy; the Far Zenith could instantly create structures, machines, clothes, energy shields, and weapons with their technological advancements.
The Far Zenith nanotech is best represented by their machines known asDefense Drones, Specters, and Specter Prime. Each of these machines are equipped with powerful energy shields and deadly weapons such as Pulse Cannons, Siege Mortars, Lancers, and Missile Pods. Due to their nanotech, most Far Zenith machines are able to move swiftly, even more like organic animals than the rigidness of Zero Dawn machines. However, afterthe rogue artificial intelligence HEPHAESTUSwas captured and subsequently freed from Far Zenith imprisonment, HEPHAESTUS gained access to a Far Zenith printer matrix, allowing it to instantly create Zero Dawn machines with nanotech. This may have serious ramifications for the next game.
Horizon 3’s Potential Continued Use of Nanotech
Nanotech has become a contentious subject in many pop culture fanbases and franchises over recent years, especially in highly popular properties such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While nanotech is an effective tool to display a person or organization’s technological advancement, it’s often criticized for being overused or too powerful of a tool. In terms of films, nanotech is sometimes perceived as a studio being lazy for relying on CGI to create nanotech effects instead of making real props or costumes. In many pop culture properties, nanotech can further be perceived as too powerful, because practically everything and anything can be created with nanotech, such asTransformers: Age of Extinction’s Transformium or Tony Stark’s nanotech weapons inAvengers: Infinity WarandEndgame.
Guerrilla Games is a bit at fault for using nanotech inHorizon Forbidden Westto make the Far Zenith powerful, similar to the MCU, though it is a bit more realistic for a 1,000-year-old faction of Earth’s brightest minds to use advanced nanotech for everything in their alien society. Despite fans’ approval or disapproval ofHorizonnanotech, it’s highly likely that nanotech will appear in some form inHorizon 3. While all the Far Zenith may be dead after the end ofForbidden West’s Burning Shores DLC, it’s likelythe rogue Far Zenith AI Nemesiswill continue using their machines and nanotech inHorizon 3, while HEPHAESTUS could make entirely new machines merging designs of Zero Dawn with Far Zenith. As Beta speculates near the end ofForbidden West, HEPHAESTUS' time in the Far Zenith system may have given it the data necessary to replicate nanotech and make more dangerous machines moving forward.
Potential New HEPHAESTUS-designed Machines in Horizon 3
Nemesis is expected to be the main threat of the thirdHorizongame, but HEPHAESTUS can still play a secondary antagonistic role inHorizon 3with new machines. HEPHAESTUS was already shown tampering and modifying Zero Dawn designs inHorizonZero Dawn’s Frozen Wilds DLC andForbidden West, such as the combat-oriented Grimhorn. At the end ofForbidden West, HEPHAESTUS is shown to use Far Zenith nanotech to instantly createSlaughterspines and Thunderjaws to attack Specters, so it could similarly create a vast nanotech army inHorizon 3to attack Aloy. HEPHAESTUS could additionally make new machines such as animalistic war machines with energy shields and nanotech weapons. While the more classic grounded machines will likely still show up inHorizon 3, more flashy nanotech machines will likely become more prominent too.
