Horizon Forbidden Westcontinues the franchise’s DNA by introducing rich, complex, and intriguing characters that Aloy meets throughout her travels.Horizon Forbidden Westsucceeded in part by adding further technological depth to its NPCs through advanced motion capture and CGI technology but generally providing new NPCs for Aloy to meet. With the announcement ofHorizon Forbidden West’sBurning Shores DLC, an opportunity exists to revisit certain characters fromHorizon Zero Dawn.
WhileHorizon Forbidden Westadds an exemplary array of NPC characters to the franchise, many leave lasting impressions as their stories are typically more involved and carry weight in the world around Aloy. Furthermore, it’s intriguing to see the world develop as Aloy completes NPC quest lines, where fortifications appear after obtaining parts, or the delve site aroundLas Vegasgrows each time Aloy returns. Returning characters fromHorizon Zero Dawn, some even mentioned inForbidden West, would be a great way to see Guerrilla’s best form of character development.
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The Banuk Shaman Brin
One ofHorizon Zero Dawn’s more interesting side quests was found in Acquired Taste, where Aloy encounters the Banuk Shaman, Brin, in his home in Carja territory. Brin is an odd Shaman, even byBanuk tribal customs, as he has come to relish drinking machine fluid after hearing tribes of the Forbidden West did the same. Upon consuming the machine fluid, Brin has what he calls machine dreams, which are visions of events, possibly of the future.
As the quest nears its completion and Brin drinks the fluid of a Stormbird, Brin tells Aloy he sees a vision so horrifying he couldn’t reveal more. He only provides clues about a destruction-ridden future, Aloy’s death, and an incoming storm. He decides to leave for the Forbidden West afterward. While more information isn’t revealed then, the incoming storm Brin mentioned may besentient AI, Nemesis, on its way to Earth in a swarm of machines.
Brin is not featured inHorizon Forbidden Westas a visitable character, but Aloy does stumble upon a camp of dead Oseram. Within is a scanned glyph data point called Machine Dreams, which tells of an encounter the Oseram had with a Banuk Shaman drinking machine oil. The glyph explains that after drinking the oil, the Shaman declared he had to reach “the place of flame and brine” – presumed to be the burning shores of the DLC. With this information available, it would certainly make sense to seeBrin return in Burning Shoresand hear what other visions he may have had.
The Oseram Delver Gildun
Gildun is an Oseram deliver whom Aloy first encounters during the Frozen Wilds DLC in the ruins of Greycatch, a large dam in the Old World. Extremely energetic, an avid talker, and quickly excited by the act of delving, Gildun went to Greycatch, where he believed he saw a mirror similar to one his mother presented to him when he was younger. Through a series of mishaps, Gildun accidentally damages the control mechanics for the Old World dam, flooding it and being trapped inside until Aloy arrives.
Working with Aloy, Gildun overshares his life story, but his charm and love of delving, as opposed to just the rewards, paint a picture of a charming man who loves to explore. Gildun quickly warms to Aloy, even when his mirror is revealed as nothing more than a trick of the light. Aloy lets Gildun reactivate the control mechanisms for the dam, to his delight, and he claims he will explore the Cut further. His friendship with Aloy is apparent, as is his respect for her, which he values.
Horizon Forbidden Westbriefly expands upon Gildun as a scroll he has written, discovered near theSpinebreak eastern entrance, details his exploits in the Forbidden West and his attempts to delve into a “gargantuan levee.” This is the Hoover Dam from the Old World. The scroll further details his plans were abandoned as he deemed the site too unsafe, and he plans to travel south to the “Burning Shores.” With this pivotal information, it would be a shame not to see this charming character in the DLC.
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The AI CYAN
CYAN is an AI created in the mid-21st century to stabilize and maintain the Yellowstone Caldera; CYAN has a high level of sapience, despite the legally accepted levels featured in the Turing Act of 2044. Though smaller in scope than GAIA, CYAN is capable of emotions and empathy, as she bonded not only with her creators but with the Banuk Shaman Ourea shortly before the events ofHorizon Zero Dawn.
In theFrozen Wilds DLC, Aloy, Aratak, and Ourea work to free CYAN from the Daemon, which is discovered to be the rogue subfunction of GAIA, HEPHAESTUS. After her freedom is obtained, CYAN explains that many years prior, she had received a direct network connection from who she believed were advanced humans, unlike the tribes nearby. Upon acceptance of the link, she was overtaken and enslaved by HEPHAESTUS, who used her and her facility to create a research Cauldron for producing Hunter-Killer machines.
Despite her freedom by the end ofFrozen Wilds,GAIA reveals to AloyinHorizon Forbidden Westthat she attempted to connect with CYAN, who never responded. GAIA surmises that CYAN’s previous interactions with HEPHAESTUS caused her mistrust of unknown connections. No other mention of CYAN occurs inForbidden West.Still, with the threat of Nemesis looming, it would be nice to establish a connection with another benevolent AI to help stop whatever dangers Nemesis may wreak on Earth.
Horizon Forbidden Westis available on PS4 and PS5, and the Burning ShoresDLC is scheduled to release on April 19 on PS5.
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