Sony developer Guerrilla seems to be done with Killzone, instead now favouring its Horizon series.
According to art director Roy Postma, Guerrilla’s decision to start working on the Horizon series was a conscious choice by the developer, and one which would see it move away from the darker and more violent Killzone games the studio was initially known for.
“We were done with it as a team. As a studio, we needed to refresh the palette. It was, by choice, the opposite of ‘Killzone,'” Postma told the Washington Post.
The developer now has its focus on the Horizon series, which began with Zero Dawn back in 2017.
“I think the themes that this story and the characters represent are relatable for all ages and people, like having a found family of friends and finding your place in the world,” the developer continued.
Guerrilla is now gearing up for the release of the next Horizon game – Lego Horizon Adventures – which is being made in collaboration with Britain-based Studio Gobo. This bricky take on Aloy’s story is described as a “playful and light-hearted” take on Guerrilla’s franchise.
“We came from making smaller games and games for children,” said Toño Gonzalez, lead game designer at Studio Gobo, when discussing the upcoming release. This was a change for Guerrilla in a lot of ways, with Postma further adding: “Making people laugh when they play the game, that was new for us.”
I recently went hands-on with Lego Horizon Adventures, and had a lot of fun exploring the world in its new block form. “Yes, it’s still a ‘kids game’ at its heart, but as a Horizon fan, it’s one I can feel much better about when it comes to introducing my own children to Aloy’s world… which now also includes hot dogs,” I wrote in Eurogamer’s Horizon Lego Adventures preview.
Outside of Lego, Guerrilla previously confirmed another Horizon game with Aloy at the fore is in the pipeline, as well as an online offering. A TV show was also once in the works at Netflix, however recent reports said the project had been cancelled following accusations of “bullying, manipulative and retaliatory behaviour” by its planned showrunner Steve Blackman.