Horizon: Zero Dawn was a purely single player adventure on PlayStation 4, but it looks like developer Guerilla Games has big plans for its next-generation sequel. According to Video Games Chronicle, a reliable source, the PlayStation 5 follow-up will include online co-op so that Aloy is no longer doing it all on her own.
The website states that both the studio and Sony have always been keen to implement the functionality into the series, with the original game supposedly sporting the feature before it was scrapped so that the team could focus on other areas. In Horizon Zero Dawn 2, online co-op will be available but it's not yet clear if this will form part of the base experience or if it'll be delivered via a separate mode. Video Games Chronicle goes on to claim that Guerilla once intended to release a standalone preview of the co-op feature with progress carried over into the full game on PS5, however, it is no longer clear if those plans will be carried out.
In other news, development of the sequel supposedly started out on PlayStation 4 before being transferred to PS5. Furthermore, Horizon Zero Dawn 2 is described as "gigantic" thanks to a larger game world and more freedom to explore it. Teaming up with a partner for one of Sony's biggest PS5 exclusives certainly sounds exciting, so what do you make of this rumoured plan? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
[source videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 38
I don't think Horizon needed to be any bigger than it already was, but I do hope "more freedom to explore it" means there's enhanced environmental interactivity.
Really not sold on the idea of co-op in HZD2. It'll suck if you can't obtain the platinum trophy by yourself in single-player mode.
Excited by the prospect of this being an early exclusive, though.
In before people panicking about co-op.
@Ralizah I'm hoping for an A.I companion if there's no one to co-op with. If they introduce flight and faster ways around the game world i won't mind if it increases significantly.
@TrueAssassin86x why is optional co-op a problem? That would be great in spider-man.
Please be a separate mode. The first was amazing without co op and sold 10 plus million and I don’t want no annoying npc or real player following me when I’m out exploring the beautiful world fighting machines and being stealthy
Please be Varl, he was a cool dude.
Co-op as an option would be fine, though not a necessity. Maybe you'll have an AI buddy who can be replaced with an IRL friend if you wish. No problem with that. Hard pass on any PvP though.
@Mintie Hopefully a competent A.I. companion, and not a RE5-esque nuisance who really makes you feel that lack of a second player. I'd be fine with that. Otherwise, it needs to be completely optional and not have important trophies tied to it in order to obtain the platinum.
@LN78 I wasn't initially going to buy a Nintendo Switch at launch until Nintendo announced that Breath of the Wild was a launch game for the hardware. It gave me that little push I needed to fully commit myself to a new piece of hardware, and I haven't regretted that choice for a second. I hope Sony gives me a similar 'push' with a compelling launch day game for PS5.
I hate really massive maps tbh.
Not a heeeeuugggeeee HZD fan but I did watch a 1 hour+ making of documentary on Youtube a few weeks ago, the basic co-op version of the original that they had up and running seemed like it could have been fun.
And yes I do hope they don't do a Naughty Dog and have NPC follow you round for most of the game. It was cool when Valve did it with Alyx but that's it!
As long as it doesn't get in the way of the solo experience then I'm all for it. Horizon does lend itself to coop Monster Hunter type of gameplay but as long as it's drop in/drop out or separate entirely then cool.
Co op!!!!!! Yay!!!!! This is exciting news that I hope is true.
Bigger and more... all fine with me. I explored every inch of HZD. One of my favorite games.
Would love online story Co-op.
Co op for this sounds awesome. The game was already huge. Unless Im flying a robot across it no thanks. I just want a denser world with more ways to interact. Not 10x the size just cause they can
@kyleforrester87 Hey, Sonic 2 did the whole useless AI companion thing first. Also really ahead of its time with having an awful, tacked-on multiplayer mode too.
Story co-OP would definitely make this a day 1 purchase for me!
YESSSSSSSSSSSS!
Another 80+ hours with Aloy Burch? Sure.
The first thing that came to my mind is Death Stranding's co-op. After all DS was made with Guerrilla collaboration. It would be incredibly easy to implement it in HZD2, and it would be very interesting. Like going around and finding traces of other hunters, materials and weapons they leave for you...Maybe even suggestions on how to tackle the bosses... I think it would work very well given the setting of the game, just like in Death Stranding
Like some guys have already said (echoing an article here, as well) I don't want bigger games. I want more engaging and meaningful quests/mission structure. The first HZD is already big enough.
I don't mind co-op as long as it doesn't detract from the single player experience.
No please don't make the open world bigger for the love of God don't go the Ubisoft route.
Not even a new Horizon zero Dawn will call me to pay 500 + pounds... Sorry not when I have a free option.
@Ralizah I agree. It annoys me that game’s incorporate online trophies to platinum games. I understand they want players to use their online experience but online gaming isn’t for everyone, hence why we buy single player story games.
Leave it for DLC’s I say.
@TrueAssassin86x what games with a 2 has coop in it
Saw this on reddit. Pretty cool, could work like Saints Row or something. I kinda thought it might work in Breath of the Wild tbh, just ramp up enemy health when a second player joins or something. It's not too hard to imagine. Only thing is progress of completed missions, perhaps only the host gets the progress update?
As long as they don't force co-op down my throat. If it's optional, then ok, but I prefer to play my games on my own, with few exceptions like Wildlands and Far Cry
I hope this is more monster hunter than far cry coop! Please sort out the human enemy AI too, its dire.
@get2sammyb to be honest I was panicking more about it being “gigantic” and bigger than the first game.
I agree with your feature the other day and I’m not sure why developers just have a “bigger is better attitude”. Personally I don’t want a world bigger than before. It was big enough!
@Dan_ozzzy189 then don't play open world games, then?
@DanM please keep everything that was Death Stranding away from all other games. It was terrible and would only serve to ruin a game.
@gollumb82 the quests were extremely meaningful in Horizon Zero Dawn.
@Real_Obsi nobody knows what the new consoles costs, not even the remotest clue. Sony doesn't even know how much it will cost.
@ChipBoundary
Yes, I know. Maybe I didn't make that clear. I loved HZD in every respect. I was referring to games in general
I hope for the sequel they make things far more organic. Forget the map and markers where everything is. Make the machine movement natural according to the terrain. Make encounters far more random in their nature. Bigger enemies too. I'm sure they have many fantastic ideas now they're not constricted by hardware limitations. And please, please build on environmental damage when things explode. Trees buckling under the weight of explosions with plenty of scorching is where they need to go. Deepen the immersion of the battles, not just a bigger game world.
This game is certainly going to be fantastic, but to me "co-op" and "bigger" sound like the go-to buzzwords for a sequel, and I personally hate that.
We've reached a point where games don't need to be bigger, especially if there isn't much to do in them (as Sammy suggested in his excellent soapbox piece), and co-op doesn't really work for every game.
I like single player games because I'm the one doing stuff; I hate it when I'm forced to have NPC companions to "help" me, it feels like the game is playing itself, or even foiling my plans (in the worst case scenario).
I'm saying this because if they want to make the whole campaign co-op they're likely to implement something like that.
I think it would work as a separate mode, though, where you go slaying robots Monster Hunter-style together. That would be nice.
@ChipBoundary that's not what I said. I'd rather have more interesting places and areas where there's more to do with far better interaction and physics. Not so much a massive place with annoying fetch quests etc. I think the SSD will be the key, then fast travel won't take 60 seconds or more.
Cant wait to play this on my PC! <3
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