Former SIE Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida was surprised thatHorizon Forbidden Westdidn’t sell more units than it did. 2022’sHorizon Forbidden Westbuilt on what fans enjoyed about the originalHorizon Zero Dawnby taking protagonist Aloy on a new quest to discover the mystery behind a deadly plague within the ruined remains of the western United States. Reviews forHorizon Forbidden Westwere mainly positive, praising the game’s rich visuals and gripping combat while criticizing the plot.
While theHorizongames have faced issues like releasing around the same time as blockbuster hits likeElden Ringand negative review bombing campaigns, the series is fairly lucrative for Sony. In the UK,Horizon Forbidden Westwas the second-biggest launch for the PlayStation 5 at the time of its release, and its overall sales figures have since beenbolstered byForbidden West’s PC launchin March 2024. By April 2023,Horizon Forbidden Westhad sold over 8.4 million units, with Sony reporting that the overallHorizonfranchise sold 32.7 million copies around that time.
However, former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida expectedHorizon Forbidden Westto perform better, as revealed in a recent interview with Kinda Funny Games. This marks Yoshida’s first interview sincestepping down as SIE Worldwide Studios President in 2024, and he said thatHorizon Forbidden West’s sales numbers left him surprised as the game was the sequel to an established IP and these typically perform better than their predecessors due to having a built-in fanbase. That being said, he still loves theHorizonfranchise and describedForbidden Westas “bigger and great.”
WhileHorizon Forbidden Westmay have fallen short of some sales expectations, the series is still going strong with big plans for the future. Last year, a more lighthearted take onHorizon Zero Dawnwas released in the form of the family-friendlyLEGO Horizon Adventures, which was also the firstHorizongame to be released on a Nintendo console. Several newHorizonprojects are said to be in development, including a third mainline entry and an online multiplayer spin-off.
As forHorizon Forbidden Westitself, both the base game and its 2023Burning ShoresDLC expansion recently reached a wider audience with the release of the previously mentioned PC port in March 2024. Alive-action movie adaptation ofHorizon Zero Dawnis reportedly in the works at Colombia Pictures in partnership with PlayStation Productions.
Horizon Forbidden West
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.Explore distant lands, fight bigger and more awe-inspiring machines, and encounter astonishing new tribes as you return to the far-future, post-apocalyptic world of Horizon.The land is dying. Vicious storms and an unstoppable blight ravage the scattered remnants of humanity while fearsome new machines prowl their borders, and life on Earth is hurtling toward another extinction.It’s up to Aloy to uncover the secrets behind these threats and restore order and balance to the world. Along the way, she must reunite with old friends, forge alliances with warring new factions and unravel the legacy of the ancient past.
