After Tallnecks returned in some new and interesting ways inHorizon Forbidden West, the nextHorizongame should look toThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomfor tricks it could pull with this key mechanic. First introduced inHorizon Zero Dawnas an integral feature allowing players to obtain in-game maps and get a literal lay of the land, the Tallnecks arguably stood out most for their size, striking appearance, and overall passivity compared to other machines. As a result, though their return inHorizon Forbidden Westwas virtually guaranteed, developer Guerrilla Games endeavored to provide new Tallneck challenges for the sequel.
However, sinceForbidden West’s ending teased an all-but-confirmedthirdHorizongame missing only its subtitle, the likelihood of Tallnecks making another comeback inHorizon 3seems just as certain as the game itself. Therefore, Guerrilla Games might want to look to other games that had been in a similar position, such asZelda: Tears of the Kingdom, where a necessary mechanic such as obtaining maps needed to be reworked to keep things fresh for players. By adopting like-minded strategies and building onHorizon’s existing mechanics,Horizon 3could offer players a refreshed take on its third generation of Tallnecks.
Horizon Forbidden West Upped The Ante With Its Tallnecks
Even beforeForbidden Westwas announced, it was potentiallyZero Dawn’sFrozen WildsDLC that first explored new ideas for revealing map regions, as players had to initially repair the Frostfigure’s Tallneck before overriding it. Since theForbidden Westsequel would repeat this feature, this DLC could have helped influence new Tallneck puzzles players had to solve, such as anchoring the Stillsands' Tallneck or using flying mounts to reach The Shining Wasteland’s Tallneck. Players were even given insight into how Tallnecks were created viaForbidden West’s IOTA Cauldron, which was required as part of its Salt Bite region reveal.
WhileForbidden Westexperimented with the original Tallneck concept fromZero Dawn, such as removing anything for players to climb or making them inaccessible until new abilities were acquired, this could now be a problem forHorizon 3. AfterForbidden Westset a high bar forHorizon 3with its Tallnecks, the third game must ensure it pushes the envelope on this key feature in even newer ways. But to avoid the risk of rehashing old puzzles seen inZero DawnorForidden Westand their respective DLCs,Horizon 3could borrow from games likeZelda: Tears of the Kingdomthat overcame a similar issue.
Horizon 3 Should Take Inspiration From Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Skyview Towers
Replacing the Sheikah Towers fromZelda: Breath of the Wild,Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomintroduced Skyview Towers, its near-identical alternative for unlocking maps, albeit with a few new quirks. In addition to launching players into the sky, players needed to navigateZelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s new features like its Ultrahand and enemy camps before accessing various towers. With a similar approach to its next generation of Tallnecks, the prospective threequel could use its features and abilities to create new ways of findingHorizon’s peaceful Tallnecks and overriding themto reveal in-game regions.
Horizon 3 Has The Potential To Take Tallnecks Even Further
BetweenZelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s approach and the likelihood thatHorizon 3will improve upon existing or introduce all-new mechanics, several features fromZero DawnandForbidden Westcould be ideal springboards for future Tallneck challenges. For example, should underwater exploration return inHorizon 3,Forbidden West’s Tallneck at Landfall could help inspire another underwater puzzle or the mystery behind Salt Bite’s Tallneck could be reworked for another Tallneck’s absence on the in-game map. With these and other ideas listed belowexploringHorizon’s existing setting and features,Horizon 3has the potential for a much-needed refresh with its Tallnecks.
